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| Brooklyn Legends |
| The Oldest Black Incorporated Town In America |
As a young child growing up in Brooklyn, I was unaware of the fame and accomplishments that many of our neighbors were known for.
This, I believe was and still is, a testament to the humble nature of the people who inhabit our town. We never made a fuss over them
because their demeanor did not demand that we do so. They lived among us not apart from us. When you saw Big Joe Henry or Mr.
Hamiet, you simply said hello and they would return the greeting and perhaps inquire of one of your brothers whom they had grown up with.
Big Band Leader George Hudson was our music teacher. He had the brightest smile this side of heaven. We would joke that Colgate would
hire him on the spot! All he had to do was flash that smile! His Cadillac had a customized horn. As kids, we would wave to him and he
would respond with that blinding smile and blow his horn. I can't ever remember him raising his voice or becoming angry . It was not until I
moved away from home that I learned of my neighbors fame. Mr. O.G. Walls was the barber who cut my father's hair. I visited his
confectionery store on a daily basis to purchase moon cookies and pickles. He was related to Mrs. Annie Malone who developed and
manufactured the first line of hair care products for Black women. She also received a patent for the pressing comb. Barry Sumpter was a
quiet teenager who was very kind to his mother Miss Ollie. His mother was known as "The Queen of the Pressing Comb". Everyone knew
that if you wanted a smooth press that defied sweating back, sit in Miss Ollie's chair. Albert King who has received world renowned
success for his contributions to the genre of blues, was very friendly and a generous contributor to the community.
Contributions that many Brooklynites have made to society are often overlooked. They may never receive national attention but, they too
deserve our honor and respect.
David Wyatt (murdered June 6, 1903)
Mr. David Wyatt was a prominent citizen who was instrumental in developing the public school system in Brooklyn, Illinois. He taught and
served as principal of the school for several years. Mr. Wyatt developed and implemented a program to educate adults in the community.
Professor Sundiata Cha-Jua did extensive research on Mr. Wyatt in his book, "America's First Black Town". He relates that Mr. Wyatt was held in
high esteem through out the state of Illinois by educators. He was known for his eloquent oratory addresses and was often called on to speak
at conferences of educators and ceremonies of prominent dignitaries.
Mr. Wyatt was accused of shooting a white man, Mr. Charles Hertel who was St. Clair County Superintendent of Schools. It was said that Mr.
Hertel refused to renew Mr. Wyatt's teaching license. On the evening of June 6, 1903, Mr. Wyatt went to Mr. Hertel's office, perhaps to persuade
him to renew his license so that he could continue his work to improve the education of Black people. Mr. Hertel refused the request claiming
that grievous complaints of his conduct where made when he taught at Cahokia and Alta Sita. The East St. Louis Journal reported that Mr. Wyatt
was dismissed for extreme brutality towards his students in the Brooklyn school system. No proof of these charges were offered. Below are
newspaper articles describing Mr. Wyatt's murder.
NEW YORK HERALD
June 8, 1903
Belleville, Ill., Sunday —With the dawn of Sunday the full import of a wild night's work done by a mob of fully two thousand citizens stood revealed
today. David Wyatt, a Negro schoolteacher, who made an attempt to assassinate Charles Hertel, County Superintendent, in his office last
evening, had been taken from a supposedly impregnable jail, hanged to a telegraph pole in the center of the public square and his body burned.
Two hundred men, armed with sledge hammers, marched up to the jail in the night attacked the rear doors with vigor. In half an hour the doors
gave way to repeated hammer blows. Wyatt was confined in the lower section of a double tier of cells. The chilled steel bars were cut away with
chisels, and when the door swung open a mighty shout informed the waiting crowd that the Negro was in the hands of his pursuers.
Wyatt was six feet three inches tall and of powerful build. He tried to defend himself but he was doomed to quick death. His head was mashed
almost to a pulp before he was dragged out of the cell.
A rope was placed about his neck and the dying Negro was dragged down stairs and into the street. Hundreds of men jumped upon him and
literally kicked and tore the bleeding form to shreds. Two men climbed the telegraph pole. Willing hands tossed up the loose end of the rope
and the battered body of the Negro quickly swung free in the air. Yelling like mad men, the mob surged around the victim. Knives were drawn
and the body was slashed right and left.
Volunteer runners appeared with cans of benzine and gasoline. Signs and pickets from neighboring fences were tossed into a pyre and flames
shooting as high as the improvised gallows soon enveloped the Negro.
All this was done while the mob knew that the Negro's victim was alive and had a fair chance to recover. The excuse given is that the lawless
element among the Negroes has been doing all sorts of deviltry, and that it was determined to teach the Negroes a wholesome lesson.
Wyatt's crime was provoked by the refusal of Superintendent Hertel to renew his teaching certificate. The Negro demanded favorable action, and
on its refusal fired one shot at the superintendent while he was sitting at his desk.
BELLEVILLLE IS COMPLACENT OVER HORRIBLE LYNCHING
NEW YORK HERALD
June 9, 1903
BELLEVILLLE, ILL., MONDAY —Although the men who lynched David S. Wyatt; the Negro teacher who shot Charles Hertil, County
Superintendent of Schools, on Saturday night, worked without masks for six hours, in view of hundreds, including all the city and county officials,
and although the few men who did the actual killing are known to scores, it is unlikely their prosecutions will follow.
State Attorney Farmer said today he had not been able to find anybody who would identify any of the lynchers.
At the inquest today no testimony which would tend to implicate any one in the lynching could be elicited from the witnesses examined. The
Coroner's jury declined to wait for the arrival of all the witnesses, and after hearing ten men, including Mayor Kern, a verdict that Wyatt met his
death at the hands of parties unknown was returned.
In the main, BELLEVILLLE views the lynching and its attendant horrors with complacency. There were strong expressions of condemnation in all
the churches yesterday, but many who are accounted leading citizens express approval of the lynching. The men who took part in the disorder
believe they are safe.
Those who condemn the lynching urge that it could easily have been prevented. Not more than fifteen men did the actual work of breaking into
the jail and lynching the Negro. No attempt was made to defend the jail. Not a shot was fired. The authorities took no stand. Mayor Kern is
understood to have given orders that no shots be fired. State Attorney Farmer resented the suggestion that the mob could have been dispersed
by the use of firearms.
It is doubtful if a lynching has ever been attended by such remarkable circumstances. The lynchers did not constitute a real mob. The mob spirit
was entirely lacking. The attack on the jail was made by a comparatively small number of men, predisposed to disorder, who seized upon the
opportunity which public indignation gave them to indulge their penchant for violence without incurring the usual risk. Actively aiding them was a
somewhat larger number of youths. The rest of the crowd was made up of men of respectability, well dressed women-many leaning on the
arms of escorts — and boys and girls.
The sentiment of the crowd was as remarkable as its composition. It was as if all had turned out for a frolic. They had gathered for a spectacle,
and they made merry over the prospect. Loud laughter greeted jokes with violent death as their theme. Demands for blood were cheered.
Women were in front of the jail with baby carriages.
Mayor Kern, State's Attorney Farmer and former Judge Schaefer consulted and agreed that to oppose the crowd with force would not be good
policy.
A suggestion was made that the fire department turn water on the crowd. Mayor Kern opposed this on the ground that it would make the people
angry. Somebody rang the fire bell, however, and a hose cart dashed down the street through the crowd, reeling off hose by way of polite
intimation of what it was proposed to do. The crowd calmly separated the hose into sections of convenient length and tied these into knots. The
firemen went back to their house with all the hose the crowd would let them have.
For an hour and a half after the assailants got inside the jail the sounds of heavy blows were heard through the windows, which had been
shattered by boys. Youths appeared frequently at the windows and shouted information meant to be humorous. The crowd was none too
exacting as to the quality of humor offered and each sally about the progress made toward "the nigger" was greeted with cheers and laughter.
It was twenty minutes to twelve o'clock when the self-appointed announcers rushed to the windows and shouted gleefully, "We've got him!"
"They're taking him to the square," somebody shouted a few minutes later, and the well dressed throng moved, with many a jest, toward the
square to see "the big show."
The crowd in the jail had broken into Wyatt's cell. He had fought fiercely for his life. A blow from a sledge hammer felled him. A rope was tied
around his neck. He was dragged out into the corridor, down the stairs and into the jail yard, then into Spring street, up to Main street and to the
center of the square.
A man riding on a white horse led the way to an electric light pole in the square. The end of the rope was thrown over it. The body was drawn up
above the heads of the crowd, who cheered and waved hats. Men on the pole kicked Wyatt in the face. The swaying form was stabbed
repeatedly. Mutilations followed.
Kerosene was bought and poured over the body and it was set on fire, while the crowd cheered. The rope burned through and the body fell. More
kerosene was poured on the body as the flames slowly consumed it.
Mayor Kern telephoned to the police station half an hour later and ordered that an undertaker be directed to remove what remained of the body.
This was done.
Police and other officials say they could have held the jail if they had used their revolvers, but they did not do so because they were "afraid
somebody would be hurt." Sheriff Thompson was out of the city. Mr. Hertel's condition is improving. His recovery is expected. He greatly regrets
the lynching.
Annie Turnbo Malone (1869-1957)
Annie Minerva Turnbo was born August 9, 1969 in Metropolis Illinois. She was the eleventh of twelve children born to Robert
Turnbo and Isabella Cook Turnbo. Her parents died while she was still quite young. She was raised by an older sister in
Peoria, Illinois. Although she did attend school, frequent illness caused her to withdraw before completing high school. As a
young girl, Malone enjoyed fashioning her own and her sisters' hair. She became aware of differences in hair texture and
sought a way to straighten hair.
During the late 19th century, African American women used soap, goose fat, and heavy oils to straighten their hair. Chemical
straighteners often damaged the scalp and hair follicles. While living in Lovejoy, Illinois, around the turn of the century,
Malone developed a chemical product that straightened African American hair without damage. She claimed to have studied
chemistry and to have been influenced by an aunt who was trained as an herbal doctor. She expanded her hair care line to
include other beauty products, including her popular Wonderful Hair Grower. Some historians also credit Malone with
developing the pressing iron and comb around this time. Malone sold her products locally.
In 1902, Malone moved her business to St. Louis, Missouri, where she hired and trained three assistants. As black women,
they were denied access to traditional distribution systems, so they sold the products door-to-door and provided free
demonstrations. In 1903, Malone married Mr.Pope, but she divorced him after a short time because he tried to interfere with
her business.
During the 1904 World's Fair, Malone opened a retail outlet. Visitors to St. Louis responded favorably to her products,
prompting her to embark on an innovative marketing campaign aimed at distributing the product nationally. In addition to
going door-to-door, she and her trained assistants traveled to black churches and community centers, providing free hair
and scalp treatments. She held press conferences and advertised in black newspapers. Malone traveled throughout the
South at a time of racial discrimination and violence, giving demonstrations in black churches and women's clubs.
Everywhere she went, she hired and trained women to serve as local sales agents. They, in turn, recruited others. By 1910,
distribution had expanded nationally.
