Well-known nightclub owner and entertainment entrepreneur Manny Roth has passed away.

Roth died July 25 of natural causes at his home in Ojai, California. He was 94.

Roth, uncle of Van Halen singer David Lee Roth, opened the famed Greenwich Village club Café Wha? in 1959. Its stage quickly became a mecca for up-and-coming entertainers. Young performers like Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen got early chances to hone their talents there. Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce, Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor also hit the stage, before there were dedicated comedy clubs in the city.

Roth never had the chance to show off his artistic talents, but he managed to combine his love for the arts with his business skills. He majored in theater and business at the University of Miami before dropping out to enlist in the Army in World War II. After the war, he helped run a United Service Organization theater in Germany. He later returned to the US and, with the help of several friends, invested in the former horse stable that they turned into Café Wha?.

The nightclub helped the artists as much as their careers. Roth passed around baskets to gather tips for the artists. Bob Dylan was quoted in his autobiography saying, “You got fed there, which was actually the best thing about the place.” In 1966, Animals bassist Chas Chandler saw Jimi Hendrix perform with his band, Jimmy James and Blue Flames, and offered to manage the front man.

Roth sold Cafe Wha? in 1968. It was sold again almost 20 years later. The new owner, a friend to the Roth family, brought back its original name and the rock music it was known for showcasing.

Roth is survived by his wife and three children.