Remembering Dick Vivian, Owner of Rooky Ricardo’s RecordsNew

Dick Vivian, the owner of the landmark store Rooky Ricardo’s Records, passed away from pancreatic cancer on July 24th.

Dick had been running the shop in Lower Haight for the past 39 years, twice forced to relocate by earthquake-retrofitting rent hikes. He was a quick-witted, sassy, salty-on-the-outside-sweet-on-the-inside man who was known for his sharp dissections of anyone who walked into his store. If you weren’t put off by his playful teasing, you got the chance to meet the warm, community-building spirit with a fervent love for music. Growing up through the 1960s as a gay man,

Dick found music of that era to be transcendent and life-changing. He left his legacy on 144 burned CDs that capture the exact beauty of those soul records. You can’t find these artists on any digital service or streaming, but Dick knew even the rarest records by heart.

He is renowned worldwide as a premier record collector and a true gem of the San Francisco community. Rooky’s was a community center as much as a record store, and Dick made an effort to make every patron feel known by sharing his knowledge of music. He even hosted dance lessons in the store for a time! He had friends that were millionaires and others that were busboys from his serving days, as well as a wide network of capable straight men he deemed “galoots” who would do anything for him. Take Jon Blunck, a former employee, galoot, and longtime friend of Dick’s, who quit his job in LA and moved to help run the store when Dick was diagnosed with cancer.

Dubbed the ‘Mayor of Lower Haight’ in the store’s statement, Dick Vivian will be remembered dearly by those who knew him and by Rooky’s, whose vintage charm captures anyone who walks in. Stop by and ask to hear a story about him or just listen to songs you won’t find anywhere else. You’ll find that his soul and impact are still very much alive.