One of her Malone's recruits was Madame C.J. Walker, a former washerwoman who eventually founded her own company
with similar beauty products and distribution. She is widely regarded as the most successful black entrepreneur of the early
20th century and founder of the black beauty business in the United States. However, historians credit Malone with having
developed her products and distribution system first. Walker sold her own "Wonderful Hair Straightener," which Malone
called a fraudulent imitation. As a result, Malone trademarked Poro, a new name for her product and merchandising systems
in 1906. (Poro is a West African word for an organization dedicated to disciplining and enhancing the body spiritually and
physically.)
In 1914, Malone married Aaron Eugene Malone, an ex-teacher and Bible salesman. Her husband became the company's
chief manager and president. The young couple did more than just manufacture beauty products. They also provided a way
for African American women to improve themselves on many levels. At a time when few career opportunities were available,
Poro offered them a chance at economic independence. Malone believed that if African American women improved their
physical appearance, they would gain greater self-respect and achieve success in other areas of their lives.
Malone was committed to community building and social welfare. To that end she built Poro College in 1918, a complex that
included her business's office, manufacturing operation, and training center as well as facilities for civic, religious, and social
functions. The campus was located in St. Louis's upper-middle-class black neighborhood and served as a gathering place
for the city's African Americans, who were denied access to other entertainment and hospitality venues. The complex, which
was valued at more than $1 million, included classrooms, barber shops, laboratories, an auditorium, dining facilities, a
theater, gymnasium, chapel, and a roof garden. Many local and national organizations, including the National Negro
Business League, were housed in the facility or used it for business functions. The training center provided cosmetology and
sales training for women interested in joining the Poro agent network. It also taught students how to walk, talk, and behave in
social situations. During the early 20th century, race improvement and positive self-image were seen as a way to increase
social mobility. By teaching deportment, Malone believed she was helping African American women improve their standing in
the community.
By 1926, the college employed 175 people. Franchised outlets in North and South America, Africa, and the Philippines
employed some 75,000 women. Malone had become a wealthy woman. It is believed that she was worth $14 million at one
point during the 1920s. Her 1924 income tax totaled nearly $40,000. However, despite her wealth, Malone lived
conservatively and gave away much of her fortune to help other African Americans. She is one of America's first major black
philanthropists. Malone donated large sums to countless charities. At one time, it is believed that she was supporting two full-
time students in every black land-grant college in the United States. She gave $25,000 to the Howard University Medical
School during the 1920s that, at the time, was the largest gift the school had ever received from an African American. She
also contributed to the Tuskegee Institute. Malone was also generous with family and employees. She educated many of her
nieces and nephews and bought homes for her brothers and sisters. She awarded employees with lavish gifts for
attendance, punctuality, service anniversaries, and as rewards for investing in real estate.
A $25,000 donation from Malone helped build the St. Louis Colored YWCA. She also contributed to several orphanages and
donated the site for the St. Louis Colored Orphans' Home. She raised most of the orphanage's construction costs and
served on the home's executive board from 1919 to 1943. The home was renamed the Annie Malone Children's Home in
1946. Malone also gave generously of her time in the community. She was president of the Colored Women's Federated
Clubs of St. Louis, an executive committee member of the National Negro Business League and the Commission on
Interracial Cooperation, an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, a member of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, and a lifelong Republican.
Malone's generosity raised her stature in the community but contributed to the financial decline of her business. While she
was spending time on civic affairs and distributing her wealth to various organizations, she left the day-to-day affairs of the
business in the hands of managers, including her husband. Some of these managers were inexperienced or dishonest,
eventually leading to the dismantling of her business empire.
For the six years leading up to 1927, Annie and Aaron Malone became embroiled in a power struggle over control of the
Poro business. The struggle was kept quiet until 1927, when Aaron Malone filed for divorce and demanded half the
business. He claimed that Poro's success was due to contacts he brought to the company. He courted black leaders and
politicians who sided with him in the highly publicized divorce. Annie Malone's devotion to black women and charitable
institutions led Poro workers and church leaders to support her. She also had the support of the press and Mary McLeod
Bethune, president of the National Association of Colored Women. Having the support of so powerful a woman helped Annie
Malone prevail in the dispute and allowed her to keep her business. She negotiated a settlement of $200,000.
In 1930, Malone moved her business to Chicago, where its location became known as the Poro block. Her financial trouble
continued when she became the target of lawsuits, including one by a former employee who claimed credit for her success.
When the suit was settled in 1937, she was forced to sell the St. Louis property. Malone's business was further crippled by
enormous debt to the government for unpaid real estate and excise taxes. (The federal government required a 20 percent
tax on luxuries, including hair-care products during the 1920s.) In 1943, she owed almost $100,000. The government was
constantly taking her to court and by 1951, it took control of Poro. Most of the property was sold to pay the taxes.
Malone's business failure tarnished her image. Her former employee, Madame C.J. Walker, often overshadows Malone
because Walker's business remained successful and more widely known. Walker is often credited as the originator of the
black beauty and cosmetics business and the direct distribution and sales agent system that Malone developed. Many
historians believe Malone deserves more credit for her devotion to helping African Americans gain financial independence
and her generous donations to educational, civic, and social causes.
Annie Turnbo Malone died of a stroke on May 10, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. She was 87. By the time of her death, Malone
had lost her national visibility and most of her money. Having no children, her estate, valued at $100,000, was left to her
nieces and nephews.
www.answers.com/topic/annie-malone
Prince Joe Henry
Memphis Red Sox 1950-52 (NAL)
Indianapolis Clowns 1955 (NAL)
Indianapolis Clowns 1955-56 (IND)
Detroit Clowns 1957-58 (IND)
Detroit Clowns 1958 (NAL)
Detroit Stars 1958-59 (NAL)
Detroit Clowns 1959 (w/ Goose Tatum, IND)
Injuries put an end to a two - plus-season stint holding down second base for the Memphis Red Sox in the early 1950’s, but
Henry resurfaced in 1955 with the storied Indianapolis Clowns franchise. Henry's showmanship at third base during two
seasons in Indianapolis, a team that counts home-run king Henry Aaron among its alumni and is often compared to
basketball's Harlem Globetrotters, earned him the nickname "Prince Joe." After sitting out 1957, Prince Joe was coaxed back
to the diamond by Detroit Stars owner Ted Rasberry, who renamed his team "Goose Tatum's Detroit Clowns" after the
famous Globetrotter and Negro League phenom.
Recalling his days in the league he said, "As I look back, it was the best experience I ever had in my life... The Negro
Leagues took me to just about every state in the country and Canada. I had an offer from Goose Tatum to go with him to
Europe, but it was across the water and I didn't like to fly.
Prince Joe Henry, one of professional baseball's original "clowns," was an all-star infielder for Negro League baseball teams
in Memphis, Indianapolis and Detroit throughout the 1950s. But up until the late 1940s, Prince Joe didn't know anything
about the Negro Leagues. His knowledge of organized baseball was limited to the Cardinals and Browns games he attended
during his preteen years at Sportsman's Park, accompanied by lifelong buddy Eugene "Gene" Crittendon, who could pass
for white.
Perhaps Henry's most vivid memory of those games: Upon entry, white ushers would politely escort the boys to a small
section of the left-field stands reserved for "Colored." After climbing past several tiers of bleachers, they'd arrive at their
stop, rows and rows behind their white counterparts.
Even at a young age, the boys were conscious of the double standard -- and determined to vent their disdain. The
opportunity would arise with the urge to urinate. Rather than head for the latrine, the boys would edge their way to the front
of the section and let fly. As the liquid foamed its way down the concrete steps toward the white kids, Henry and his pal would
ease back and relax, politely rooting for the visiting team to beat the hell out of the Browns or the Cards.
After all, Henry and Crittendon hailed from Brooklyn, Illinois, a small, predominantly black township just east of the Mississippi
River. So hospitable were the residents of Brooklyn that they were known to take in a rank stranger, treat him to breakfast,
lunch, supper and a night out on the town -- and afterward, if he messed up, treat him to a good ass - whippin'.
www.nlbpa.com/henry_joe.html
Joe's grandson, Sean Muhammed, recently compiled his memoirs entitled "Princoirs". It is a wonderful book that I
recommend. This book gives the reader a first hand account of Joe's experience in the Negro Baseball League as well as a
glimpse into his soul. Pricoirs engages the reader and demands that one contemplate it's message in small doses. It is
thought provoking to say the least. To purchase a copy: www.myspace.com/princoirs
Please see "The Elders" for recent honors bestowed on Prince Joe Henry.
Hamiet Bluiett (9/16/1940 - present)
Hamiet Bluiett is a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument is the baritone saxophone, and he is
considered one of the finest living players of this instrument. He also plays (and records with) the bass saxophone, E-flat alto
clarinet, E-flat contra-alto clarinet, and wooden flute.
As a child, he studied piano, trumpet, and clarinet, but was attracted most strongly to the baritone saxophone from the age
of ten. While attending Brooklyn's public schools, he studied music under the tutelage of George Hudson. He launched his
musical career by playing clarinet in what was known then barrel house dances in Brooklyn before joining he Navy.
Bluiett's kinship with the baritone saxophone was cemented after hearing Harry Carney who played the instrument in Duke
Ellington's band. That experience awakened him to the possibilities the instrument possessed. What's unique about
Hamiet's sound is that his interpretation of the baritone sax is that of a saxophone player - leading and not accompanying
the scope of the song. Bluiett once opined: "I think the baritone sax can stand toe to toe with you like Shaquille O'Neal and
take you out."
After his stint in the Navy, he returned home and co-founded the Black Artist's Group (BAG) in the late 1960's. BAG was a
collective dedicated to fostering creative work in theater, visual arts, dance, poetry, film, and music. In 1969, Bluiett moved
to New York and joined the legendary Charles Mingus Quintet and the Sam Rivers large ensemble. In 1976, he co-founded
the World Saxophone Quartet which quickly became jazz's most renowned saxophone quartet. He currently leads Bluiett's
Baritone Nation that currently tours the world. In addition to stretching the musical boundaries, Mr. Bluiett has enhanced the
music of Tito Puente and Aretha Franklin.
The mastery of music has allowed Hamiet Bluiett to traverse the world, spreading the gospel that music speaks louder than
words and provides a solace that invigorates the human spirit. He is respected as a master of his craft.
Below is an exempt from an interview conducted by written by Mr. Fred Jung praising the talent and skills of Mr. Bluiett.
"A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH HAMIET BLUIETT"
I can't imagine the baritone saxophone would have any prominence what so ever if Hamiet Bluiett were not blowing the hell
out it on every record and in every performance. As one quarter of the World Saxophone Quartet, Bluiett has his place
among the jazz history books secured, but there should be a whole chapter devoted to what he has done for the big horn.
