All the hipsters were out at Coachella and the lots of porn stars were in Atlantic City, doing the Exxxotica Show – but for denizens of the Sunset Strip on Sunday night, it was the Rainbow Bar & Grill’s Party in the Parking Lot, celebrating 42 years as THE rock’n BEST bar and grill on the planet.

And what a history! Here’s a list of rock’n’roll dignitaries that the Rainbow has on its Wikipedia as just a few of the famous partyers that like to hang out at the restaurant: “Lemmy, John Lennon, Keith Moon, Micky Dolenz, Grace Slick, Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Lizzy Valentine and many others.”

But did you know that the place had actually been a restaurant before becoming the Rainbow? It was called the Villa Nova, owned by director Vincent Minnelli (Lisa’s father) and it was the site of Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio’s first blind date. The opening party for the Rainbow, on April 16, 1972, was in honor of Elton John. Throughout the ’70s, the restaurant served as a haunt for all the legendary rock musicians of the day. Then, in the ’80s, the hair bands rose to infamy; bands like Motley Crue and Guns & Roses laid waste to Hollywood and the world.

In fact, RNSU’s own Amber Lynn was discovered at the Rainbow by adult director Clive McLean and wife of HUSTLER founder, Althea Flynt. After shooting for HUSTLER, Amber soon became well-known as a sex symbol of the day – big hair and big boobs, blonde and babelicious!

Last Sunday night, bands Great White, Bullet Boys, Tracii Guns, and Bitch, got the audience all sweaty and seXXXy.

Of course, you cannot talk about the beginnings of the Rainbow, without also remembering Elmer Valentine, Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri, the restaurant’s founders and each a rock’n’roll legend in his own right. Happy birthday, Rainbow!! WE LOVE YOU xoxo