Dick Vivian, Rooky Ricardo’s Record Store Owner, Dies at 78
Dick Vivian, the widely loved proprietor of Rooky Ricardo’s record shop in San Francisco, died on Friday, July 24. He was 78.
In a statement, Rooky Ricardo’s said that Vivian “passed peacefully in his beautiful home, right about the time he would have been leaving to open the shop.”
Since 1987, Vivian owned and operated Rooky Ricardo’s, a used vinyl store that specialized in 45 RPM singles and was prized by casual fans and serious collectors alike. The store obtained official legacy status from the City of San Francisco in 2007.
Vivian was diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer in March of last year. By last Friday, a GoFundMe to assist with medical bills had raised more than $40,000 from all corners of the local music community, including donations by musicians, record collectors, DJs and other record store owners.
Chris Veltri, who owns nearby record store Groove Merchant, told KQED last year that Vivian himself was the spirit of the Lower Haight record shop.
“His store is kind of a dying breed; it’s 100% him. You’re kind of walking into a different era, a space that’s unique into itself,” Veltri said, adding that “He’s always sitting at his table, cleaning 45s, pricing 45s. You walk in and a relaxation sets in. You don’t get that in a lot of stores.”
A 2013 profile in GQ magazine described Vivian in near-Biblical terms as “the man who will save your musical soul.”
Quick with a joke or anecdote, Vivian’s contagious love for music carried over to his customers. He was known for enthusiastically sharing knowledge about his favorite records, many of them obscure. Any judgmental tones were practically banned from the store.
In the store’s statement posted to social media, Vivian’s many titles were enumerated.
“Our joke-teller, dancer, proprietor, host (both social and professional), waiter, tennis ace, best calves in the city, stack-maker, cash-loaner, gift-giver, convertible driver, laugher, cocktail drinker, not-a-bad-record-in-the-place-thank-you-very-much, mayor of the Lower Haight, Rooky Ricardo himself,” it read. “He was a celeb.”