The baritone and fans of it ought to send thank you notes to Bluiett each and every day, because for my two cents, I would
never listen to the baritone as heavily as I do if it were not for men like Bluiett, Vinny Golia, and James Carter.
video
George Hudson ( 3/7/1910 - 7/10/1996)
George Hudson was born in Stonewall Mississippi and began playing the piano at the age of six. When he was later
introduced to the trumpet, all he wanted to do was blow that horn. As a young man, George moved to Pittsburgh were he
attended school at Westinghouse High and the Pittsburgh Musical Institute. He spent much of his free time working in a
variety of local combos. After graduation, he was hired by Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels, a Territory Band based
in Ohio and toured throughout the Midwest.
After brief stints with the Kansas City blue Devils and Bennie Moten's orchestra, George moved on to First Trumpet chair
with Alphonso Trent's Band where he met James Jeter and Hayes Pillar. In 1934, he moved to St. Louis to become a
member of Jeter Pillar's Band with whom he stayed until 1941 when he quit over a pay dispute.
In 1942, "The George Hudson Orchestra" made it's debut. Their first venue was at Tune Town in St. Louis Missouri, sharing
the stand with "The Mills Brothers". The original band included Singleton Palmer, Earl Martin, Walter Stanley, Cy Stoner,
Basil Stone, Benny Starks, Lloyd Smith, Irvin Williams, Leon Goodson, William Rollins, Kimbal Dial, Robert Horn, Smitty, John
Orange and Jimmy Britten. The Orchestra earned quite a reputation for itself playing such legendary clubs as the Regal and
Club Delisa in Chicago, The Harlem Club in Atlantic City, The Apollo Theater in Harlem, and the Riveria in St. Louis. By
1944, "The George Hudson Orchestra" had replaced Jeter Pillar as the House Band for St. Louis Club Plantation.
As the Big Band Era began it's decline in popularity, "The George Hudson Orchestra" stuck closer to home. In 1950,
George began a second career, teaching music at Lovejoy High (located in Brooklyn, Illinois). Within three years, George
had organized Lovejoy's first marching band. The band began performing in various capacities. Their first street parade,
graduation, Illinois Regional Contest and concert. Under his direction, the band won many Regional and State Wide "First
Place" competitions. The Lovejoy High School Band performed for such dignitaries as Presidential Candidate Adlai Stevens,
Illinois Governor Statton, President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Walter Mondale's wife. Hamiet Bluiett and Prince
Wells 3rd credit George Hudson with teaching them the basics of their crafts while students in Lovejoy High School's Band.
Both of these gentlemen are recognized for their talents and contributions to the genre of jazz.
After the death of his wife, George Hudson married Ruby Dale O'Bannon and made Brooklyn, Illinois, his home for the last
twenty five years of his life. Among the many highlights of his career, George Hudson has also been inducted into the Jazz
Hall Of Fame in Birmingham, Alabama, and St. Louis Missouri.
Albert King (4/25/1923 - 12/21/1992)
He made many of his most popular recordings in Memphis, and lived there when he died, cut his teeth in St. Louis in the late
50's and early 60's. He made early recordings for the Coun-Tree (1964) and Bobbin (1959-1962) labels. He lived in
Brooklyn, Illinois, and played (and gambled) frequently at the Harlem Night Club there. It was at the Harlem Night Club that he
discovered Shirley Brown and launched her career.
King was truly a "King of the Blues," although he did not hold that title (B.B. does). Albert King was one of the major
influences on blues and rock guitar players. Without him, modern guitar music would not sound as it does -- his style
influenced both black and white blues players from Otis Rush and Robert Cray to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. It's
important to note that while almost all modern blues guitarists seldom play for long without falling into a B.B. King guitar
cliché, Albert King never did. He had his own style and unique tone from the beginning.
Albert King played guitar left-handed, without re-stringing the guitar from the right-handed setup; this "upside-down" playing
accounted for his difference in tone, since he pulled down on the same strings that most players push up on when bending
the blues notes. King's massive tone and totally unique way of squeezing bends out of a guitar string had a major impact.
Many young white guitarists (especially rock & rollers) have been influenced by King's playing, and many players who
emulate his style may never have heard of Albert King, let alone heard his music. His style is immediately distinguishable
from all other blues guitarists, and he was one of the most important blues guitarists to ever pick up the electric guitar.
Born in Indianola, Mississippi but, raised in Forrest City, Arkansas, Albert King (born Albert Nelson) taught himself how to
play guitar when he was a child, building his own instrument out of a cigar box. At first, he played with gospel groups (most
notably the Harmony Kings) but after hearing Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonie Johnson, and several other blues musicians, he
solely played the blues. In 1950, he met MC Reeder, who owned the T-99 nightclub in Osceola, AR. King moved to Osceola
shortly afterward, joining the T-99's house band, the In the Groove Boys. The band played several local Arkansas gigs
besides the T-99, including several shows for a local radio station.
After enjoying success in the Arkansas area, King moved to Gary, Indiana, in 1953, where he joined a band that also
featured Jimmy Reed and John Brim. Both Reed and Brim were guitarists, which forced King to play drums in the group. At
this time, he adopted the name Albert King, which he assumed after B.B. King's "Three O'Clock Blues" became a huge hit.
Albert met Willie Dixon shortly after moving to Gary, and the bassist/songwriter helped the guitarist set up an audition at
Parrot Records. King passed the audition and cut his first session late in 1953. Five songs were recorded during the session
and only one single, "Be on Your Merry Way" / "Bad Luck Blues," was released; the other tracks appeared on various
compilations over the next four decades. Although it sold respectably, the single didn't gather enough attention to earn him
another session with Parrot. In early 1954, King returned to Osceola and re-joined the In the Groove Boys; he stayed in
Arkansas for the next two years.
In 1956, Albert moved to St. Louis, where he initially sat in with local bands. By the fall of 1956, King was headlining several
clubs in the area. King continued to play the St. Louis circuit, honing his style. During these years, he began playing his
signature Gibson Flying V, which he named Lucy. By 1958, Albert was quite popular in St. Louis, which led to a contract with
the fledgling Bobbin Records in the summer of 1959. On his first Bobbin recordings, King recorded with a pianist and a small
horn section, which made the music sound closer to jump blues than Delta or Chicago blues. Nevertheless, his guitar was
taking a center stage and it was clear that he had developed a unique, forceful sound. King's records for Bobbin sold well in
the St. Louis area, enough so that King Records leased the "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong" single from the
smaller label. When the single was released nationally late in 1961, it became a hit, reaching number 14 on the R&B charts.
King Records continued to lease more material from Bobbin (including a full album, Big Blues, which was released in 1963)
but nothing else approached the initial success of "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." Bobbin also leased material to
Chess, which appeared in the late '60s.
Albert King left Bobbin in late 1962 and recorded one session for King Records in the spring of 1963, which were much more
pop-oriented than his previous work; the singles issued from the session failed to sell. Within a year, he cut four songs for
the local St. Louis independent label Coun-Tree, which was run by a jazz singer named Leo Gooden. Though these singles
didn't appear in many cities (St. Louis, Chicago, and Kansas City were the only three to register sales) they foreshadowed
his coming work with Stax Records. Furthermore, they were very popular within St. Louis, so much so that Gooden resented
King's success and pushed him off the label.
Following his stint at Coun-Tree, Albert King signed with Stax Records in 1966. Albert's records for Stax would bring him
stardom, both within blues and rock circles. All of his '60s Stax sides were recorded with the label's house band, Booker T. &
the MG's, which gave his blues a sleek, soulful sound. That soul underpinning gave King crossover appeal, as evidenced by
his R&B chart hits "Laundromat Blues" (1966) and "Cross Cut Saw" (1967) both went Top 40, while "Born Under a Bad Sign"
(1967) charted in the Top 50. Furthermore, King's style was appropriated by several rock & roll players, most notably Jimi
Hendrix and Eric Clapton, who copied Albert's "Personal Manager" guitar solo on the Cream song, "Strange Brew." Albert
King's first album for Stax, 1967's Born Under a Bad Sign, was a collection of his singles for the label and became one of the
most popular and influential blues albums of the late '60s. Beginning in 1968, Albert King was playing not only to blues
audiences, but also to crowds of young rock & rollers. He frequently played at the Fillmore West in San Francisco and he
even recorded an album, Live Wire/Blues Power, at the hall in the summer of 1968.
Early in 1969, King recorded Years Gone By, his first true studio album. Later that year, he recorded a tribute album to Elvis
Presley (Blues for Elvis: Albert King Does the King's Things) and a jam session with Steve Cropper and Pops Staples
(Jammed Together), in addition to performing a concert with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. For the next few years,
Albert toured America and Europe, returning to the studio in 1971, to record the Lovejoy album. In 1972, he recorded I'll Play
the Blues for You, which featured accompaniment from the Bar-Kays, the Memphis Horns, and the Movement. The album
was rooted in the blues, but featured distinctively modern soul and funk overtones.
By the mid 1970s, Stax was suffering major financial problems, so King left the label for Utopia, a small subsidiary of RCA
Records. Albert released two albums on Utopia, which featured some concessions to the constraints of commercial soul
productions. Although he had a few hits at Utopia, his time there was essentially a transitional period, where he discovered
that it was better to follow a straight blues direction and abandon contemporary soul crossovers. King's subtle shift in style
was evident on his first albums for Tomato Records, the label he signed with in 1978. Albert stayed at Tomato for several
years, switching to Fantasy in 1983, releasing two albums for the label.
In the mid- 1980s, Albert King announced his retirement, but it was short-lived. Albert continued to regularly play concerts
and festivals throughout America and Europe for the rest of the decade. King continued to perform until his sudden death in
1992, when he suffered a fatal heart attack on December 21. The loss to the genre of blues was a major one. Although
many guitarists have tried, no one can replace King's distinctive, trailblazing style. Albert King is a tough act to follow.
www.afgen.com/albert_king.htm
Barry Sumpter (11/11/1965 - present)
Barry Sumpter was born November 11, 1965 in Brooklyn, Illinois. He is a former professional basketball player who was
selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 3rd round (56th overall) of the 1988 NBA Draft. A 6'11" forward-center from the
University of Louisville and Austin Peay State University, Sumpter played in only one career NBA game with the Los Angeles
Clippers. On April 2, 1989, he played one minute in a game against the Detroit Pistons without scoring any points. He later
played in the Continental Basketball Association for the Quad City Thunder and set the team records for blocked shots
(338), rebounds (2,503), and career games played (385).
Edward Taylor (3/13/1935 - 9/8/2005)
Cheryl Winston ( A Lady's Privilege? - present
Cheryl Winston hails from Brooklyn, Illinois. She attended schools in district 188 and graduated from Lovejoy High School.
She attended one of Brooklyn's oldest churches, Antioch Baptist Church where she and her mother, Mrs. Armeda Winston
sang in the choir. Her father, Raymond Winston, was a deacon of the church and coached the girls softball team. Her
brother, Darryl Winston, played basketball on the high school varsity squad. She and her family are remembered as
upstanding citizens who contributed positive family values to the community.
