When George Edick Jr. was in elementary school, he received a present he’ll never forget: a guitar from Ike Turner.
Edick grew up in the 1950s around musicians like Turner who played at his father’s Club Imperial, 6306-28 West Florissant Ave., in the Walnut Park West neighborhood in northwest St. Louis.
The run-down building escaped the wrecking ball last month after the St. Louis Preservation Board voted to save it.
In our latest Cut & Paste arts and culture podcast, Edick talks about what it was like to grow up during the heyday of his father’s club and how the white-owned venue played a role in integrating the bandstand.
Look for new Cut & Paste (#cutpastestl) podcasts every few weeks on our website. You can also find all previous podcasts focusing on a diverse collection of visual and performing artists, and subscribe to Cut & Paste through this link.
The podcast is sponsored by JEMA Architects, Planners and Designers.
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