Chateau Liberte, 22700 Old Santa Cruz Highway, Los Gatos, CA

The Chateau Liberte was a rock & roll bar in the Santa Cruz mountains.
An old stagecoach stop in the mid 19th century,
the all-wood building on stilts was originally built in 1865 and was a notorius speakeasy durung Prohibition.

In the 20th century it was an inn and restaurant owned by a family. From about 1947 to the mid 60's it was just a restaurant. It went through at least two owners in the 1960's.
While Janis Joplin never entertained there, she visited the Chateau with an entourage thinking to purchase the property. The old Dr. Moore out of San Francisco, who owned the place at the time wouldn't hear of it....he didn't like her.

The following piece of history is added by Pearl Regis, Owner/Operator of the lease at the Chateau along with her family. Prior to that name (Chateau Liberte) , it was called the Redwood Chateau 1965 - 1967 and then Chateau Regis (1967 - 1971) This is the period the Doobie Brothers and other legendary rock groups got their start or played there. It was not a "biker" bar until Jim Richardson bought the lease in 1971 and called it Chateau Liberte. The bar was a magical, rockin'-sockin' fun place to go and was patronized by the local Mountain Folk, Cowboys and equestrians, Professional people such as Airline Pilots, Doctors, Lawyers, Heavy Construction Equipment Operators, Artists, Scientists, Musicians, Poets, Families, "hippies" and other eclectic groups. It has since been demolished and rebuilt on the site of the old redwood building. The swimming pool was left in place, and could have been viewed as folks sat at the log-hewn bar.

A figure in the Chateau Liberte scene, Billy Dean Andrus, has been virtually
forgotten by rock history.   He was a lead guitarist who came out from
Mississippi and hung out with the Doobies and Skip Spence.   He performed in a
black leather band with Skip Spence and other local South Bay musicians in 1970
called Pachuco.  He died of a drug overdose on Thanksgiving Day 1970, and is
buried in Soquel graveyard - - near Santa Cruz.   Andrus is the inspiration for
the Doobies Brothers' number one hit "Black Water," and the song "Chicago" is
also dedicated to him on the first Doobies album. Skip Spence called him the
"best guitarist in the world."
They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the Hells Angels and got a recurring gig at one of the bikers' favorite venues, the Chateau Liberte' in the Santa Cruz Mountains.



An old Wells Fargo stagecoach stop in the mid 19th century, the all-wood building on stilts was originally built in 1865 and was a notorius speakeasy, Chateau Boussy from 1920 to 1945.(1)

From about 1947 to the mid 1960's it was a family run restaurant.

It went through at least two owners in the 1960's.
While Janis Joplin never entertained there, she visited the Chateau with an entourage thinking to purchase the property. The old Dr. Moore out of San Francisco, who owned the place at the time wouldn't hear of it....he didn't like her.

The following piece of history is added by Pearl Regis, Owner/Operator of the lease at the Chateau along with her family.
Prior to that name (Chateau Liberte) , it was called the Redwood Chateau 1965 - 1967 and then Chateau Regis (1967 - 1971) This is the period the Doobie Brothers and other legendary rock groups got their start or played there. It was not a "biker" bar until Jim Richardson bought the lease in 1971 and called it Chateau Liberte. The bar was a magical, rockin'-sockin' fun place to go and was patronized by the local Mountain Folk, Cowboys and equestrians, Professional people such as Airline Pilots, Doctors, Lawyers, Heavy Construction Equipment Operators, Artists, Scientists, Musicians, Poets, Families, "hippies" and other eclectic groups. It has since been demolished and rebuilt on the site of the old redwood building. The swimming pool was left in place, and could have been viewed as folks sat at the log-hewn bar.

A figure in the Chateau Liberte scene, Billy Dean Andrus, has been virtually
forgotten by rock history.  He was a lead guitarist who came out from Mississippi and hung out with the Doobies and Skip Spence.   He performed in a black leather band with Skip Spence and other local South Bay musicians in 1970 called Pachuco.  He died of a drug overdose on Thanksgiving Day 1970, and is buried in Soquel graveyard - - near Santa Cruz.   Andrus is the inspiration for the Doobies Brothers' number one hit "Black Water," and the song "Chicago" is also dedicated to him on the first Doobies album.   Skip Spence called him the"best guitarist in the world." They attracted a particularly strong following among local chapters of the Hells Angels and got a recurring gig at one of the bikers' favorite venues, the Chateau Liberte' in the Santa Cruz Mountains.(3)
The cover of the first Doobie Brothers album was photographed in the bar and the Doobie's were regulars here before they hit it big with Manager Bruce Cohn at the helm.

In 2010, George Rabe currently owns and resides on 72 acres off the Old Santa Cruz Highway in the completely restored, and most recently the famous nightclub,The Chateau Liberte (1965-1975).(2)

Jerry performed here on
3/22/74 Merl Saunders
10/11/74 Merl Saunders
11/30/74 Merl Saunders




1.)^Selvin, Joel, San Francisco, the Musical History Tourm pg.171, http://books.google.com/books?id=hxCLmGXGuHIC&pg=PA122&lpg=PA122&dq=mandrake%27s+berkeley&source=web&ots=NZ6q3FFDUv&sig=6FCJXA_jzBE1M10hHIdWYQ6zgr8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#v=onepage&q=mandrake%27s%20berkeley&f=false
2.)^Singh, Gary, Chateau Liberte, 2010-07-28, http://www.metroactive.com/features/columns/silicon-alleys_20100728.html
3.)^http://www.answers.com/topic/the-doobie-brothers#ixzz1H5NSHONC