Cheryl is a 26 year veteran of the music entertainment industry. Graduating from Southern Illinois University with a B.S. in
Mass Communications/Television and radio, she took control of the radio airwaves in St. Louis, MO by becoming a
personality for the legendary KATZ-AM and Z100.3-FM. Within five years, Cheryl was appointed Director of Broadcast
Operations, Program Director while still maintaining an air shift. Dubbed the “Angel of the Airwaves”, Cheryl said, “I found
great pleasure in providing music that motivated and moved the listener”.
Completing seven years in the radio arena, Cheryl was introduced to the Record Label world by accepting the Radio
Promotional/marketing manager position for Mercury Records, a division of Polygram Records. This position prepared her
for an eight year Radio Promotional Director position at Jive Records, where she assisted in marketing and promoting new
artists such as: R. Kelly, Aaliyah, Brittany Spears, The Backstreet Boyz and other known artists.
Then, one of the most exciting offers came by way of Motown Records, as a Senior National Director of Promotions. Cheryl
helped to introduce new music from legendary artists such as Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Brian McKnight and promoted
new artists like India.Aire and others.
Currently, Cheryl is the Regional Promotions/Marketing manager with Virgin Records and is based in Chicago. “It is an
awesome pleasure to still be in the industry and to work along side the likes of Jermaine Dupri, Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz
and once again be part of a team to developing and promote new artists.
Cheryl is an active member of Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Maywood, IL who participates in youth Mentoring programs
and is active with college internship programs. She also facilitates high school and college workshops on “This business of
Music”.
A quote from Cheryl:
"Indeed, there is a lot to be said about a woman’s work and worth and I am delighted to be a part of the Sister-Friends dream
that is working through faith to encourage and empower other women. We really are ONE!"
Prince Wells lll (5 - 27 - 53 to present)
Prince Wells lll is a descendant of one of Brooklyn's Founding Families who were entrepreneurs and landowners. He was
born and reared in Brooklyn, Illinois. He graduated Lovejoy High School with honors and participated in it's Marching Band.
Prince Wells has been professionally associated with the SIUE since 1989 when he joined the Department of Music as
adjunct faculty. He was appointed full-time lecturer in 1994 and assistant professor in 1996. Presently serving as Director of
the Music Business Program, he also teaches freshman Music Theory and Jazz History. His repertoire of courses taught
also includes Foundations of Music, Introduction to Music History/Literature and Black Music in America. Wells helped
develop and team-teaches 'Music: Art and Science', an interdisciplinary course which examines music as both an art and a
science and investigates the impact that science has had on the art of music.
Wells received his baccalaureate degree in Music Education from SIUE and completed his master's degree in Afro-American
Music and Trumpet at The New England Conservatory of Music. He also studied the trumpet with noted trumpet instructor
Carmine Caruso, Gary Smith of the St. Louis Symphony, and jazz master Clark Terry. Under the tutelage of world-renowned
composer/theorist George Russell, Wells obtained certification in the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization and
currently holds the distinction of being one of five individuals in the United States with the certification. He has conducted
numerous workshops and lectures/demonstrations on the Lydian Chromatic concept as well as other related music topics.
His teaching experience also includes trumpet teacher, band director and music education on the secondary level.
Wells is recognized as a leader in his community as he is founder and President of the Black Music Society of Missouri. He
has been affiliated with a number of other arts and professional organizations including the Mid-America Arts Alliance,
Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, the Missouri Performing Traditions Advisory Council, and is a member of
the Board of Directors for Musicians' Local 2-197. Among his numerous achievements are recipient of the Mid America Arts
Alliance Jazz Artist Marketing Fellowship; a National Endowment for the Arts grant and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority
Artist/Entertainer of the Year Award. He has been featured in a local photo exhibit entitled "Lift Every Voice and Sing: The
St. Louis African-American Heritage Project" as one of the 100 most influential St. Louis African-Americans of the twentieth
century, and was selected for the St. Louis Public Schools Role Model Program.
Wells is rated as one of the best among local trumpet players and is often sought for performance. His performance credits
include Director, Jazz Edge Big Band; Musical Director, Black Music Society's Jazz Repertory Ensemble; Manager and
Trumpeter, Brass Alive! (Brass Quintet); Director, Grand Center Jazz Ensemble; Director, The Jazz Band-St. Louis
Community College at Forest Park; Director, Black Music Society's Jazz Lab Band; Member, Gateway Festival Orchestra;
featured trumpet soloist, First Annual St. Louis Arts Awards and trumpet player with the Albert King Band and the George
Hudson Jazz Orchestra. In February 2000 he released his first CD titled Tales from the Void. On July 1st 2005 he became
Chair of the SIUE Department of Music.
Rick Perkins (1- 7- 43 to present)
Rick Perkins was born and raised in Brooklyn, Illinois. He attended the "Little Red School" and graduated from Lovejoy High
School in 1961. He participated in the musical program under the direction of George Hudson. During his four years in the
musical program,he held the position of first trumpet chair. Rick was also an outstanding athlete. He was the captain of the
basketball team in his senior year under the guidance of Coach Ernie Page Jr. and served as pitcher for the Brooklyn Blue-
jays under the leadership of coaches Freddie Butler and Raymond Winston.
He picked up his first trumpet at the age of 13. Perkins was surrounded by St. Louis legends, including Miles Davis and
George Hudson, at a young age. Hamiet Bluiett and Larry Prothro were Rick's musical mentors. He says that these two men
greatly influenced his life then and now.
The man became a musician naturally, playing throughout high school, college and the Air Force. Once out of the service,
he continued on to play in bands in St. Louis. For Perkins, music was life and life was music. At the peak of his career,
however, Perkins did something almost unthinkable for a man who seemed born to play jazz. He took a 23-year hiatus.
But he had two very good reasons. "I became a single father to my two daughters back in 1976 and came to realize that
there just wasn't enough of me to go around. But raising my daughters was great, although
with seven years difference between their ages, I thought I'd have to wear a referee shirt the rest of my life," Perkins said as
he laughed an easy laugh. "But there were still those moments when I'd hear music and just go crazy in my mind."
Now 63, Perkins sits in his home office surrounded by pictures of his ever-growing family. His grown daughters, his wife, her
children, their children's children and their one great-grandbaby all sit smiling in their frames, a testament to the man who
sacrificed his love of music for his love of them.
But the man with the Billy Dee Williams-esque features who could make his trumpet sing is back and pursuing his first love.
With his daughters now grown, he began his journey back to the stage in 2000 when he bought a trumpet for the first time in
23 years at a pawnshop. Eventually, that journey led Perkins to Victoria. And on Saturday he will be making his triumphant
Texas debut at Greek Bros. "In 1980, I moved from St. Louis with my daughters to L.A. where I became a businessman,
working in public relations and advertising. No one even knew I played the trumpet, not even my wife of 17 years." Perkins
said. "When they did find out, they were shocked. I had co-workers coming up to me and just being bewildered that they had
known me for 15-20 years and never knew that I was a musician."
Perkins first gig was playing at his company's black tie affair. Twenty-three years out of practice, Perkins only had five weeks
to practice two songs. But he never lost his touch. Although he said it took him a year of hard work to get him to where he
was satisfied with his playing, after the black tie affair, he had snagged two paying jobs. In March of
2000, Perkins took a leap of faith and put together the Rick Perkins Quintet, a jazz band of high caliber musicians from the
Los Angeles area. The group soared in popularity and became one of the most sought-after bands in L.A., winning awards
such as Best Jazz Band and Best Instrumental Artist at the L.A. Black Music Awards.
Perkins, who said his biggest musical influence is Miles Davis, even released a CD in 2003 entitled "Live at the Biltmore,"
with his quintet. "I can't describe in words what that meant to me, especially the first time I heard it. My power, my range, my
tone, was back. I felt as though God was rewarding me. His plan worked out. It's almost as if he was saying 'Here ya' go; now
you can be a full-time musician.' The thing I wanted to do most in the world is play the trumpet and now that I'm
retired and my daughters are grown, I can," Perkins said.
Perkins and his wife, Oscar Hernandez, a Bloomington native, moved to Victoria to be closer to her family. And Perkins has
wasted no time forming another jazz band with musicians from Houston and getting back to his music. "What is it about music
that I love? I guess the best way to put it, particularly for the music I play, is that when we play the melody and it's time to
improvise, that is a musical language you don't know in advance. It's your feelings and your emotions that come through and
take that melody and make it more personal. And when you solo, what's inside of me has an opportunity to come out and
that' s my own interpretation of the music and of that song," Perkins said.
Larry Prothro (Nickty) (1/15/1936 - 10/05/2001)
"Nickty" as friends called him, attended Lovejoy Public Schools in Brooklyn, Illinois, and graduated from Lovejoy High School
in 1956. He also attended Forest Park Community College and received his Associates Degree in Music. He was an
accomplished athlete who participated in baseball, basketball, and tennis. Larry was also an active member of the Lovejoy
Alumni Association. While attending the public schools of Brooklyn, he gained the advantage of being taught by the Great
Trumpeteer and Band Leader, George Hudson. At the age of fifteen, he had the good fortune of meeting Charley Parker
who influenced his musical career.
Leo Gooden, owner of the the East Saint Louis "Blue Note Club, found him playing in a Rock & Roll group and immediately
recognized his talent as a jazz artist. Larry was an accomplished musician whoplayed the trumpet, flute and piano. He was
featured in "Ebony" magazine while in his twenties as an up and coming artist. He recorded his first album in 1958 at the age
of twenty three with "Leo's Five" and is credited with writing the instrumental selection "Frederick's Dream" on the album after
his son Frederick told him of his dream. As a professional trumpet player, Larry performed and traveled with the "Ike and
Tina Turner Revue". He also played with distinguished musicians such as Count Bassie, Miles Davis, Fontella Bass and the
great baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett who created the "World Jazz Saxophone Quartet". Larry played the Apollo Theater
and was once featured on the New Year's Eve Regis Philbin Show. He travelled extensively throughout New York, Chicago,
California and Europe.
Larry was highly knowledgeable of African and Egyptian History and encouraged all whom he encountered to be aware of
African Heritage. He was a very articulate person who encouraged all, especially his family, to do the right thing.
" A Note From Larry"
I began to give up on me,
When I took a look at reality.
I said what am I still trying for-
Lord you don't need me anymore
It must have been something that I had done
to make you choose another one
Why am I feeling this rage?
I know I'm losing my place.
Then you told me I still want you-
I still need you
nobody else can do what
I want you to do-
That's why I created you.
Oh oh I am the one
who knows who you are.
I'll take you near and I'll take you far.
I'll never leave you alone -
you'll never be on your own.
Now don't worry, I won't forget -
I've never broken a promise yet.
You must be there to see -
that you are important to me.
I still want you and I still need you,
nobody else can do what I want you to do -
That's why I created you,
This, I believe was and still is, a testament to the humble nature of the people who inhabit our town. We never made a fuss over them
because their demeanor did not demand that we do so. They lived among us not apart from us. When you saw Big Joe Henry or Mr.
