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'''Charlemagne Record Exchange''' is a used record store in the [[Five Points South]] neighborhood of [[Birmingham]].  Located at 1924 1/2 [[11th Avenue South]], Charlemagne is owned by [[Gary Bourgeois]], [[Marian McKay]] and [[Mike McCay]].  [[Jimmy Griffin]], a fixture in the store and a Charlemagne coprorate officer, is locally known for his vast knowledge of music.  Charlemagne specializes in new and out of print Rock, Jazz and Blues LP's, CD's, cassettes and DVD's.  
[[Image:Charlemagne Record Exchange.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Charlemagne Records in January 2009]]
'''Charlemagne Record Exchange''' was a used record store located on the 2nd floor of the [[Five Points Grocery building]] at 1924½ [[11th Avenue South]] in [[Birmingham]]'s [[Five Points South]] neighborhood.


== History == 
Charlemagne was founded by siblings [[Marian McKay Rosato]] and [[Mike McCay]] along with [[Gary Bourgeois]] in the summer of [[1977]], renting space at [[the Garages]] on [[10th Terrace South]] and selling records out of peach crates. Marian McKay envisioned the business not only as a used record shop, but as a place to freely exchange recordings. The atmosphere was inspired by Rasputin Records in Berkeley, California and an informally-run dress shop in the shadow of Notre-Dame in Paris. The name came from Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne", which was playing while the three discussed the new venture.
In 1977 Bourgeois and Griffin were English majors in  college, and on their way to becoming professors. Then Bourgeois and Marian McKay went to Europe.  “We saw this little dress shop in Paris and it gave us the idea. The owner’s cat lived under the ironing board, and you could see Notre Dame Cathedral out the window –we thought that was the life. Neither one of us wanted to work in an office building. Also, I had seen Rasputin Record Exchange in Berkeley.”  So the three agreed to open a record exchange and named it while listening to “Kid Charlemagne” by Steely Dan. The partners rented a shop at [[the Garages]] and started trading records and selling used records. At first they were only paying themselves $30, which then turned into $50 a week, then $75. Within the first year, they were clearing a $100 each and “feeling rich.” [http://www.stevenfordbrown.com/History.htm 1]


== References ==
Within three months, the shop moved to its long-time Five Points location. The three partners originally allowed themselves $30 a week salary, but the business was successful and soon allowed each of them to take home $100 a week. Marian McKay's cockatoos, Preté and Sonny, were fixtures at the store. [[Jimmy Griffin]], who joined on as a corporate officer, was widely admired for his encyclopedic knowledge of recorded music.  
# Duval, Lynn. Excerpt from "Historical Hangouts", 1994 Black and White Magazine [http://www.stevenfordbrown.com/History.htm History of Southside, stevenfordbrown.com]


== External Links ==
Bourgeois left Charlemagne in [[2001]] to teach English at [[Miles College]]. After two years he returned to the record business with [[Renaissance Records]] a block away. Griffin left Charlemagne to join him several years later. By [[2011]] record trades only accounted for a tenth of Charlemagne's business, as sales of new and collectible rock, jazz and blues LPs, CDs, cassettes and DVDs took front stage. In the 2010s interest in vinyl resurged and Charlemagne's business was boosted by internet sales and annual "Record Store Day" events.
* [http://www.charlemagnerecords.com Charlemagne Record Exchange] website


[[Category:Record shops]]
Nevertheless, Rosato cited low sales alongside rising rents as reasons she decided to close the shop in January of [[2020]]. The last day of operation was on January 15, 2020.
[[Category:11th Avenue South|1924]]
 
[[Category:Five Points South]]
<gallery>
File:Charlemagne_Record_store_entrance.jpg|Entranceway
File:Charlemagne_Record_store_stairwell.jpg|Stairwell
File:Charlemagne_Record_store_doorway.jpg|Doorway
File:Charlemagne_Record_store_coke_machine.jpg|Coke machine
File:Charlemagne_Record_store_interior_1.jpg|Interior 1
File:Charlemagne_Record_store_interior_2.jpg|Interior 2
File:Charlemagne_Record_store_interior_3.jpg|Interior 3
File:Charlemagne_Record_store_interior_4.jpg|Interior 4
</gallery>
 
