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In Loving Memory – Benjamin L Bynum Sr.
APRIL 6, 1923 - OCTOBER 19, 2021

Benjamin Louie Bynum Sr. was born on April 6,1923, in Lexington, South Carolina, the ninth of ten children born to Willie Robert Bynum and Bertha G. Summers Bynum. When Ben was five years old, the family moved to Orangeburg, South Carolina. When he was twelve years old, they migrated to Philadelphia, joining legions of African American families searching for more excellent educational and economic opportunities in the North.The family settled in North Philadelphia and once lived on Opal Street, which Ben described as “the smallest street in North Philly.” He was amused when he learned that the street was now a driveway. Despite its challenges, North Philadelphia was a tight-knit community that provided Ben with a lifetime of rewarding experiences and rich memories.

 
Drafted for World War II, Ben was stationed at Camp Lejeune in Montford Point,North Carolina, and was a member of the esteemed Montford Point Marines, the first African Americans to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. Ben returned to Philadelphia after an honorable discharge from the Marines Corps and shifted his focus to business ownership. Strength, determination, business savvy, and a commitment to his community drove Ben to build one of Philadelphia’s thriving Black business empires whose roots sprouted during the tense ww Civil Rights era. After working with his older brother Henry, he went out and opened several small bars. Betty’s Bar was first, followed by Big Moose’s, a nickname he earned on the football field. In1965, Ben opened the Cadillac club in North Philadelphia, which became known for booking the who’s who of show business, including Count Basie, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, George Benson, Fats Domino, Redd Foxx, Aretha Franklin, Kenny Gamble,Woody Herman, Billy Paul, Nina Simone, and the Stylistics. Billy Paul’s first album was “Feeling Good at The Cadillac Club,” a tribute to the entertainment institution for Black Philadelphians that Ben built. Seeing the rise of disco, Ben closed the Cadillac Club in 1976 and opened the Impulse Discotheque on the site. The Impulse became one of the city’s most popular dance venues. The foundation Ben laid continues to bear fruit through his son’s groundbreaking restaurants.
 
Ben said he would never retire, and well into his 90s would often be found working the door at his son’s restaurants. On a nice day, you would find him walking for blocks in downtown Philly making regular stops at the local Starbucks for soy mocha, or enjoying a cup of coffee at the Good Karma Café in the Wilma Theater. Ben mingled as easily with entertainment legends as with patrons and neighbors. Everyone knew him. And they loved him. Not so much for his remarkable business acumen or achievements, but because he treated everyone regardless of station in life with the kind of respect and kindness that you never forget.
 
Ben’s children were his pride and joy. He reveled in their accomplishments and particularly enjoyed watching them raise their own families. Life as a grandfather,great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather brought even more to his life.
 
Ben was blessed with a long life. Longevity runs in the Bynum genes. Ben’s brother James is 100, and his mother and three of his sisters, Willie Rae, Laura, and Zellen,also were centenarians. But more importantly, Ben lived a meaningful life. A soft-spoken man of quiet faith, Ben knew that even a few words could cheer a heavy heart, encourage dreams, or change a life.
In Loving Memory – Benjamin L Bynum Sr.
APRIL 6, 1923 - OCTOBER 19, 2021

Benjamin Louie Bynum Sr. was born on April 6,1923, in Lexington, South Carolina, the ninth of ten children born to Willie Robert Bynum and Bertha G. Summers Bynum. When Ben was five years old, the family moved to Orangeburg, South Carolina. When he was twelve years old, they migrated to Philadelphia, joining legions of African American families searching for more excellent educational and economic opportunities in the North.The family settled in North Philadelphia and once lived on Opal Street, which Ben described as “the smallest street in North Philly.” He was amused when he learned that the street was now a driveway. Despite its challenges, North Philadelphia was a tight-knit community that provided Ben with a lifetime of rewarding experiences and rich memories.

 
Drafted for World War II, Ben was stationed at Camp Lejeune in Montford Point,North Carolina, and was a member of the esteemed Montford Point Marines, the first African Americans to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. Ben returned to Philadelphia after an honorable discharge from the Marines Corps and shifted his focus to business ownership. Strength, determination, business savvy, and a commitment to his community drove Ben to build one of Philadelphia’s thriving Black business empires whose roots sprouted during the tense ww Civil Rights era. After working with his older brother Henry, he went out and opened several small bars. Betty’s Bar was first, followed by Big Moose’s, a nickname he earned on the football field. In1965, Ben opened the Cadillac club in North Philadelphia, which became known for booking the who’s who of show business, including Count Basie, B.B. King, Gladys Knight, George Benson, Fats Domino, Redd Foxx, Aretha Franklin, Kenny Gamble,Woody Herman, Billy Paul, Nina Simone, and the Stylistics. Billy Paul’s first album was “Feeling Good at The Cadillac Club,” a tribute to the entertainment institution for Black Philadelphians that Ben built. Seeing the rise of disco, Ben closed the Cadillac Club in 1976 and opened the Impulse Discotheque on the site. The Impulse became one of the city’s most popular dance venues. The foundation Ben laid continues to bear fruit through his son’s groundbreaking restaurants.
 
Ben said he would never retire, and well into his 90s would often be found working the door at his son’s restaurants. On a nice day, you would find him walking for blocks in downtown Philly making regular stops at the local Starbucks for soy mocha, or enjoying a cup of coffee at the Good Karma Café in the Wilma Theater. Ben mingled as easily with entertainment legends as with patrons and neighbors. Everyone knew him. And they loved him. Not so much for his remarkable business acumen or achievements, but because he treated everyone regardless of station in life with the kind of respect and kindness that you never forget.
 
Ben’s children were his pride and joy. He reveled in their accomplishments and particularly enjoyed watching them raise their own families. Life as a grandfather,great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather brought even more to his life.
 
Ben was blessed with a long life. Longevity runs in the Bynum genes. Ben’s brother James is 100, and his mother and three of his sisters, Willie Rae, Laura, and Zellen,also were centenarians. But more importantly, Ben lived a meaningful life. A soft-spoken man of quiet faith, Ben knew that even a few words could cheer a heavy heart, encourage dreams, or change a life.