Hamiet, you simply said hello and they would return the greeting and perhaps inquire of one of your brothers whom they had grown up with.
Big Band Leader George Hudson was our music teacher. He had the brightest smile this side of heaven. We would joke that Colgate would
hire him on the spot! All he had to do was flash that smile! His Cadillac had a customized horn. As kids, we would wave to him and he
would respond with that blinding smile and blow his horn. I can't ever remember him raising his voice or becoming angry . It was not until I
moved away from home that I learned of my neighbors fame. Mr. O.G. Walls was the barber who cut my father's hair. I visited his
confectionery store on a daily basis to purchase moon cookies and pickles. He was related to Mrs. Annie Malone who developed and
manufactured the first line of hair care products for Black women. She also received a patent for the pressing comb. Barry Sumpter was a
quiet teenager who was very kind to his mother Miss Ollie. His mother was known as "The Queen of the Pressing Comb". Everyone knew
that if you wanted a smooth press that defied sweating back, sit in Miss Ollie's chair. Albert King who has received world renowned
success for his contributions to the genre of blues, was very friendly and a generous contributor to the community.
Contributions that many Brooklynites have made to society are often overlooked. They may never receive national attention but, they too
deserve our honor and respect.
David Wyatt (murdered June 6, 1903)
Mr. David Wyatt was a prominent citizen who was instrumental in developing the public school system in Brooklyn, Illinois. He taught and
served as principal of the school for several years. Mr. Wyatt developed and implemented a program to educate adults in the community.
Professor Sundiata Cha-Jua did extensive research on Mr. Wyatt in his book, "America's First Black Town". He relates that Mr. Wyatt was held in
high esteem through out the state of Illinois by educators. He was known for his eloquent oratory addresses and was often called on to speak
at conferences of educators and ceremonies of prominent dignitaries.
Mr. Wyatt was accused of shooting a white man, Mr. Charles Hertel who was St. Clair County Superintendent of Schools. It was said that Mr.
Hertel refused to renew Mr. Wyatt's teaching license. On the evening of June 6, 1903, Mr. Wyatt went to Mr. Hertel's office, perhaps to persuade
him to renew his license so that he could continue his work to improve the education of Black people. Mr. Hertel refused the request claiming
that grievous complaints of his conduct where made when he taught at Cahokia and Alta Sita. The East St. Louis Journal reported that Mr. Wyatt
was dismissed for extreme brutality towards his students in the Brooklyn school system. No proof of these charges were offered. Below are
newspaper articles describing Mr. Wyatt's murder.
NEW YORK HERALD
June 8, 1903
Belleville, Ill., Sunday —With the dawn of Sunday the full import of a wild night's work done by a mob of fully two thousand citizens stood revealed
today. David Wyatt, a Negro schoolteacher, who made an attempt to assassinate Charles Hertel, County Superintendent, in his office last
evening, had been taken from a supposedly impregnable jail, hanged to a telegraph pole in the center of the public square and his body burned.
Two hundred men, armed with sledge hammers, marched up to the jail in the night attacked the rear doors with vigor. In half an hour the doors
gave way to repeated hammer blows. Wyatt was confined in the lower section of a double tier of cells. The chilled steel bars were cut away with
chisels, and when the door swung open a mighty shout informed the waiting crowd that the Negro was in the hands of his pursuers.
Wyatt was six feet three inches tall and of powerful build. He tried to defend himself but he was doomed to quick death. His head was mashed
almost to a pulp before he was dragged out of the cell.
A rope was placed about his neck and the dying Negro was dragged down stairs and into the street. Hundreds of men jumped upon him and
literally kicked and tore the bleeding form to shreds. Two men climbed the telegraph pole. Willing hands tossed up the loose end of the rope
and the battered body of the Negro quickly swung free in the air. Yelling like mad men, the mob surged around the victim. Knives were drawn
and the body was slashed right and left.
Volunteer runners appeared with cans of benzine and gasoline. Signs and pickets from neighboring fences were tossed into a pyre and flames
shooting as high as the improvised gallows soon enveloped the Negro.
All this was done while the mob knew that the Negro's victim was alive and had a fair chance to recover. The excuse given is that the lawless
element among the Negroes has been doing all sorts of deviltry, and that it was determined to teach the Negroes a wholesome lesson.
Wyatt's crime was provoked by the refusal of Superintendent Hertel to renew his teaching certificate. The Negro demanded favorable action, and
on its refusal fired one shot at the superintendent while he was sitting at his desk.
BELLEVILLLE IS COMPLACENT OVER HORRIBLE LYNCHING
NEW YORK HERALD
June 9, 1903
BELLEVILLLE, ILL., MONDAY —Although the men who lynched David S. Wyatt; the Negro teacher who shot Charles Hertil, County
Superintendent of Schools, on Saturday night, worked without masks for six hours, in view of hundreds, including all the city and county officials,
and although the few men who did the actual killing are known to scores, it is unlikely their prosecutions will follow.
State Attorney Farmer said today he had not been able to find anybody who would identify any of the lynchers.
At the inquest today no testimony which would tend to implicate any one in the lynching could be elicited from the witnesses examined. The
Coroner's jury declined to wait for the arrival of all the witnesses, and after hearing ten men, including Mayor Kern, a verdict that Wyatt met his
death at the hands of parties unknown was returned.
In the main, BELLEVILLLE views the lynching and its attendant horrors with complacency. There were strong expressions of condemnation in all
the churches yesterday, but many who are accounted leading citizens express approval of the lynching. The men who took part in the disorder
believe they are safe.
Those who condemn the lynching urge that it could easily have been prevented. Not more than fifteen men did the actual work of breaking into
the jail and lynching the Negro. No attempt was made to defend the jail. Not a shot was fired. The authorities took no stand. Mayor Kern is
understood to have given orders that no shots be fired. State Attorney Farmer resented the suggestion that the mob could have been dispersed
by the use of firearms.
It is doubtful if a lynching has ever been attended by such remarkable circumstances. The lynchers did not constitute a real mob. The mob spirit
was entirely lacking. The attack on the jail was made by a comparatively small number of men, predisposed to disorder, who seized upon the
opportunity which public indignation gave them to indulge their penchant for violence without incurring the usual risk. Actively aiding them was a
somewhat larger number of youths. The rest of the crowd was made up of men of respectability, well dressed women-many leaning on the
arms of escorts — and boys and girls.
The sentiment of the crowd was as remarkable as its composition. It was as if all had turned out for a frolic. They had gathered for a spectacle,
and they made merry over the prospect. Loud laughter greeted jokes with violent death as their theme. Demands for blood were cheered.
Women were in front of the jail with baby carriages.
Mayor Kern, State's Attorney Farmer and former Judge Schaefer consulted and agreed that to oppose the crowd with force would not be good
policy.
A suggestion was made that the fire department turn water on the crowd. Mayor Kern opposed this on the ground that it would make the people
angry. Somebody rang the fire bell, however, and a hose cart dashed down the street through the crowd, reeling off hose by way of polite
intimation of what it was proposed to do. The crowd calmly separated the hose into sections of convenient length and tied these into knots. The
firemen went back to their house with all the hose the crowd would let them have.
For an hour and a half after the assailants got inside the jail the sounds of heavy blows were heard through the windows, which had been
shattered by boys. Youths appeared frequently at the windows and shouted information meant to be humorous. The crowd was none too
exacting as to the quality of humor offered and each sally about the progress made toward "the nigger" was greeted with cheers and laughter.
It was twenty minutes to twelve o'clock when the self-appointed announcers rushed to the windows and shouted gleefully, "We've got him!"
"They're taking him to the square," somebody shouted a few minutes later, and the well dressed throng moved, with many a jest, toward the
square to see "the big show."
The crowd in the jail had broken into Wyatt's cell. He had fought fiercely for his life. A blow from a sledge hammer felled him. A rope was tied
around his neck. He was dragged out into the corridor, down the stairs and into the jail yard, then into Spring street, up to Main street and to the
center of the square.
A man riding on a white horse led the way to an electric light pole in the square. The end of the rope was thrown over it. The body was drawn up
above the heads of the crowd, who cheered and waved hats. Men on the pole kicked Wyatt in the face. The swaying form was stabbed
repeatedly. Mutilations followed.
Kerosene was bought and poured over the body and it was set on fire, while the crowd cheered. The rope burned through and the body fell. More
kerosene was poured on the body as the flames slowly consumed it.
Mayor Kern telephoned to the police station half an hour later and ordered that an undertaker be directed to remove what remained of the body.
This was done.
Police and other officials say they could have held the jail if they had used their revolvers, but they did not do so because they were "afraid
somebody would be hurt." Sheriff Thompson was out of the city. Mr. Hertel's condition is improving. His recovery is expected. He greatly regrets
the lynching.
Annie Turnbo Malone (1869-1957)
Annie Minerva Turnbo was born August 9, 1969 in Metropolis Illinois. She was the eleventh of twelve children born to Robert
Turnbo and Isabella Cook Turnbo. Her parents died while she was still quite young. She was raised by an older sister in
Peoria, Illinois. Although she did attend school, frequent illness caused her to withdraw before completing high school. As a
young girl, Malone enjoyed fashioning her own and her sisters' hair. She became aware of differences in hair texture and
sought a way to straighten hair.
During the late 19th century, African American women used soap, goose fat, and heavy oils to straighten their hair. Chemical
straighteners often damaged the scalp and hair follicles. While living in Lovejoy, Illinois, around the turn of the century,
Malone developed a chemical product that straightened African American hair without damage. She claimed to have studied
chemistry and to have been influenced by an aunt who was trained as an herbal doctor. She expanded her hair care line to
include other beauty products, including her popular Wonderful Hair Grower. Some historians also credit Malone with
developing the pressing iron and comb around this time. Malone sold her products locally.
In 1902, Malone moved her business to St. Louis, Missouri, where she hired and trained three assistants. As black women,
they were denied access to traditional distribution systems, so they sold the products door-to-door and provided free
demonstrations. In 1903, Malone married Mr.Pope, but she divorced him after a short time because he tried to interfere with
her business.
During the 1904 World's Fair, Malone opened a retail outlet. Visitors to St. Louis responded favorably to her products,
prompting her to embark on an innovative marketing campaign aimed at distributing the product nationally. In addition to
going door-to-door, she and her trained assistants traveled to black churches and community centers, providing free hair
and scalp treatments. She held press conferences and advertised in black newspapers. Malone traveled throughout the
South at a time of racial discrimination and violence, giving demonstrations in black churches and women's clubs.
Everywhere she went, she hired and trained women to serve as local sales agents. They, in turn, recruited others. By 1910,
distribution had expanded nationally.
