[3] The Roxy was opened on September 20, 1973,[1][2] by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler, along with original partners David Geffen, Elliot Roberts and Peter Asher.

Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers (billed as Crazy Horse, a related ensemble) played the Roxy for the first three days it was open.

[4] Only three months later, the Genesis lineup with Peter Gabriel played several consecutive days at the Roxy, a run that some band members and many fans consider to be amongst their finest performances (due in part, to the intimate atmosphere and good acoustics of the venue).

Paul Reubens, then a struggling comedian, introduced his Pee-wee Herman character in a raunchy revue here in 1981 that included such aspiring comics as Phil Hartman and Elayne Boosler.

Tom Eyen's hit comedy Women Behind Bars enjoyed a long extended run with such stars as Lu Leonard, Adrienne Barbeau, Sally Kellerman, and Linda Blair, and was the site of the first AIDS benefit held in Los Angeles on July 27, 1983.