Episode 1

Whispering Pines

At the height of segregation, when social boundaries were enforced with cruelty and law, Charlie Fitzgerald did something unthinkable: he created a space where those boundaries blurred.

In this opening episode, listeners are introduced to Charlie’s Place — a juke joint nestled among the whispering pines of Myrtle Beach where white and Black patrons danced to the same beat. R&B legends graced the stage. Couples twirled and sweated on the floor. It was freedom, if only for a night.

But this was also the Jim Crow South, and such freedom came with a price. Who was this man bold enough to build such a place? And how did he get away with it... for a while?

“Myrtle Beach was a good place, if you stay in your place, I’ll put it like that.”

Featured in this Episode:

Hear The Story

Five Chapters. One Legendary Place.

Follow the rise, fall, and legacy of a nightclub that dared to integrate music, culture, and community—against all odds. All Charlie's Place episodes now live. Click below or listen on your favorite audio platform:

Episode 1: Whispering Pines

At the height of segregation, when everywhere else was divided. Black and white people danced together to the biggest R&B acts of the time at Charlie’s Place. How was this possible? And who was the mythic proprietor of this mythic space?

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Episode 2: Sin City

Dance at Charlie’s Place wasn’t just dance; it captured the spirit of an era defined by both segregation and creativity. When white audiences arrived for the music, these moments sparked shifts that transformed Myrtle Beach and resonated far beyond its borders.

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Episode 3: Power Cedes to Power

Charlie Fitzgerald built multiple businesses across Myrtle Beach – the hotel, the club, the cab company, the high-stakes poker game – and loaned money to white folks in town to bend the rules in his favor. How long would this last before Charlie became a target?

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Episode 4: Mr. Nobody From Nowhere

There’s much mystery surrounding Charlie Fitzgerald and who he was before Myrtle Beach. Before he was Charlie Fitzgerald he was Lucious Rucker. So who is Lucious Rucker?

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Episode 5: All Costs

August 26th, 1950 was the night that changed Myrtle Beach. It changed Charlie and the impact reverberated throughout the south.

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About The Show

Charlie's Place is a podcast series co-produced by Atlas Obscura and Rococo Punch in partnership with Pushkin Industries and Visit Myrtle Beach. Hosted by filmmaker Rhym Guissé, the show uncovers the hidden history of a legendary Black nightclub in Jim Crow-era South Carolina—and the people who made it a symbol of culture, resistance, and community. Starting July 21st, 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.