The former VeeJay Records building is among the sites that make up Chicago's iconic Record Row, a 10-block stretch of South Michigan Avenue where several independent record labels produced blues, R&B, jazz and soul music from the 1950 to 1970s.
Vivian Carter and her husband, James Bracken, set up Vee-Jay in 1953. Over the next decade, this Black-owned label became one of the country's premier record companies. Its thriving roster included Jimmy Reed, the Staple Singers, Wayne Shorter, Betty Everett, and in February 1963, Vee-Jay became the first U.S. label to release music by The Beatles. The building's rich history of Black and women-ownership makes it the perfect home for its two current residents: Overflow Coffee and Mox.E Coworking, which took over the space in 2018 with a mission to create a business-focused community that supports ethnic diversity and fosters the spirit of entrepreneurial collaboration. |