Before Motown, there was John Dolphin “Recorded in Hollywood: The Musical”

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - March 10, 2015 - PRLog -- The fascinating true story of black businessman, record label owner and music producer John Dolphin. In 1948, a decade before Motown, he opened his world-famous Dolphin’s of Hollywood record shop in South Los Angeles, but his contributions to music and the formative years of rock ’n’ roll have often been overlooked. Based on the book “Recorded In Hollywood: The John Dolphin Story,” this new musical features a live on-stage band and an ensemble cast of 19 performing 16 original songs plus covers of hit songs launched by Dolphin in his store, including Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” The Penguins’ “Earth Angel” and “Wheel Of Fortune” by The Hollywood Flames.

John Dolphin recorded a host of R&B, blues, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and even western music talent on a series of labels with evocative names like “Lucky,” “Money,” “Cash” and “Recorded in Hollywood.” The many great artists whose careers he advanced included Sam Cooke, Jesse Belvin, Charles Mingus, Pee Wee Crayton and Major Lance to name a few.

For nearly ten years, Dolphin’s of Hollywood was the most famous record shop in the country – perhaps the world – with legendary DJs like Dick “Huggy Boy” Hugg, Hunter Hancock and Charles Trammel spinning records all night from the front window. Recording artists appeared at the store and performed live on-air interviews, greeting and signing autographs for customers. Dolphin’s was the first business to stay open 24 hours – even on Sundays – and to popularize a brand new marketing strategy: “Buy One, Get One Free.”  An innovator who pioneered the crossover music concept, John Dolphin went on white radio station KRKD and played a black music format, marketing black music to whites. White kids would pack the Dolphin’s of Hollywood record shop in the all-black neighborhood of South Central L.A. every night, bringing the races together during a time of segregation — and leading to increasing tension with Police Chief William H. Parker and the L.A.P.D. In 1958, Dolphin was murdered in his office by a disgruntled “wanna-be” songwriter. Teenaged songwriter and piano player Bruce Johnston was a witness; he had come with the hope that Dolphin would sign his unknown band, The Beach Boys.

“John started from scratch and evolved into one of the most important figures in the history of American music,” says Jamelle Dolphin, whose biography of his grandfather, inspired by years of colorful stories he heard growing up, was based on extensive research of historical records and hundreds of hours of verbal interviews with family and friends. “When he realized that no one was going to let him open his record store on all-white Hollywood Blvd., he brought Hollywood to Central Avenue. By naming the store ‘Dolphin’s of Hollywood,’ he was telling the world that he was going to stare discrimination in the face and not blink.”

“The pre-rock ‘n’ roll epoch is not at all unlike the independent hip-hop world from which I come,” notes lyricist Andy Cooper, a founding member of hip-hop trio Ugly Duckling who jumped at the chance to create original songs that capture a key era in American musical history. “Street-wise entrepreneurs like John Dolphin had to be two steps ahead of the industry and faced all the risk and peril of a highly competitive and unregulated business. The predominantly black music, sometimes called “race music,” was promoted and sold on a local level, and places like Dolphin's of Hollywood set the trends that the mainstream would soon emulate.”

Recorded in Hollywood opens on Saturday, April 11, with performances on Fridays andSaturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. through May 17. There will be two preview performances, on Thursday, April 9 and Friday, April 10, both at 8 p.m. Tickets to all performances are $30 except previews which are $15. The Lillian Theatre is located at 1076 Lillian Way, Hollywood, CA 90038 (1½ blocks west of Vine). For reservations and information, call (323) 960-4443 or go to www.RecordedInHollywood.com.