Introducing Charlie’s Place: A Cultural Haven That Brought People Together Through Music

the memory palace

Nate DiMeo

Natedimeo, History, Publicradio, Radiotopia

4.8 • 7.2K Ratings

🗓️ 21 July 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Here’s a preview from a new podcast, Charlie’s Place.

How did a Black man in the 1940s Jim Crow South open a club where Black and white people danced together? Charlie’s Place was revolutionary, and that meant it was dangerous. Host Rhym Guissé explores the unbelievable true story of Charlie Fitzgerald, a mysterious Black businessman whose nightclub became an unlikely site of integration in Myrtle Beach. Charlie broke down racial barriers through the power of music and dance, hosting some of the greatest musicians of our time: Little Richard, Count Basie, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and many more. But who was Charlie? How did he rise to power? And what price did he pay for achieving the impossible—an integrated club in the Jim Crow South? This is a story of joy and passion that erupted into violence and changed a community forever. Listen to Charlie’s Place wherever you get your podcasts. Binge the entire season early and ad-free by subscribing to Pushkin+. Sign up on the Charlie's Place show page on Apple Podcasts or at pushkin.fm/plus.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The Memory Palace is supported by the new podcast, Charlie's Place, and by very occasional sponsored
0:06.0	content like this. Hey, it's Nate, as a listener of the Memory Palace, you know my show
0:11.7	loves exploring lost moments and forgotten figures from our past. The podcast that I am about to
0:16.6	share with you does just that. Charlie's Place tells the story of an iconic music venue that
0:22.8	united a community divided by racial segregation, honoring the legacy of those who stood up for unity
0:28.3	in a divided time. Segregation was the law in the 1940s and 1950s, but Charlie's Place had its
0:34.4	own rules, a juke joint that welcomed black and white people to
0:37.8	enjoy some of the greatest musicians of our time. Artists like Little Richard, Ray Charles,
0:41.8	Lena Horn, and many more. Charlie Fitzgerald, a revolutionary but mysterious black businessman,
0:47.6	was the club's founder. His spot was more than a nightclub. It was a cultural hub that defied
0:52.9	racial barriers in Myrtle Beach, South
0:54.5	Carolina, breaking the rules at a time when infractions came at a high cost. Charlie's place sparked
1:00.2	intense resistance from segregationists, leading to a raid by Ku Klux Klan members and profound
1:06.1	change that reverberated throughout the community. Interspersing interviews with historians, cultural experts, and Carolinians, who share firsthand
1:14.7	accounts of growing up during the height of Charlie's Place.
1:17.5	Host Reim Gisei tells the tale of triumph and tragedy, of resilience and joy, of a place
1:22.9	where music changed lives and shaped a movement.
1:26.4	Enjoy this preview. If you want to hear more, find Charlie's place wherever you get your podcasts.
1:38.1	Pushkin.
1:43.0	A quick warning, some of the language and imagery used to describe this period of time may be upsetting.
1:49.0	Please take care while listening.
1:55.8	I was interviewing a gentleman about his participation in student demonstrations in 1960.
	...

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