Dolphin's of Hollywood Record Shop

By kiki

Back in the early1950s, Dolphins of Hollywood Record Shop was the place for teenagers and young adults to hang out and for boys to meet girls and girls to meet boys. In the night hours, there would be a D.J. (Huggy Boy, Hunter Hancock, and Charles Trammel, et al.) spinning records on the airwaves (KRKD), and the D.J.'s would let you dedicate on the airwaves a song to your loved one. The Doo-Wop artists of the day would make appearances and pass out autographed photos...I got to meet many of those artists. It was a fascinating time for all of us young people to experience.

                                             Lovin'John Dolphin

The 1950s was a time of blatant racism in the USA. But, in the early '50s, Lovin'John Dolphin's record shop, located in the mostly-black section of Los Angeles: on Vernon Ave and Central Ave., South Central L.A., "the music mecca of the west coast," proved that music could bridge the racial divide among the 1950's youth. 

The record shop and radio shows would unite young people of all races during segregation. Yes, young people of all races would make their way to the black community to congregate at the open 24-hour record shop, and the black, white, Asian, and Latino youth of the '50s would dance and party together inside and outside the shop till the wee hours of the morning.

I remember giving my parents headaches whenever I would do overnighters at the record shop. But some of those Dolphins of Hollywood Record Shop wee hour moments are now great memories, and I am sure my parents, while not liking that I was staying out all night, would have understood if I had just taken the time to explain; those great moments to them…For about three years, I spent most of my free time at Dolphins, but time has a habit of changing things for you, and even if you are not ready for the change, time will make sure that it happens. As I got a little older, I started exploring other parts of the City of Angels and spent less time at Dolphins. Still, the memories of those days, dancing on the shop's sidewalk with some chick whose name you didn't even know and jiving with cats of all races will forever be with me….Those long-ago memories made at the legendary Dolphins of Hollywood Record Shop will forever be alive for those lucky enough to experience 'Dolphins of Hollywood Record Shop' in the early '50s.

                                 John Dolphin and Billie Holiday