The 2i’s Coffee Bar was a coffee bar in the basement at 59 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, England, between 1956 and 1967. The 2i's was owned by Paul Lincoln, an Australian wrestler and wrestling promoter. Legend has it that its name derived from earlier owners, two brothers named Irani.
The coffee bar had live music and several stars were discovered or performed at the coffee bar, such as: Tommy Steele, The Vipers Skiffle Group, Cliff Richard,...
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The 2i’s Coffee Bar was a coffee bar in the basement at 59 Old Compton Street, Soho, London, England, between 1956 and 1967. The 2i's was owned by Paul Lincoln, an Australian wrestler and wrestling promoter. Legend has it that its name derived from earlier owners, two brothers named Irani.
The coffee bar had live music and several stars were discovered or performed at the coffee bar, such as: Tommy Steele, The Vipers Skiffle Group, Cliff Richard, Hank Marvin, Terry Dene, Wee Willie Harris, Carlo Little, Joe Brown, Eden Kane, Screaming Lord Sutch, Jay Chance, Tony Sheridan, Johnny Kidd, Jet Harris, Paul Gadd (later to be known as Paul Raven and then Gary Glitter), Dene Lincoln, Ritchie Blackmore, Alex Wharton, Mickie Most and Big Jim Sullivan.
According to an article in Time, Skiffle was brand-new to the UK, and in particular at the 2i's and another coffee bar nearby, The Cat's Whisker where "Soho hipsters swelter and suffocate for it... and..."generally the musicians were paid with...
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