One of her Malone's recruits was Madame C.J. Walker, a former washerwoman who eventually founded her own company
with similar beauty products and distribution. She is widely regarded as the most successful black entrepreneur of the early
20th century and founder of the black beauty business in the United States. However, historians credit Malone with having
developed her products and distribution system first. Walker sold her own "Wonderful Hair Straightener," which Malone
called a fraudulent imitation. As a result, Malone trademarked Poro, a new name for her product and merchandising systems
in 1906. (Poro is a West African word for an organization dedicated to disciplining and enhancing the body spiritually and
physically.)
In 1914, Malone married Aaron Eugene Malone, an ex-teacher and Bible salesman. Her husband became the company's
chief manager and president. The young couple did more than just manufacture beauty products. They also provided a way
for African American women to improve themselves on many levels. At a time when few career opportunities were available,
Poro offered them a chance at economic independence. Malone believed that if African American women improved their
physical appearance, they would gain greater self-respect and achieve success in other areas of their lives.
Malone was committed to community building and social welfare. To that end she built Poro College in 1918, a complex that
included her business's office, manufacturing operation, and training center as well as facilities for civic, religious, and social
functions. The campus was located in St. Louis's upper-middle-class black neighborhood and served as a gathering place
for the city's African Americans, who were denied access to other entertainment and hospitality venues. The complex, which
was valued at more than $1 million, included classrooms, barber shops, laboratories, an auditorium, dining facilities, a
theater, gymnasium, chapel, and a roof garden. Many local and national organizations, including the National Negro
Business League, were housed in the facility or used it for business functions. The training center provided cosmetology and
sales training for women interested in joining the Poro agent network. It also taught students how to walk, talk, and behave in
social situations. During the early 20th century, race improvement and positive self-image were seen as a way to increase
social mobility. By teaching deportment, Malone believed she was helping African American women improve their standing in
the community.
By 1926, the college employed 175 people. Franchised outlets in North and South America, Africa, and the Philippines
employed some 75,000 women. Malone had become a wealthy woman. It is believed that she was worth $14 million at one
point during the 1920s. Her 1924 income tax totaled nearly $40,000. However, despite her wealth, Malone lived
conservatively and gave away much of her fortune to help other African Americans. She is one of America's first major black
philanthropists. Malone donated large sums to countless charities. At one time, it is believed that she was supporting two full-
time students in every black land-grant college in the United States. She gave $25,000 to the Howard University Medical
School during the 1920s that, at the time, was the largest gift the school had ever received from an African American. She
also contributed to the Tuskegee Institute. Malone was also generous with family and employees. She educated many of her
nieces and nephews and bought homes for her brothers and sisters. She awarded employees with lavish gifts for
attendance, punctuality, service anniversaries, and as rewards for investing in real estate.
A $25,000 donation from Malone helped build the St. Louis Colored YWCA. She also contributed to several orphanages and
donated the site for the St. Louis Colored Orphans' Home. She raised most of the orphanage's construction costs and
served on the home's executive board from 1919 to 1943. The home was renamed the Annie Malone Children's Home in
1946. Malone also gave generously of her time in the community. She was president of the Colored Women's Federated
Clubs of St. Louis, an executive committee member of the National Negro Business League and the Commission on
Interracial Cooperation, an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, a member of the African Methodist Episcopal
Church, and a lifelong Republican.
Malone's generosity raised her stature in the community but contributed to the financial decline of her business. While she
was spending time on civic affairs and distributing her wealth to various organizations, she left the day-to-day affairs of the
business in the hands of managers, including her husband. Some of these managers were inexperienced or dishonest,
eventually leading to the dismantling of her business empire.
For the six years leading up to 1927, Annie and Aaron Malone became embroiled in a power struggle over control of the
Poro business. The struggle was kept quiet until 1927, when Aaron Malone filed for divorce and demanded half the
business. He claimed that Poro's success was due to contacts he brought to the company. He courted black leaders and
politicians who sided with him in the highly publicized divorce. Annie Malone's devotion to black women and charitable
institutions led Poro workers and church leaders to support her. She also had the support of the press and Mary McLeod
Bethune, president of the National Association of Colored Women. Having the support of so powerful a woman helped Annie
Malone prevail in the dispute and allowed her to keep her business. She negotiated a settlement of $200,000.
In 1930, Malone moved her business to Chicago, where its location became known as the Poro block. Her financial trouble
continued when she became the target of lawsuits, including one by a former employee who claimed credit for her success.
When the suit was settled in 1937, she was forced to sell the St. Louis property. Malone's business was further crippled by
enormous debt to the government for unpaid real estate and excise taxes. (The federal government required a 20 percent
tax on luxuries, including hair-care products during the 1920s.) In 1943, she owed almost $100,000. The government was
constantly taking her to court and by 1951, it took control of Poro. Most of the property was sold to pay the taxes.
Malone's business failure tarnished her image. Her former employee, Madame C.J. Walker, often overshadows Malone
because Walker's business remained successful and more widely known. Walker is often credited as the originator of the
black beauty and cosmetics business and the direct distribution and sales agent system that Malone developed. Many
historians believe Malone deserves more credit for her devotion to helping African Americans gain financial independence
and her generous donations to educational, civic, and social causes.
Annie Turnbo Malone died of a stroke on May 10, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois. She was 87. By the time of her death, Malone
had lost her national visibility and most of her money. Having no children, her estate, valued at $100,000, was left to her
nieces and nephews.
www.answers.com/topic/annie-malone
Prince Joe Henry
Memphis Red Sox 1950-52 (NAL)
Indianapolis Clowns 1955 (NAL)
Indianapolis Clowns 1955-56 (IND)
Detroit Clowns 1957-58 (IND)
Detroit Clowns 1958 (NAL)
Detroit Stars 1958-59 (NAL)
Detroit Clowns 1959 (w/ Goose Tatum, IND)
Injuries put an end to a two - plus-season stint holding down second base for the Memphis Red Sox in the early 1950’s, but
Henry resurfaced in 1955 with the storied Indianapolis Clowns franchise. Henry's showmanship at third base during two
seasons in Indianapolis, a team that counts home-run king Henry Aaron among its alumni and is often compared to
basketball's Harlem Globetrotters, earned him the nickname "Prince Joe." After sitting out 1957, Prince Joe was coaxed back
to the diamond by Detroit Stars owner Ted Rasberry, who renamed his team "Goose Tatum's Detroit Clowns" after the
famous Globetrotter and Negro League phenom.
Recalling his days in the league he said, "As I look back, it was the best experience I ever had in my life... The Negro
Leagues took me to just about every state in the country and Canada. I had an offer from Goose Tatum to go with him to
Europe, but it was across the water and I didn't like to fly.
Prince Joe Henry, one of professional baseball's original "clowns," was an all-star infielder for Negro League baseball teams
in Memphis, Indianapolis and Detroit throughout the 1950s. But up until the late 1940s, Prince Joe didn't know anything
about the Negro Leagues. His knowledge of organized baseball was limited to the Cardinals and Browns games he attended
during his preteen years at Sportsman's Park, accompanied by lifelong buddy Eugene "Gene" Crittendon, who could pass
for white.
Perhaps Henry's most vivid memory of those games: Upon entry, white ushers would politely escort the boys to a small
section of the left-field stands reserved for "Colored." After climbing past several tiers of bleachers, they'd arrive at their
stop, rows and rows behind their white counterparts.
Even at a young age, the boys were conscious of the double standard -- and determined to vent their disdain. The
opportunity would arise with the urge to urinate. Rather than head for the latrine, the boys would edge their way to the front
of the section and let fly. As the liquid foamed its way down the concrete steps toward the white kids, Henry and his pal would
ease back and relax, politely rooting for the visiting team to beat the hell out of the Browns or the Cards.
After all, Henry and Crittendon hailed from Brooklyn, Illinois, a small, predominantly black township just east of the Mississippi
River. So hospitable were the residents of Brooklyn that they were known to take in a rank stranger, treat him to breakfast,
lunch, supper and a night out on the town -- and afterward, if he messed up, treat him to a good ass - whippin'.
www.nlbpa.com/henry_joe.html
Joe's grandson, Sean Muhammed, recently compiled his memoirs entitled "Princoirs". It is a wonderful book that I
recommend. This book gives the reader a first hand account of Joe's experience in the Negro Baseball League as well as a
glimpse into his soul. Pricoirs engages the reader and demands that one contemplate it's message in small doses. It is
thought provoking to say the least. To purchase a copy: www.myspace.com/princoirs
Please see "The Elders" for recent honors bestowed on Prince Joe Henry.
Hamiet Bluiett (9/16/1940 - present)
Hamiet Bluiett is a jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. His primary instrument is the baritone saxophone, and he is
considered one of the finest living players of this instrument. He also plays (and records with) the bass saxophone, E-flat alto
clarinet, E-flat contra-alto clarinet, and wooden flute.
As a child, he studied piano, trumpet, and clarinet, but was attracted most strongly to the baritone saxophone from the age
of ten. While attending Brooklyn's public schools, he studied music under the tutelage of George Hudson. He launched his
musical career by playing clarinet in what was known then barrel house dances in Brooklyn before joining he Navy.
Bluiett's kinship with the baritone saxophone was cemented after hearing Harry Carney who played the instrument in Duke
Ellington's band. That experience awakened him to the possibilities the instrument possessed. What's unique about
Hamiet's sound is that his interpretation of the baritone sax is that of a saxophone player - leading and not accompanying
the scope of the song. Bluiett once opined: "I think the baritone sax can stand toe to toe with you like Shaquille O'Neal and
take you out."
After his stint in the Navy, he returned home and co-founded the Black Artist's Group (BAG) in the late 1960's. BAG was a
collective dedicated to fostering creative work in theater, visual arts, dance, poetry, film, and music. In 1969, Bluiett moved
to New York and joined the legendary Charles Mingus Quintet and the Sam Rivers large ensemble. In 1976, he co-founded
the World Saxophone Quartet which quickly became jazz's most renowned saxophone quartet. He currently leads Bluiett's
Baritone Nation that currently tours the world. In addition to stretching the musical boundaries, Mr. Bluiett has enhanced the
music of Tito Puente and Aretha Franklin.
The mastery of music has allowed Hamiet Bluiett to traverse the world, spreading the gospel that music speaks louder than
words and provides a solace that invigorates the human spirit. He is respected as a master of his craft.
Below is an exempt from an interview conducted by written by Mr. Fred Jung praising the talent and skills of Mr. Bluiett.
"A FIRESIDE CHAT WITH HAMIET BLUIETT"
I can't imagine the baritone saxophone would have any prominence what so ever if Hamiet Bluiett were not blowing the hell
out it on every record and in every performance. As one quarter of the World Saxophone Quartet, Bluiett has his place
among the jazz history books secured, but there should be a whole chapter devoted to what he has done for the big horn.
The baritone and fans of it ought to send thank you notes to Bluiett each and every day, because for my two cents, I would
never listen to the baritone as heavily as I do if it were not for men like Bluiett, Vinny Golia, and James Carter.
video
George Hudson ( 3/7/1910 - 7/10/1996)
George Hudson was born in Stonewall Mississippi and began playing the piano at the age of six. When he was later
introduced to the trumpet, all he wanted to do was blow that horn. As a young man, George moved to Pittsburgh were he
attended school at Westinghouse High and the Pittsburgh Musical Institute. He spent much of his free time working in a
variety of local combos. After graduation, he was hired by Zach Whyte's Chocolate Beau Brummels, a Territory Band based
in Ohio and toured throughout the Midwest.
