Speaking of musical pilgrimages, not long ago, I drove past the building that once housed Utopia Cleaners in Watts. An employee there apparently served as the inspiration for "The Man From Utopia" by Donald Woods & The Vel-Aires, the B side--and, in my view, the better side--of their 1955 hit "Death of an Angel," which was probably inspired by the Penguins' "Earth Angel." Utopia Cleaners is no longer in business.
Wow, lucky you, Fiji Hill, to have seen those great ones. Weren't the Blue Jays ("A Lover's Island") from LA too? I have some vague recollection of the lead singer working as a dishwasher at a Sheraton in someplace like Marina del Rey. Another South Central landmark I paid homage too was the Richard Berry home. And, of course, the former Satellite Hotel (think that's what it was called) where Sam Cooke was shot.