Is there still a place in the music industry for the concept of record stores? Clearly some young entrepreneurs think so. Da Plugg Music and More is a really-cool new record store on South Adams Street in Tallahassee, not far from the FAMU campus. They have all the latest hip-hop releases, as well as mixtapes, magazines and DVDs. They are worth a visit.
Also on Adams Street was this building that I immediately recognized as a former location of Mahalia Jackson’s Fried Chicken. Note the similarity to the former location in Orange Mound in Memphis, where the words “Orange Mound” have been spray-painted on the upward swing of the roof. Mahalia Jackson’s Chicken System Inc. was an African-American fast-food venture launched by a group of Memphis businessmen led by A. W. Willis and Ben Hooks. Mahalia Jackson contributed her name and at least a portion of the chicken recipe. Locations were opened in predominantly-Black neighborhoods across America, but unfortunately, the Memphis businessmen decided to partner with former Tennessee gubernatorial candidate John Jay Hooker, who was seeming to have great success with Minnie Pearl’s Fried Chicken. Hooker’s Performance Systems Inc. bought 50% of the Mahalia Jackson system, and found rough going when they ran out of regions of the country to sell franchises. Ultimately all of the Minnie Pearl’s and Mahalia Jackson’s locations closed except for the Nashville franchise. That store was eventually purchased by E. W. Mayo, and became more famous for fried pies than chicken. I have heard that it now has closed as well. But this Tallahassee location, which I didn’t know about, is remarkably well-preserved.
When i got to Tallahassee, near the Florida A & M campus on Adams Street, I happened upon this really cool-looking jazz cafe. Unfortunately, it was not open on Thursday night, but I took some pictures anyway.