==References==
* Duvall, Lynn (August 1994) "Birmigham, Alabama 35205" {{B&W}}, rpt. in Verna Gates, ed. "[http://www.vernagates.com/article_files/history_southside.pdf A History of Southside in 7 1/2 Minutes or Less]"
* Haden, Courtney (July 15, 2009) "Charlemagne and Renaissance Records celebrate mid-summer & other anniversaries." ''Birmingham Weekly''
* Moore, Tamika (March 13, 2011) "Eight-track inspiration." {{BN}}
* Thornton, William (August 25, 2017) "40 years of vinyl dreams at Birmingham's Charlemagne Record Exchange." {{BN}}
* "Charlemagne Record Exchange closing at end of month." (December 3, 2019) WBRC.com
* Thornton, William (December 3, 2019) "Charlemagne Record Exchange closing after 42 years." {{BN}}
 
[[Category: Former record stores]]
[[Category: The Garages]]
[[Category: Five Points Grocery building]]
[[Category: 1977 establishments]]
[[Category: 2020 disestablishments]]

Latest revision as of 08:42, 12 April 2024

Charlemagne Records in January 2009

Charlemagne Record Exchange was a used record store located on the 2nd floor of the Five Points Grocery building at 1924½ 11th Avenue South in Birmingham's Five Points South neighborhood.

Charlemagne was founded by siblings Marian McKay Rosato and Mike McCay along with Gary Bourgeois in the summer of 1977, renting space at the Garages on 10th Terrace South and selling records out of peach crates. Marian McKay envisioned the business not only as a used record shop, but as a place to freely exchange recordings. The atmosphere was inspired by Rasputin Records in Berkeley, California and an informally-run dress shop in the shadow of Notre-Dame in Paris. The name came from Steely Dan's "Kid Charlemagne", which was playing while the three discussed the new venture.

Within three months, the shop moved to its long-time Five Points location. The three partners originally allowed themselves $30 a week salary, but the business was successful and soon allowed each of them to take home $100 a week. Marian McKay's cockatoos, Preté and Sonny, were fixtures at the store. Jimmy Griffin, who joined on as a corporate officer, was widely admired for his encyclopedic knowledge of recorded music.

Bourgeois left Charlemagne in 2001 to teach English at Miles College. After two years he returned to the record business with Renaissance Records a block away. Griffin left Charlemagne to join him several years later. By 2011 record trades only accounted for a tenth of Charlemagne's business, as sales of new and collectible rock, jazz and blues LPs, CDs, cassettes and DVDs took front stage. In the 2010s interest in vinyl resurged and Charlemagne's business was boosted by internet sales and annual "Record Store Day" events.

Nevertheless, Rosato cited low sales alongside rising rents as reasons she decided to close the shop in January of 2020. The last day of operation was on January 15, 2020.

  • Entranceway

    Entranceway

  • Stairwell

    Stairwell

  • Doorway

    Doorway

  • Coke machine

    Coke machine

  • Interior 1

    Interior 1

  • Interior 2

    Interior 2

  • Interior 3

    Interior 3

  • Interior 4

    Interior 4

References

  • Duvall, Lynn (August 1994) "Birmigham, Alabama 35205" Black & White, rpt. in Verna Gates, ed. "A History of Southside in 7 1/2 Minutes or Less"
  • Haden, Courtney (July 15, 2009) "Charlemagne and Renaissance Records celebrate mid-summer & other anniversaries." Birmingham Weekly
  • Moore, Tamika (March 13, 2011) "Eight-track inspiration." The Birmingham News
  • Thornton, William (August 25, 2017) "40 years of vinyl dreams at Birmingham's Charlemagne Record Exchange." The Birmingham News
  • "Charlemagne Record Exchange closing at end of month." (December 3, 2019) WBRC.com
  • Thornton, William (December 3, 2019) "Charlemagne Record Exchange closing after 42 years." The Birmingham News
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