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

Snap Judgment

Snap Judgment and PRX

Snap, Glynn, Storytelling, Wnyc, Society & Culture/personal Journals, Performing Arts, Washington, Society & Culture/documentary, Arts/performing Arts, Music, Arts

4.8 • 11.2K Ratings

🗓️ 22 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	Snap Studios. Hey, it's Glenn here, and I've got something special to share. It's a preview of a new podcast, Charlie's Place that tells us the story of an iconic music venue that united a community divided by racial segregation.
0:23.2	Segregation was the law in the 1940s and 50s, but Charlie's place had its own rules.
0:29.2	Black and white people were welcome to enjoy some of the greatest musicians of our time.
0:33.9	Little Richard, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Lena Horn, many, many more.
0:39.7	Charlie Fitzgerald, a revolutionary but mysterious black businessman, was the club's founder.
0:45.8	Charlie's place was a Myrtle Beach cultural hub that defied the racial barriers with time.
0:51.6	But it sparked intense resistance from segregationists, leading to a raid
0:56.0	by Ku Klux Klan members and profound chains that reverberated through the community.
1:01.4	Interspersing interviews with historians, cultural experts and Carolinians who share firsthand accounts
1:07.1	of growing up during the height of Charlie's place, host Rene Gise tells this tale
1:12.7	of triumph and tragedy
1:13.7	of resilience and joy
1:15.3	of a place where music
1:16.5	did more than entertain.
1:18.5	It changed lives
1:19.5	and shaped a movement.
1:21.5	Enjoy this preview.
1:23.1	If you want to hear more,
1:25.2	find Charlie's Place
1:26.2	wherever you get your podcast.
1:36.8	Pushkin.
1:41.6	A quick warning, some of the language and imagery used to describe this period of time may be upsetting.
	...

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