Motown of the West: Before Motown

Before the Supremes, before Berry Gordy, a Los Angeles record label run out of a garage was shaping the future of American music.

Founded by Dootsie Williams in the early 1950s, Dootone Records became a hub of innovation—recording doo-wop, jazz, and the first Black comedy albums that would influence generations. But while the physical site of Dootone has nearly vanished, its intangible heritage—the voices, rhythms, and entrepreneurial spirit it carried—still reverberates through today’s culture. Through interviews with historian Robert Petersen and Getty preservationist Rita Cofield, this episode explores what it means to preserve sound as history: how a song like “Earth Angel” can outlast the walls that once contained it, and why the legacy of Dootone still matters today.

Join Jaime as he retraces Dootone’s path with Robert Petersen and Rita Cofield—following the threads from a Central Avenue porch to playlists today and uncovering how keeping these sounds in circulation keeps Dootone’s legacy alive.

Special thanks to Rita Cofield and Robert Petersen.