Dick Vivian, the beloved owner of Rooky Ricardo\u2019s Records in the Lower Haight, whose easy charm and vast collection of soul and early rock and roll 45s drew generations of customers, many of whom became lifelong friends, died Friday after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis last year.<\/p>\n
Rooky Ricardo’s announced Sunday<\/a> that owner Dick Vivian died peacefully Friday at his home at age 78, just as he would normally have been heading out to open the Lower Haight shop he founded in 1987, as the Chronicle reports<\/a>. Vivian’s death marks the end of an era for music lovers in the Bay Area and beyond, one where customers often came as much for his warmth and encyclopedic knowledge of soul, oldies, and girl-groups as they did for the records themselves. <\/p>\n As we reported last summer<\/a>, Vivian had been diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer and underwent treatment at UCSF, while also facing other health issues that required heart surgery. A fundraiser<\/a> launched to help cover medical expenses drew an outpouring of support from musicians, DJs, collectors, fellow record store owners and longtime customers, ultimately raising more than $42,000. <\/p>\n During Vivian\u2019s treatment, musician and former Rooky’s employee, Nick Waterhouse, and two others kept the shop running, bringing Vivian in whenever he felt well enough to visit.<\/p>\n A 2013 profile in GQ<\/a> described Vivian as \u201cthe man who will save your musical soul.\u201d Vivian greeted first-time visitors and longtime customers with equal enthusiasm, steering them toward overlooked gems, swapping stories, and encouraging them to linger. <\/p>\n Musicians, DJs, collectors, and casual browsers alike made Rooky’s a destination, helped along by its vintage decor and listening stations. Regulars often described the store as much more than a place to shop, with Waterhouse describing it as \u201ca dreamy embodiment of whatever [Vivian] thinks people should get out of listening to records.\u201d<\/p>\n