Old Detroit Bars

[dookie joe]

I never went to that record place. We'd go to Grinnell's downtown to buy records. I don't even remember that record store being there, although after I researched it I see they moved there in the 50s. I don't remember it...Tom Thumbs Pizza [[later Mormondo's) was right around there, as was Beaver's Boutique, the topless shoeshine place, if memory serves. I think the bar you're talking about was the Sweetheart.

Right down the street from there is the old garage that was owned by Jim Burwell, the KKK member who also drove the church bus and gave money to civil rights groups. The garage is still standing; the current owner, who also owns the old Clay School on MLK [[Myrtle) wants to turn the garage into a television/movie studio.

Speaking of record stores, there was a place called Jo-Jo's records in the neighborhood. Jo-Jo, the owner, was one of the biggest pimps around, along with guys named Fleet and Florida Bobby.