Charlie Fitzgerald was one of the most successful businessmen in Myrtle Beach during his time. Said to have dressed like a movie star, he and his wife Sarah operated the classiest club on The Hill, now known as the Booker T. Washington neighborhood.
Their ventures included a nightclub, motel, taxi company, and gas station.
Charlie commanded immense respect from both Black and White communities, defying the norms of segregation. He sat downstairs (in the "white" area) at Ben’s Broadway Movie Theater, lunched among white businessmen at the Kozy Korner Diner, and treated musicians with integrity.
He was also well respected among the musicians who performed at Charlie’s Place for always paying them promptly. Ruth Brown said that Charlie met her at the door, handed her the $200 they had agreed upon and said, “Give them a good show.”
Arriving in Myrtle Beach in 1935 and opening Charlie’s Place in 1937, Charlie built more than a business—he built a legacy.
But his life held mysteries.
Born Lucious Rucker, he used an alias for reasons still unknown. After surviving a violent Klan attack on the club in 1950, he was never quite the same.
He passed away from cancer on July 4, 1955, and is buried in Georgia, though documents also list Ohio as his birthplace.
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.
