On Thursday, July 28, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., the City of Los Angeles will formally rename the intersection of Central Avenue and Vernon Avenue. In acknowledgment of the single record store’s role in music history, specifically jazz and R&B music, the intersection will be known as Dolphin’s of Hollywood Records Square. City Council member Curren D. Value, Jr. of the ninth District will direct the function.
In 1948, the business person John Dolphin opened Dolphin’s of Hollywood record store in Los Angeles at 1065 Vernon Avenue. Soon after opening its doors, it became “the spot to be.”
It became one of the most popular record stores in the country, with amazing DJs like Dick “Huggy Boy” Hugg, Hunter Hancock, and Charles Trammel spinning records and broadcasting the entire night from the front window. This round-the-clock entertainment turned into a social event, a place for music lovers from every race and background, despite continuous resistance and badgering from the LAPD under police Chief William H. Parker. In 1958, the scene came to a close as a result of Dolphin’s homicide by a store representative. Dolphin’s better half, Ruth, kept on working the store until 1989.
Dolphin recorded a large group of R&B, blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, and even western music artists at the store. Some of the notable names include Lucky, Money, Cash, and Recorded in Hollywood. The numerous incredible craftsmen, whose professions he progressed, included Sam Cooke, Jesse Belvin, Charles Mingus, Pee Wee Crayton, and Major Lance.