I'm Dorothy Simpson, the Proprie

Dorothy Simpson Dorothy I’m Dorothy Simpson, the proprie- today. He doesn’t look like it. Yeah. tor of Simpson’s Record Shop, But he had one, what was that? located on Six Mile, here in Detroit. «Mama told me to shop around.» We’ve been in the business since Yes, «Shop Around,» and some of 1966. I decided during that period the Supremes, and Aretha Frank- of time that I wanted to get into a lin. «Precious Lord,» one of the business, and that this would be very frst that I really remember something that my children and I her singing. I played that at home could work comfort- ably. That I could teach them the business, and it would be a good feld for us to get into. We thought that that would be a good thing for us to do and that’s what we did. And it just hap- pened to be 1966. We decided Decem- ber 3rd, 1966 was 3 gonna be our open- ing day, and that’s what we did. some, a little before I came into The original shop was around the the business. corner on Joseph Complex, at I’ve seen Smokey Robinson. I’ve 14034 Joseph Complex, near Six seen Stevie Wonder, The Mile. And about 1993 or so, we Dramatics. So many good artists moved to this particular area. The have come through town. B.B. original store was just me, my hus- King, Bobby Bland. Some of them band, and my children. I had six I saw them at the Fox, or I’ve seen children. And, of course, fve of them at some of the clubs, like uh, them was really involved. One was like The Twenty Grand, Phelps too young to do it. It was a family Lounge, I can’t think of all of them. business. That’s what it – that’s We’re in Conant Gardens now. what it is. Hamtramck is near. We started I came to Detroit in 1953 from out with basically Motown. And as Birmingham, Alabama. I can’t time went on, you know, and you Ringier Annual Report 2018 Report Annual Ringier remember the frst record I heard. get a request for other things, then I guess when I really started paying we sold whatever the request was. them attention, it was like Motown And the things that we could get days, you know. With Smokey for them. I used to take our kids Robinson. It’s his 75th birthday to the Gray Stone Ballroom, but Incredible. all: Inc ise. all: Praise. - Incr le... - Oh, praise. a all: Praise. - redible... - Pra edible... all: Incredib ll: Praise. s... all: He deserv le... all: Incredible... Incredible... all: In - He deserve es... - Incredib - Whoa. all: Praise. - credible... I didn’t dance. I, I’m not a dancer. a lot of times don’t bring in quite Simpson Dorothy Simpson Dorothy air play you’d do a lot better with in the middle of my thinking of I love to watch others but I’m not enough. So we had to do other these things but we’re not getting what I would do for, what we would a dancer. things. In this neighborhood, I that. In the 60’s and the 70’s, the do as a business people, she men- The beginning of the shop was mean and especially even around early portion of when the store tioned the fact to me that the build- primarily just, it was for pop music. the corner, we got a lot of walking was happening, we did advertise- ing that my husband was occupy- For poppin music at that time, trafc. Now we don’t get a lot of ments on local radio. We did the ing for his services had one time Motown. We sold mostly 45s from walking trafc. gospel advertising, we did the been a record shop. And when the beginning. People could come The industry has changed in a blues, we did real well with it. she said a record shop, and it was in and listen to them. We set a little lot of ways. We started out with Now and then I still listen to like it clicked with me like that. I record player and it was not much, the pop music and the Motown, «Precious Lord» by Aretha Frank- said wow, that’s exactly what I’m a little $20 box but we did and they which was really, really great lin. Only the version that she re-did gonna do. music. Then, at that on Amazing Grace. But we previ- And I took of. I asked my hus- time gospel was not ously had it back when Chess band, you know we talked about very popular. Espe- Checker was around and that, it, he thought it was a good idea, cially vinyl-wise that’s when it was really some- plenty of space and everything, ‘cause that’s what thing. Her frst «Precious Lord.» and we just went from there. we had, vinyl. We Back when her father had more Whatever money we had, that’s didn’t do a lot with records than she did. There’s a lot what we started with. We didn’t do gospel but we did of people came to the store. I know anything to, you know, the outside. big things with the we’ve had all the Dramatics and, We just worked and you know pop and the blues. oh we’ve had Pigmy Markham to kinda put it together and told the And of, of course come to our store. kids what was going on. Everybody then you know jazz. 4 5 Before the store, I was working. was really excited and we explained We just went through Like one time I worked, well the to them you gotta work but right changes: then the last job I had was at a dry clean- away there won’t be any pay. gospel starts pick- er’s; I was a sorter. And of course Nobody gonna get paid cause we could listen to them and, and buy ing up a little, then the jazz starts I was debating on going back there don’t have any money. But when them, you know. It was mainly a picking up, and the rap starts or whatever and then it came to we started making some money youth audience that was buying at coming in and then it kinda pushed me that maybe I wanted to try and then we would start paying and so that time. Basically young people, other things out of the way. And start a business, you know, for us. we kept our promise but we did, kids coming from school. They now, rap is not as popular as it First of all my husband had opened we did what we could to makeshift used to come in, loved to come in was so we’re going back some- up a business, security. And then you know, and you go out and buy and just hang out ‘cause I had kids what in a sense to the point where I come along thinking we couldn’t a couple of records now or today myself. You know, and they would now we’re getting requests for the work in that, the children and I, so or whatever and thank goodness come in and they just want to hear older jazz and the older R&Bs and it would have been good for us to that at the time the distributors it sometimes. Sometimes they things of that sort as opposed to come up with something diferent. was basically in the city. The didn’t want to buy them, but they so much of the new, the rap. Right So that was my frst inspiration. record companies, you could go just wanted to hear them so. now we have Muddy Waters, some You can’t have a four year old to them. I went to Atlantic, I went I suppose, I would say maybe Little Milton. There is still commu- 2018 Report Annual Ringier 2018 Report Annual Ringier doing security, and I didn’t want to to those places and purchased early, maybe about 15 years after nity that wants that kind of music. do it either. But then it just so hap- before one-stops came in. And it we started, we took on the candy The thing that hinders it somewhat pened that I was talking with a was easy. They was very kind. deal, to try and attract a fow. You is, there’s no air play. Nowadays lady which was a cashier in a store They weren’t spread way apart know because just selling records you don’t get air play. If they got right here on Joseph Complex and and things like that. ut praise. all: Prai ... all: Incredible... - . - Incredible... all: raise. - Incredible. e... - Praise. all: Prais ll: He deserves... - - Talking abo se. - Incredible Oh, praise. all: Praise He praise. all: P .. all: Incredibl e. - He deserves... a Incredible... Oh, praise. all: Inc . all: Praise. - Oh, pra redible... all: Incred ... - Yeah. all: Prai h. all: Hallelujah. - Lo Lord, we love you. - deserves... - redible... - Oh ise. all: Praise. - Inc ible... - Oh, all: Incredible se. - Halleluja rd, we love you. all: Lord, we With us not having much money companies themselves, they are Simpson Dorothy we couldn’t go in and just stock untouchable nowadays. There up, so if I sold two or three today was a time when they told you then maybe I want two or three what was happening, what’s com- tomorrow, depending on how I ing or what’s hot, bring you pic- sold today.

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