Unbought...

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October 24, 1937 – January 27, 2025

Sid Booker was a very proud native of Philadelphia, born October 24, 1937. To tell the Sid Booker story is to tell the story of a Philadelphia, self-made man. is 

what many people refer to as a Philadelphia Self Made Man. What a story he had to tell. Sid Booker was born and raised in Philadelphia, although much of his family 

migrated to Philadelphia from Virgina. He grew up in the Tacony and later the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia. Some call it the Greater Northeast.  

His family had already been living and working in Philadelphia for a few years prior to his birth. Sid started out with humble beginnings living in a three bedroom rowhouse with nine family members, ack in the day. But little Sid, he was always enterprising, even as a little boy of about the age of six. You could see him walking down the streets near his home in Tacony, colleting cans in his little red wagon to earn money to take home to his beloved mother.

He attended the Hamilton Disston Elementary School at 6801 Cottage Street. After elementary school, he went on to attend Northeast High School. After 

high school, the rest of Sid Booker’s education, he earned as he lived and worked from one movie theater, to the next to the next.

He seemed to have a natural business acumen about him, and that’s what helped propel his career forward. Sid Booker captured the attention of people 

who admired his tenacity and ambition and who would hire him to some pretty trusted positions, over time, managing movie theaters. 

Ultimately Sid Booker became the general manager at the famous Uptown Theatre. 

While Sid Booker was the general manager at the Uptown Theatre, you name them----and they performed at there. 

The Intruders

The Blue Notes

The Stylistics

Jackson Five

The Supremes

Smokey Robinson 

Stevie Wonder

And the list of famous names goes on and on.

Some people may not know this, but at one period in time, Sid Booker became the owner of the Uptown Theatre. However his ownership didn’t last that long. 

He saw the writing on the wall. He realized the capital repairs needed to make the Uptown viable and sustainable were in the millions of dollars. 

Sid Booker decided to come out of the concert venue business, selling the Uptown Theatre to Charles and John Bowser.

Meanwhile, even though still managing The Uptown Theatre, Sid Booker came into the deal of his lifetime, through a businesswomen by the name of Jenny 

Hill. It was she, who sold the property at 4600 North Broad Street to Sid Booker. Back then, the bar was known as “The Highline”. Ultimately, the name 

was changed to Sid Booker’s Stinger La Point. On the business side of him, that was his heart and soul. 

There’s more than a few names people attach to Sid Booker, but one of them is the “Colonel of Shrimp”. Although his Shrimp business is one of the most 

popular in the city, Booker says he was most proud of the fact that his venue is the city’s oldest , continually operating African American night spot, that has 

had the same address for over 57 years. Sid Booker, would emerge in his own right, as a leader amongst Black Business people in the city of Philadelphia, and beyond. Sid Booker helped many an up and coming African American business owner learn the ropes, of how to do it. How to run a business successfully and how 

to still remember to give back in the community. Sid Booker also had a stellar reputation for helping to make some “Kings and Queens”. By kings and queens, we mean high level elected officials in Philadelphia. Sid Booker supported Frank Rizzo when he ran for Mayor. Why? Frank Rizzo stood behind Sid when he was working to get his liquor license. When some “others” didn’t want to see this Black man own a liquor license, Frank Rizzo fought for Mr. Booker, and ultimately he was able to purchase that license. Sid Booker helped Bill Green to get elected Mayor, and then Philadelphia’s first Black Mayor was elected W. Wilson Goode. Sid Booker 

played a role in that success as well. Edward G. Rendell, was the next person to become Mayor of Philadelphia. Sid Booker was right there to support him. 

After him, came Mayor John F. Street. To hear Street tell it, Sid Booker without question, gave him his very first financial contribution to his campaign for 

mayor. Next up came Michael A. Nutter for Mayor and he won. Sid Booker was there helping him along the way.  Jim Kenney was next in line as Mayor of 

Philadelphia and Mr. Booker assisted Kenney as well. 

When it was time to decide who the 100th Mayor of the City of Philadelphia would be, Sid Booker threw his support behind Cherelle Parker.

There were many other elected and appointed officials that Sid Booker helped along the way. That list incudes, Sharif Street who is today a PA State Senator,  

former city councilwoman Marian B. Tasco, Councilman Jimmy Harrity, Blondell Reynolds Brown, Curtis Jones, Jr. Cindy Bass, retired PA State 

Senator Shirley Kitchen, retired Philadelphia Sheriff Jewell Williams, Governors Edward G. Rendell, Tom Wolf and Josh Shapiro. Retired 

Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, retired Congressman Chaka Fattah and a host of others.

He became the national president of the National Consolidated Licensed Beverage Association where he served for a decade as President. At one point 

he was elected International President of that body. Through his national leadership, he ended up having a day dedicated to him in New Orleans, Louisiana. 

Over the Fall of 2023, Sid Booker received an honor that some people only dream of. He was given the distinction of having the 4600 block of North Broad 

Street, renamed in his honor. That was a historic day in his life’s history and some of everybody was there to cheer him on. For all the excitement. Glamour, travel and prestige Sid booker had in his life, more important than any of that, was his family. Sid Booker loved his family with all his heart and over his lifetime, did everything he could to demonstrate his love to all of them. 

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