After brief stints with the Kansas City blue Devils and Bennie Moten's orchestra, George moved on to First Trumpet chair
with Alphonso Trent's Band where he met James Jeter and Hayes Pillar. In 1934, he moved to St. Louis to become a
member of Jeter Pillar's Band with whom he stayed until 1941 when he quit over a pay dispute.
In 1942, "The George Hudson Orchestra" made it's debut. Their first venue was at Tune Town in St. Louis Missouri, sharing
the stand with "The Mills Brothers". The original band included Singleton Palmer, Earl Martin, Walter Stanley, Cy Stoner,
Basil Stone, Benny Starks, Lloyd Smith, Irvin Williams, Leon Goodson, William Rollins, Kimbal Dial, Robert Horn, Smitty, John
Orange and Jimmy Britten. The Orchestra earned quite a reputation for itself playing such legendary clubs as the Regal and
Club Delisa in Chicago, The Harlem Club in Atlantic City, The Apollo Theater in Harlem, and the Riveria in St. Louis. By
1944, "The George Hudson Orchestra" had replaced Jeter Pillar as the House Band for St. Louis Club Plantation.
As the Big Band Era began it's decline in popularity, "The George Hudson Orchestra" stuck closer to home. In 1950,
George began a second career, teaching music at Lovejoy High (located in Brooklyn, Illinois). Within three years, George
had organized Lovejoy's first marching band. The band began performing in various capacities. Their first street parade,
graduation, Illinois Regional Contest and concert. Under his direction, the band won many Regional and State Wide "First
Place" competitions. The Lovejoy High School Band performed for such dignitaries as Presidential Candidate Adlai Stevens,
Illinois Governor Statton, President John F. Kennedy and Vice President Walter Mondale's wife. Hamiet Bluiett and Prince
Wells 3rd credit George Hudson with teaching them the basics of their crafts while students in Lovejoy High School's Band.
Both of these gentlemen are recognized for their talents and contributions to the genre of jazz.
After the death of his wife, George Hudson married Ruby Dale O'Bannon and made Brooklyn, Illinois, his home for the last
twenty five years of his life. Among the many highlights of his career, George Hudson has also been inducted into the Jazz
Hall Of Fame in Birmingham, Alabama, and St. Louis Missouri.
Albert King (4/25/1923 - 12/21/1992)
He made many of his most popular recordings in Memphis, and lived there when he died, cut his teeth in St. Louis in the late
50's and early 60's. He made early recordings for the Coun-Tree (1964) and Bobbin (1959-1962) labels. He lived in
Brooklyn, Illinois, and played (and gambled) frequently at the Harlem Night Club there. It was at the Harlem Night Club that he
discovered Shirley Brown and launched her career.
King was truly a "King of the Blues," although he did not hold that title (B.B. does). Albert King was one of the major
influences on blues and rock guitar players. Without him, modern guitar music would not sound as it does -- his style
influenced both black and white blues players from Otis Rush and Robert Cray to Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan. It's
important to note that while almost all modern blues guitarists seldom play for long without falling into a B.B. King guitar
cliché, Albert King never did. He had his own style and unique tone from the beginning.
Albert King played guitar left-handed, without re-stringing the guitar from the right-handed setup; this "upside-down" playing
accounted for his difference in tone, since he pulled down on the same strings that most players push up on when bending
the blues notes. King's massive tone and totally unique way of squeezing bends out of a guitar string had a major impact.
Many young white guitarists (especially rock & rollers) have been influenced by King's playing, and many players who
emulate his style may never have heard of Albert King, let alone heard his music. His style is immediately distinguishable
from all other blues guitarists, and he was one of the most important blues guitarists to ever pick up the electric guitar.
Born in Indianola, Mississippi but, raised in Forrest City, Arkansas, Albert King (born Albert Nelson) taught himself how to
play guitar when he was a child, building his own instrument out of a cigar box. At first, he played with gospel groups (most
notably the Harmony Kings) but after hearing Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lonie Johnson, and several other blues musicians, he
solely played the blues. In 1950, he met MC Reeder, who owned the T-99 nightclub in Osceola, AR. King moved to Osceola
shortly afterward, joining the T-99's house band, the In the Groove Boys. The band played several local Arkansas gigs
besides the T-99, including several shows for a local radio station.
After enjoying success in the Arkansas area, King moved to Gary, Indiana, in 1953, where he joined a band that also
featured Jimmy Reed and John Brim. Both Reed and Brim were guitarists, which forced King to play drums in the group. At
this time, he adopted the name Albert King, which he assumed after B.B. King's "Three O'Clock Blues" became a huge hit.
Albert met Willie Dixon shortly after moving to Gary, and the bassist/songwriter helped the guitarist set up an audition at
Parrot Records. King passed the audition and cut his first session late in 1953. Five songs were recorded during the session
and only one single, "Be on Your Merry Way" / "Bad Luck Blues," was released; the other tracks appeared on various
compilations over the next four decades. Although it sold respectably, the single didn't gather enough attention to earn him
another session with Parrot. In early 1954, King returned to Osceola and re-joined the In the Groove Boys; he stayed in
Arkansas for the next two years.
In 1956, Albert moved to St. Louis, where he initially sat in with local bands. By the fall of 1956, King was headlining several
clubs in the area. King continued to play the St. Louis circuit, honing his style. During these years, he began playing his
signature Gibson Flying V, which he named Lucy. By 1958, Albert was quite popular in St. Louis, which led to a contract with
the fledgling Bobbin Records in the summer of 1959. On his first Bobbin recordings, King recorded with a pianist and a small
horn section, which made the music sound closer to jump blues than Delta or Chicago blues. Nevertheless, his guitar was
taking a center stage and it was clear that he had developed a unique, forceful sound. King's records for Bobbin sold well in
the St. Louis area, enough so that King Records leased the "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong" single from the
smaller label. When the single was released nationally late in 1961, it became a hit, reaching number 14 on the R&B charts.
King Records continued to lease more material from Bobbin (including a full album, Big Blues, which was released in 1963)
but nothing else approached the initial success of "Don't Throw Your Love on Me So Strong." Bobbin also leased material to
Chess, which appeared in the late '60s.
Albert King left Bobbin in late 1962 and recorded one session for King Records in the spring of 1963, which were much more
pop-oriented than his previous work; the singles issued from the session failed to sell. Within a year, he cut four songs for
the local St. Louis independent label Coun-Tree, which was run by a jazz singer named Leo Gooden. Though these singles
didn't appear in many cities (St. Louis, Chicago, and Kansas City were the only three to register sales) they foreshadowed
his coming work with Stax Records. Furthermore, they were very popular within St. Louis, so much so that Gooden resented
King's success and pushed him off the label.
Following his stint at Coun-Tree, Albert King signed with Stax Records in 1966. Albert's records for Stax would bring him
stardom, both within blues and rock circles. All of his '60s Stax sides were recorded with the label's house band, Booker T. &
the MG's, which gave his blues a sleek, soulful sound. That soul underpinning gave King crossover appeal, as evidenced by
his R&B chart hits "Laundromat Blues" (1966) and "Cross Cut Saw" (1967) both went Top 40, while "Born Under a Bad Sign"
(1967) charted in the Top 50. Furthermore, King's style was appropriated by several rock & roll players, most notably Jimi
Hendrix and Eric Clapton, who copied Albert's "Personal Manager" guitar solo on the Cream song, "Strange Brew." Albert
King's first album for Stax, 1967's Born Under a Bad Sign, was a collection of his singles for the label and became one of the
most popular and influential blues albums of the late '60s. Beginning in 1968, Albert King was playing not only to blues
audiences, but also to crowds of young rock & rollers. He frequently played at the Fillmore West in San Francisco and he
even recorded an album, Live Wire/Blues Power, at the hall in the summer of 1968.
Early in 1969, King recorded Years Gone By, his first true studio album. Later that year, he recorded a tribute album to Elvis
Presley (Blues for Elvis: Albert King Does the King's Things) and a jam session with Steve Cropper and Pops Staples
(Jammed Together), in addition to performing a concert with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. For the next few years,
Albert toured America and Europe, returning to the studio in 1971, to record the Lovejoy album. In 1972, he recorded I'll Play
the Blues for You, which featured accompaniment from the Bar-Kays, the Memphis Horns, and the Movement. The album
was rooted in the blues, but featured distinctively modern soul and funk overtones.
By the mid 1970s, Stax was suffering major financial problems, so King left the label for Utopia, a small subsidiary of RCA
Records. Albert released two albums on Utopia, which featured some concessions to the constraints of commercial soul
productions. Although he had a few hits at Utopia, his time there was essentially a transitional period, where he discovered
that it was better to follow a straight blues direction and abandon contemporary soul crossovers. King's subtle shift in style
was evident on his first albums for Tomato Records, the label he signed with in 1978. Albert stayed at Tomato for several
years, switching to Fantasy in 1983, releasing two albums for the label.
In the mid- 1980s, Albert King announced his retirement, but it was short-lived. Albert continued to regularly play concerts
and festivals throughout America and Europe for the rest of the decade. King continued to perform until his sudden death in
1992, when he suffered a fatal heart attack on December 21. The loss to the genre of blues was a major one. Although
many guitarists have tried, no one can replace King's distinctive, trailblazing style. Albert King is a tough act to follow.
www.afgen.com/albert_king.htm
Barry Sumpter (11/11/1965 - present)
Barry Sumpter was born November 11, 1965 in Brooklyn, Illinois. He is a former professional basketball player who was
selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 3rd round (56th overall) of the 1988 NBA Draft. A 6'11" forward-center from the
University of Louisville and Austin Peay State University, Sumpter played in only one career NBA game with the Los Angeles
Clippers. On April 2, 1989, he played one minute in a game against the Detroit Pistons without scoring any points. He later
played in the Continental Basketball Association for the Quad City Thunder and set the team records for blocked shots
(338), rebounds (2,503), and career games played (385).
Edward Taylor (3/13/1935 - 9/8/2005)
Cheryl Winston ( A Lady's Privilege? - present
Cheryl Winston hails from Brooklyn, Illinois. She attended schools in district 188 and graduated from Lovejoy High School.
She attended one of Brooklyn's oldest churches, Antioch Baptist Church where she and her mother, Mrs. Armeda Winston
sang in the choir. Her father, Raymond Winston, was a deacon of the church and coached the girls softball team. Her
brother, Darryl Winston, played basketball on the high school varsity squad. She and her family are remembered as
upstanding citizens who contributed positive family values to the community.
