Black History

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

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?

Charlie Fitzgerald loaned money to white folks in town to bend the rules in his favor. How long until he became a target?

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.

After being told Black cowboys didn’t exist, Paul Stewart set out to prove they did—and found enough evidence to fill a museum.

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.

The legendary venue is part of the Chitlin’ Circuit, a network of clubs showcasing Black performers that helped launch artists like B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin.