If you are a ’70s baby then you came up in the best times of Cleveland. The flats were the destination for fun and the city was starting to take shape as a great place to visit.
For anyone looking for the next party, all they had to do was find Greg Cameron, and the rest was history. Cameron stumbled into becoming a party host after realizing he could make a few bucks and party with all of his friends at the same time.
The University School graduate returned home from Bucknell University in 1984 after playing college football and found his calling.
Cameron, along with some friends, decided to have a party to test the waters and found his niche.
“Someone handed us a flyer to a party and we figured we would give it a try,” Cameron said. “We rented a ballroom, told some of our friends, and got lucky because people came out to support us.”
That support was over 800 people coming to a party that was planned in one week, with no radio or online advertising. (the internet hadn’t been invented yet).
From that one event, Cameron knew he was on to something. His knack for knowing when to throw a party helped him become one of the most-known party organizers in Cleveland’s history.
Greg Cameron parties were the events that you had to attend if you wanted to be a part of the in-crowd. Cameron’s parties attracted some of the top athletes around the city and stars from across the country.
“We kinda got lucky because we didn’t realize how big our events were going to get until we saw the interest in everyone who came out to support us. After we found success we made sure people had a good time if they came out.” Cameron said.
And come out they did. For the next decade, Greg Cameron’s parties got bigger and bigger and attracted celebrities from around the county who felt like they had to be present if Cameron was having an event.
“Lucky for me, some of my friends are pretty cool people, and they helped me along the way. I could not have done this by myself.” Cameron said.
Lynn Tolliver, the radio DJ was one of them. Tolliver would mention Cameron anytime he was hosting an event. Kym Whitley is another friend/celebrity who championed Cameron’s events.
“Kim and I created a partnership where we would throw afterparties for her events that she did with other comedians. That partnership allowed for us to grow our event the right way, and allowed everyone to have fun at the same time.” Cameron said.
Cameron moved to destination parties over the last ten years and offers travel events to select individuals who like to attend gatherings centered around major events.
“We offer those who want to travel in groups a chance to do so without the hassle of booking something on their own.” Cameron continued, “We booked an event last year for one of the Browns away games and had a great turnout.”
Today Cameron has come full circle as he hosts, along with some friends, two events over the next few months. The first is the Cookout Karaoke Party, at Camp Forbes on September 2nd.
On October 8th Cameron hosts the Soul In The CLE concert headlined by Ms. Conya Doss. He is back people, and we are ready to party like it’s 1999 all over again. ●
