American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Jacksonville Local 632 Union
615 West Ashley Street
The Local 632 of the American Federation of Musicians was at the center of Jacksonville’s vibrant music scene. Located on the third floor of the Clara White Mission building, Local 632 was created to represent the union’s Black musicians in the Jacksonville area.
In 1945, a young Ray Charles joined Local 632 to help him find work and practice piano. The union hall piano allowed him to practice when he didn’t have one at home. Visiting the Local 632 daily, Charles learned piano licks from copying other musicians there and started to build a reputation as a talented musician. His earliest opportunities to play with big acts, Henry Washington and Tiny York, came through connections made at the Local Union 632. The American Federation of Musicians eliminated segregated locals in 1964 after the Civil Rights Act was passed.
The AFM Jacksonville Local 632 Union was located inside the Clara White Mission building. | Ennis Davis, AICP
Lenape Bar
644 West Ashley Street
Genovar’s Hall was originally built in 1895, serving as a grocery market owned by Sebastian Genovar. During the first decades of the 20th century the building was occupied by a variety of businesses including a distillery, furniture store, shoe repair shop, restaurants and furnished rooms upstairs.
In 1931, the Wynn Hotel opened in the building’s upper floors. operated by Jack D. Wynn, the hotel became a favorite spot of Louis Armstrong when visiting Jacksonville. In town to perform at the nearby Knights of Pythias Hall, Armstrong preferred lodging at the Wynn because it was in the heart of LaVilla’s nightlife and entertainment scene.
For many decades, the first floor was occupied by the Lenape Tavern and Bar. Dating back to the early 1930s, the Lenape was one of the popular live performance venues on the Ashley Street strip. During the 1940s, two old metal hitching rails stood in front of the bar. Known as “the rail of hope,” musicians and waiters hung out, hoping a big-name band would come along and hire them for a gig. Ray Charles was among the young musicians who hung out there.
The Lenape Bar on West Ashley Street. | Ritz Theatre & Museum
The Two Spot
1646 W 45th Street
Opening its doors on Christmas Day 1940, James “Charlie Edd” Craddock’s Two Spot was said to be the finest dance palace in the country owned by an African American. Craddock, the kingpin of LaVilla’s Ashley Street, also owned the Charlie Edd Hotel, the Blue Chip Hotel, and Young Men’s Smoke Shop.
The dance floor could accommodate 2,000 and another 1,000 could be seated surrounding it and on the mezzanine level. The venue also contained a bar, private dining rooms, a cafeteria, speedway, and cabins for overnight stays. Live acts at the Two Spot included B.B. King, Sam Cooke, James Brown, Charlie Singleton, Jackie Wilson, Lionel Hampton, Dinah Washington, Tiny York, Teddy Washington, and trumpeter Nat Small.
According to Charles’ autobiography Brother Ray, local musician Henry Washington’s band was the first big band Charles played with. A regular at the Two Spot in Moncrief, Washington was a drummer with a big band said to be in the style of Count Basie and Billy Eckstine’s big bands. For a 15-year-old Charles, playing the piano at the Two Spot was exciting because it served liquor and he was way underage at the time.
He eventually changed his name to Ray Charles to avoid confusion with boxing champion “Sugar Ray” Robinson. In 1946, Charles left Jacksonville to continue his career. By the time of his death at age 73 in 2004, Charles had become known as “The Genius of Soul” and one of the world’s most loved entertainers.
The Two Spot night club. | Ritz Theatre & Museum
Editorial by Ennis Davis, AICP. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com