Cheryl is a 26 year veteran of the music entertainment industry. Graduating from Southern Illinois University with a B.S. in
Mass Communications/Television and radio, she took control of the radio airwaves in St. Louis, MO by becoming a
personality for the legendary KATZ-AM and Z100.3-FM. Within five years, Cheryl was appointed Director of Broadcast
Operations, Program Director while still maintaining an air shift. Dubbed the “Angel of the Airwaves”, Cheryl said, “I found
great pleasure in providing music that motivated and moved the listener”.
Completing seven years in the radio arena, Cheryl was introduced to the Record Label world by accepting the Radio
Promotional/marketing manager position for Mercury Records, a division of Polygram Records. This position prepared her
for an eight year Radio Promotional Director position at Jive Records, where she assisted in marketing and promoting new
artists such as: R. Kelly, Aaliyah, Brittany Spears, The Backstreet Boyz and other known artists.
Then, one of the most exciting offers came by way of Motown Records, as a Senior National Director of Promotions. Cheryl
helped to introduce new music from legendary artists such as Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Brian McKnight and promoted
new artists like India.Aire and others.
Currently, Cheryl is the Regional Promotions/Marketing manager with Virgin Records and is based in Chicago. “It is an
awesome pleasure to still be in the industry and to work along side the likes of Jermaine Dupri, Janet Jackson, Lenny Kravitz
and once again be part of a team to developing and promote new artists.
Cheryl is an active member of Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Maywood, IL who participates in youth Mentoring programs
and is active with college internship programs. She also facilitates high school and college workshops on “This business of
Music”.
A quote from Cheryl:
"Indeed, there is a lot to be said about a woman’s work and worth and I am delighted to be a part of the Sister-Friends dream
that is working through faith to encourage and empower other women. We really are ONE!"
Prince Wells lll (5 - 27 - 53 to present)
Prince Wells lll is a descendant of one of Brooklyn's Founding Families who were entrepreneurs and landowners. He was
born and reared in Brooklyn, Illinois. He graduated Lovejoy High School with honors and participated in it's Marching Band.
Prince Wells has been professionally associated with the SIUE since 1989 when he joined the Department of Music as
adjunct faculty. He was appointed full-time lecturer in 1994 and assistant professor in 1996. Presently serving as Director of
the Music Business Program, he also teaches freshman Music Theory and Jazz History. His repertoire of courses taught
also includes Foundations of Music, Introduction to Music History/Literature and Black Music in America. Wells helped
develop and team-teaches 'Music: Art and Science', an interdisciplinary course which examines music as both an art and a
science and investigates the impact that science has had on the art of music.
Wells received his baccalaureate degree in Music Education from SIUE and completed his master's degree in Afro-American
Music and Trumpet at The New England Conservatory of Music. He also studied the trumpet with noted trumpet instructor
Carmine Caruso, Gary Smith of the St. Louis Symphony, and jazz master Clark Terry. Under the tutelage of world-renowned
composer/theorist George Russell, Wells obtained certification in the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization and
currently holds the distinction of being one of five individuals in the United States with the certification. He has conducted
numerous workshops and lectures/demonstrations on the Lydian Chromatic concept as well as other related music topics.
His teaching experience also includes trumpet teacher, band director and music education on the secondary level.
Wells is recognized as a leader in his community as he is founder and President of the Black Music Society of Missouri. He
has been affiliated with a number of other arts and professional organizations including the Mid-America Arts Alliance,
Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, the Missouri Performing Traditions Advisory Council, and is a member of
the Board of Directors for Musicians' Local 2-197. Among his numerous achievements are recipient of the Mid America Arts
Alliance Jazz Artist Marketing Fellowship; a National Endowment for the Arts grant and the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority
Artist/Entertainer of the Year Award. He has been featured in a local photo exhibit entitled "Lift Every Voice and Sing: The
St. Louis African-American Heritage Project" as one of the 100 most influential St. Louis African-Americans of the twentieth
century, and was selected for the St. Louis Public Schools Role Model Program.
Wells is rated as one of the best among local trumpet players and is often sought for performance. His performance credits
include Director, Jazz Edge Big Band; Musical Director, Black Music Society's Jazz Repertory Ensemble; Manager and
Trumpeter, Brass Alive! (Brass Quintet); Director, Grand Center Jazz Ensemble; Director, The Jazz Band-St. Louis
Community College at Forest Park; Director, Black Music Society's Jazz Lab Band; Member, Gateway Festival Orchestra;
featured trumpet soloist, First Annual St. Louis Arts Awards and trumpet player with the Albert King Band and the George
Hudson Jazz Orchestra. In February 2000 he released his first CD titled Tales from the Void. On July 1st 2005 he became
Chair of the SIUE Department of Music.
Rick Perkins (1- 7- 43 to present)
Rick Perkins was born and raised in Brooklyn, Illinois. He attended the "Little Red School" and graduated from Lovejoy High
School in 1961. He participated in the musical program under the direction of George Hudson. During his four years in the
musical program,he held the position of first trumpet chair. Rick was also an outstanding athlete. He was the captain of the
basketball team in his senior year under the guidance of Coach Ernie Page Jr. and served as pitcher for the Brooklyn Blue-
jays under the leadership of coaches Freddie Butler and Raymond Winston.
He picked up his first trumpet at the age of 13. Perkins was surrounded by St. Louis legends, including Miles Davis and
George Hudson, at a young age. Hamiet Bluiett and Larry Prothro were Rick's musical mentors. He says that these two men
greatly influenced his life then and now.
The man became a musician naturally, playing throughout high school, college and the Air Force. Once out of the service,
he continued on to play in bands in St. Louis. For Perkins, music was life and life was music. At the peak of his career,
however, Perkins did something almost unthinkable for a man who seemed born to play jazz. He took a 23-year hiatus.
But he had two very good reasons. "I became a single father to my two daughters back in 1976 and came to realize that
there just wasn't enough of me to go around. But raising my daughters was great, although
with seven years difference between their ages, I thought I'd have to wear a referee shirt the rest of my life," Perkins said as
he laughed an easy laugh. "But there were still those moments when I'd hear music and just go crazy in my mind."
Now 63, Perkins sits in his home office surrounded by pictures of his ever-growing family. His grown daughters, his wife, her
children, their children's children and their one great-grandbaby all sit smiling in their frames, a testament to the man who
sacrificed his love of music for his love of them.
But the man with the Billy Dee Williams-esque features who could make his trumpet sing is back and pursuing his first love.
With his daughters now grown, he began his journey back to the stage in 2000 when he bought a trumpet for the first time in
23 years at a pawnshop. Eventually, that journey led Perkins to Victoria. And on Saturday he will be making his triumphant
Texas debut at Greek Bros. "In 1980, I moved from St. Louis with my daughters to L.A. where I became a businessman,
working in public relations and advertising. No one even knew I played the trumpet, not even my wife of 17 years." Perkins
said. "When they did find out, they were shocked. I had co-workers coming up to me and just being bewildered that they had
known me for 15-20 years and never knew that I was a musician."
Perkins first gig was playing at his company's black tie affair. Twenty-three years out of practice, Perkins only had five weeks
to practice two songs. But he never lost his touch. Although he said it took him a year of hard work to get him to where he
was satisfied with his playing, after the black tie affair, he had snagged two paying jobs. In March of
2000, Perkins took a leap of faith and put together the Rick Perkins Quintet, a jazz band of high caliber musicians from the
Los Angeles area. The group soared in popularity and became one of the most sought-after bands in L.A., winning awards
such as Best Jazz Band and Best Instrumental Artist at the L.A. Black Music Awards.
Perkins, who said his biggest musical influence is Miles Davis, even released a CD in 2003 entitled "Live at the Biltmore,"
with his quintet. "I can't describe in words what that meant to me, especially the first time I heard it. My power, my range, my
tone, was back. I felt as though God was rewarding me. His plan worked out. It's almost as if he was saying 'Here ya' go; now
you can be a full-time musician.' The thing I wanted to do most in the world is play the trumpet and now that I'm
retired and my daughters are grown, I can," Perkins said.
Perkins and his wife, Oscar Hernandez, a Bloomington native, moved to Victoria to be closer to her family. And Perkins has
wasted no time forming another jazz band with musicians from Houston and getting back to his music. "What is it about music
that I love? I guess the best way to put it, particularly for the music I play, is that when we play the melody and it's time to
improvise, that is a musical language you don't know in advance. It's your feelings and your emotions that come through and
take that melody and make it more personal. And when you solo, what's inside of me has an opportunity to come out and
that' s my own interpretation of the music and of that song," Perkins said.
Larry Prothro (Nickty) (1/15/1936 - 10/05/2001)
"Nickty" as friends called him, attended Lovejoy Public Schools in Brooklyn, Illinois, and graduated from Lovejoy High School
in 1956. He also attended Forest Park Community College and received his Associates Degree in Music. He was an
accomplished athlete who participated in baseball, basketball, and tennis. Larry was also an active member of the Lovejoy
Alumni Association. While attending the public schools of Brooklyn, he gained the advantage of being taught by the Great
Trumpeteer and Band Leader, George Hudson. At the age of fifteen, he had the good fortune of meeting Charley Parker
who influenced his musical career.
Leo Gooden, owner of the the East Saint Louis "Blue Note Club, found him playing in a Rock & Roll group and immediately
recognized his talent as a jazz artist. Larry was an accomplished musician whoplayed the trumpet, flute and piano. He was
featured in "Ebony" magazine while in his twenties as an up and coming artist. He recorded his first album in 1958 at the age
of twenty three with "Leo's Five" and is credited with writing the instrumental selection "Frederick's Dream" on the album after
his son Frederick told him of his dream. As a professional trumpet player, Larry performed and traveled with the "Ike and
Tina Turner Revue". He also played with distinguished musicians such as Count Bassie, Miles Davis, Fontella Bass and the
great baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett who created the "World Jazz Saxophone Quartet". Larry played the Apollo Theater
and was once featured on the New Year's Eve Regis Philbin Show. He travelled extensively throughout New York, Chicago,
California and Europe.
Larry was highly knowledgeable of African and Egyptian History and encouraged all whom he encountered to be aware of
African Heritage. He was a very articulate person who encouraged all, especially his family, to do the right thing.
" A Note From Larry"
I began to give up on me,
When I took a look at reality.
I said what am I still trying for-
Lord you don't need me anymore
It must have been something that I had done
to make you choose another one
Why am I feeling this rage?
I know I'm losing my place.
Then you told me I still want you-
I still need you
nobody else can do what
I want you to do-
That's why I created you.
Oh oh I am the one
who knows who you are.
I'll take you near and I'll take you far.
I'll never leave you alone -
you'll never be on your own.
Now don't worry, I won't forget -
I've never broken a promise yet.
You must be there to see -
that you are important to me.
I still want you and I still need you,
nobody else can do what I want you to do -
That's why I created you,
| George Hudson |
Annie Turnbo Malone
| Prince Joe Henry |
| Albert King |
| Eddie Taylor "Lil Dabb" |
| Cheryl Winston |
| Rick Perkins |
| Prince Wells lll |
Larry "Nickty" Prothro
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