New owner
Emerson Whitney became the next owner and then sold it to a group of investors that turned it into the Cheetah Club in 1966. The Aragon's admitted low point came with this conversion to a mod-type discotheque brought here after resounding successes in New York City. The Aragon changed its name and became the Cheetah Club. The old palace rocked each night with mini skirts and what was known as the "now" sound of the sixties. A tent now covered the balcony and the star speckled ceiling, spotted fabric covered the chairs, colored strobe lights flashed and psychedelic-iridescent paint spots where splashed on the floors of the lobbies. The grandiose appearance of the Aragon had been replaced. The Cheetah Club turned out to be a flop. Chicago's rockers never took kindly to the "beautiful people" type of joint. The Cheetah glided along and then folded.

In 1968, Emerson Whitney took back possession of the Aragon and reinstated its original name. He spent a near-fortune refurbishing the venue in hopes for a nostalgic revival of the big bands era and a romantic return to the dance floor magic of the late 1930's. Whitney vowed to bring back the class and sophistication of earlier years. However, the hopes faded into little more than a scrapbook memory. Rebirth of ballroom dancing stirred memories and a brief flurry of interest, but little more. The Aragon continued to search for a new image.

In 1969 the Aragon was sold to Triangle Theatrical Productions. Triangle's plans were for pop and rock n' roll concerts, flea markets, art fairs, and folk and ethnic attractions. They, however, could not make their payments and ownership returned to Emerson Whitney.

In 1970, promoter Michael Butler of American Tribal Productions, the creator of the theatrical production "Hair", introduced "monster" rock concerts to the Aragon. They were more like marathons lasting six or seven hours, sometimes until 3:00 am. Top name rock performers such as the Grateful Dead, Joe Crocker, Sha-Na-Na, B.B. King, the Bryds, Jethro Tull, Steppen Wolf and many others appeared. Craftsmen set up booths to sell their wares: art exhibits and drugs. Five dollars bought you a ticket into part of a social community that was bent on experimenting with drugs.There were good nights and bad nights. Only one thing was constant: Dope. Inside on the stairs, in the lobby or up in the ballroom, it was all the same: "Got a joint man?". After six months, Michael Butler threw in the towel and a former employee of his, Scott Doneen, picked it up. Scott Doneen had the astoundingly bad fortune of having nine cancellations in July of 1970. By September of that same year,! ! ! things started getting out of hand. The police who until this time were keeping their hands off, started taking a more serious look. One evening, a patron on LSD thought he could fly and jumped from a second floor window breaking his leg. That incident along with crowd control problems put an end to the "monster" rock shows in October of 1970. All along, it was the music and the people that made the Aragon thrive. The drugs were there, but it was not grass or pills that people paid five dollars a piece to get in for. They could have gotten stoned anywhere they wanted to for free under more comfortable circumstances. The Aragon was what it always was, a place to hear top name performers in a awe inspiring setting. The Aragon had finally found a new era and it was called Rock'n Roll. However the future rock palace would not be uncovered for over two years.

In January of 1971, Harmond Harvey and Arthur Holleb bought the Aragon. They began restoring the venue to its original splendor. For a short time, Thursdays were nostalgia nights. The house band, "The Aragon", played through a dance music library that spanned from the turn of the century to the '70s. On Saturdays there were ethnic parties and wrestling matches were held every other Friday. Harmond, like every other owner before him, thought he could bring back big bands and dancing but low attendance soon stopped those dreams.

Reopening
The Aragon reopened its doors to rock and roll concerts in 1972. Bands included the Doors, the Kinks, the Fabulous Rhinestones, Dr. John and many more. Although rock and roll was quickly carving its niche, the current promoters were unsuccessful in making the concerts profitable. In 1973, ownership of the Aragon finally landed in the right hands. Two Latin promoters, Willy Miranda and Jose Palomar, had been successfully producing Latin dances in Chicago since 1964. When word spread that the Aragon was yet again up for sale, the partners quickly extended an offer. They concentrated their efforts on restoring the appearance of the venue while continuing to promote their dances.Shortly after they purchased the Aragon, they were approached by two new concert promoters Arny Granat and Jerry Mickelson of JAM Productions. Jam possessed what it took to make rock concerts work and the new rock era at the Aragon began.

If only the walls could talk...
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