South Berkeley in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Site of Reid's Records

Berkeley History

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, May 3, 2020

1. Site of Reid's Records Marker

Inscription. Founded in 1945 by local sports hero Melvin Reid and his wife Betty Reid, Reid’s Records was one of the first Black-owned record shops in California and one of the few shops of any kind where African-American music could be purchased before the 1960s. Operating out of the record store, Mel and his uncle Paul (Cud) Reid also started and hosted the widely popular Religious Gems Radio Broadcast, which was the first of its kind in the Bay Area. Together they became two of the most successful African-American gospel promoters on the west coast during the 1950s & 60s. Generations of Reid cousins grew up behind of the counter of Reid’s. The Reid family were descendants of the pioneering Black families who first began arriving in the Bay Area before the Civil War.

www.berkeleyplaques.org

2019

Berkeley Historical Plaque Project

Erected 2019 by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1945.

Location. 37° 51.081′ N, 122° 16.701′ W. Marker is

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in Berkeley, California, in Alameda County. It is in South Berkeley. It is at the intersection of Sacramento Street and Prince Street, on the right when traveling north on Sacramento Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3101 Sacramento Street, Berkeley CA 94702, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Exxon Super Service Station (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rumford's Pharmacy (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Byron Rumford (February 2, 1908 - June 12, 1986) (approx. 0.2 miles away); Santa Fe Railroad Tracks (approx. 0.2 miles away); Burl Toler, Sr. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Frances Albrier (approx. 0.4 miles away); South Berkeley Bank

Site of Reid's Records Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, May 3, 2020

2. Site of Reid's Records Marker - wide view

(approx. 0.4 miles away); Lorin Theater (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berkeley.

Also see . . . Reid's Records, Berkeley Gospel Mainstay, to Close After 75 Years (KQED, Feb. 6, 2019). Reid's Records, a one-stop shop for the gospel experience, will close after 75 years of family-owned business in October, Berkeleyside reported Tuesday.

The southwest Berkeley store, reportedly the state's oldest record shop, opened on Sacramento Street in 1945 to serve the East Bay's swelling black community. Diara Reid, daughter of the founders Mel and Betty, blamed gentrification and black depopulation for Reid's diminishing clientele, adding "no one buys CDs anymore." (Submitted on July 14, 2020.)

Marker inset photo: Melvin Reid and Aretha Franklin image. Click for full size.

Photo courtesy of Diara Reid, May 3, 2020

3. Marker inset photo: Melvin Reid and Aretha Franklin

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 14, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 631 times since then and 54 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 14, 2020, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.