He and his wife laid the concrete themselves for an addition to their house to form a record pressing plant, and he built an 8-track recording machine for about 15% of the cost of a new one. The studio survived through small business loans, Thomas's ability to save money through hard work and perseverance, and the consistent assistance of his wife Louise. After serving in the army during World War II, Boddie returned to Cleveland and began building the pieces of what would eventually become a full-fledged recording studio, designing and modifying equipment while working as a repairman. He first found employment as an organ repairman, then at Wright-Patterson Air Base. Though talented and educated in the fields of sound and electrical engineering, he had difficulty finding work due to his race. Thomas Boddie began his interest in sound systems and recordings as a teenager in his home on Kinsman Ave.
Records were made for national distribution as well as for independent groups and artists who only wished to have their music recorded for personal use or local distribution, such as recordings of sermons for church groups, with Boddie creating small, independent record labels for the purpose. His clientele included musicians of various styles, including gospel, country, bluegrass, rock, soul, and rhythm and blues, earning the studio the nickname of "Little Nashville". This allowed him to hold down costs, thus attracting a wide range of clientele in need of demonstration records and small runs of 45 rpm records. 2006) created all his recording equipment by hand rather than purchasing pre-made machines, and he pressed his own vinyl records. The Boddie Recording Company (1958-1993) was the first recording studio in Cleveland, Ohio, owned by African-Americans.
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