Many in the music game – Aretha Franklin, Barry White, Fat Boys, NWA, Notorious B.I.G., R. Kelly, Yung Joc, Keke Palmer and most recently Al B. Sure!, to name a few – have graced the southwest corner of 75th Street and Eberhart Avenue over the
Many in the music game – Aretha Franklin, Barry White, Fat Boys, NWA, Notorious B.I.G., R. Kelly, Yung Joc, Keke Palmer and most recently Al B. Sure!, to name a few – have graced the southwest corner of 75th Street and Eberhart Avenue over the decades.
Fletcher’s 1 Stop record store has been one of the go-to shops music artists visited when they were in town. Some have even jumped off their careers–like local rap group Crucial Conflict and Detroit native and R&B singer K’Jon–with the help of the South Side establishment.
Owner Ester Fletcher had his heart set on opening a television store in the early 1950s, but that didn’t materialize because his shop would’ve been too close to a competing store. So he had to come up with a plan B that wasn’t a plan at all, he said.
“I said since I couldn’t do a TV shop, I’ll do a record store. We’d be a one-stop operation and sell to distributors,” Fletcher told the Defender.
In January 1953, Fletcher’s 1 Stop was born at 450 E. 75th Street and later moved directly across the street to its current location.
As the years progressed, three additional stores opened–63rd Street and Ellis Avenue, 79th and Morgan Streets, and 115th Street and Racine Avenue. They also opened a video store adjacent to their current spot.
“It was good for the community because people could get jobs,” said Fletcher’s daughter, Susan, who worked at two of the locations during her high school years.
The one-stop shop sold to major music retailers and many independent shops, including candy stores and TV repair shops that sold music as an additive, she said.
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