Ruby Red's Warehouse in Underground Atlanta was a happening place with its house band, and Pat Ryan occasionally played piano. He and investors owned the club, which closed in the mid-1970s.
"He was an excellent pianist," said William Garcia, his partner of nearly 30 years. "They specialized in music from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Even after he retired, he continued to entertain friends at parties."
Mr. James Philip "Pat" Ryan of Atlanta died Tuesday from complications of two massive strokes at Hospice Atlanta. He was 75. A funeral will be held at 10:30 Monday at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta. He will be buried in a family plot in Ruston, La., at a later date. Fischer Funeral Care of Atlanta is in charge of arrangements.
In the late 1960s, Mr. Ryan moved to Atlanta from New Orleans, where he'd co-owned a club called the Red Garter on Bourbon Street. He and investors opened Ruby Red's Warehouse on Ellis Street, and people came to hear good music, down cold beer and eat peanuts and throw shells on the floor.
In 1969 the owners relocated the Dixieland nightclub to Underground Atlanta. It closed after MARTA announced plans to run a rail line through the area. Mr. Ryan next opened Ruby Red's Warehouse on Old Ivy, which now has new owners and is called Hal's On Old Ivy.
Mr. Ryan had a hand in another venture, The Country Gourmet, which was located in the Piedmont Center near Piedmont and Roswell roads. He'd open the businesses, manage them for a while, sell them and move on.
"He'd get weary of having them, so he would sell them," said Clayton Penhallegon, a friend from Bainbridge in Decatur County. "He was very business savvy."
Mr. Ryan graduated from high school in Shreveport, La., and earned an architectural degree from Tulane University. He received a master's in business administration from Stanford University, then returned to New Orleans to play music and become a restaurateur.
Mr. Ryan also managed the Ruby Red's Band, but he never toured with the group because of his business dealings. A piano he kept in his home has been donated to the Bainbridge-Decatur County Arts Council.
"People enjoyed watching him play and he'd want all the people to sing and participate," his partner said.
Survivors include numerous cousins.
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