Center for Louisiana Studies Archival Catalog
This searchable database provides information on images, documents, and audio and video recordings, made between 1934 and the present.
Request a fileInterview with Roy Brown (Part 2)
Roy Brown:
00:25 - Palace Park (Shreveport) - Roy's first professional gig
02:00 - Major records that he recorded for Deluxe and Cincinnati Records
03:35 - Choosing songs for recording sessions
05:30 - Roy's approach to song writing
06:50 - Conversation about B.B. King and Elvis Presley
09:10 - Royalty issues
09:50 - Roy's time with Imperial Records
11:15 - Recording two records for Home of the Blues Records in Memphis
13:40 - Taking a break from music and becoming a salesman
-Using his name and reputation to help sell items
16:30 - Returning to singing with Bluesway Records
19:00 - "Love for Sale" - Friendship Records, Recording in Los Angeles, Artists he worked with
19:40 - Using Miles Davis' band for recordings
22:15 - Playing a show at The Armory in Flint, Michigan in the early 1950's
25:00 - Recording "Hard Luck Blues"
25:40 - Playing shows with Fats Domino in 1948
27:30 - Musicians who impressed Roy - Annie Laurie, Jackie Wilson
31:40 - King Records beginnings
32:00 - Compensation for making records
-Artists getting ripped off by record companies, segregation within the music industry
37:00 - Looking back on his career - timeline of events
39:10 - Present recording projects and label possibilities
43:10 - Feeling obsolete
43:40 - Henry Glover
44:20 - Poor management hurting artists
Interview with Roy Brown (Part 3)
Roy Brown:
00:30 - Playing self-booked shows
02:30 - Package show with Mick and Sylvia, Ray Charles, Etta James, Annie Laurie, etc
03:30 - Finding the road manager's briefcase - Looking at contracts and realizing he was being cheated
07:00- "Love For Sale"
08:20 - Competition amongst discjockeys
10:00 - record promotion
10:30 - Crossover of music - White kids buying black records, Elvis Presley and Pat Boone's influence
11:00 - White artists copying music of black artists from years earlier
14:30 - Talking about B.B. King
17:00 - Playing shows with Roy Milton. Stories from the tour
25:45 - San Jacinto Club in New Orleans - selling his own liquor at shows
29:30 - Bootlegged records under Goldstar Records
33:50 - Roy's first time smoking pot
39:20 - Covering songs
Interview with Roy Brown (Part 4)
Roy Brown:
00:00 - Clubs he played in L.A. - Savoy Room, Elks Club, Downbeat
02:30 - Promoters trying to pass off Roy Brown imitators - Clarence Samuels
06:30 - Singing 20-30 songs per show
07:55 - More on Clarence Samuels
09:10 - Downbeat Club in New Orleans
12:45 - Signing a deal to play at a club for $50/night
Interview with Lawrence Cotton
Lawrence Cotton:
Live music performance:
11:15 - Lawrence's start in music, influences, and who he played music with
12:45 - Lloyd Lambert's band - touring the country; Original band members
-John Gerard, Gus Fontenot, Lloyd Lambert, Oscar Meaux
17:15 - People across the country writing arrangements for Lloyd
18:10 - Recording his song "King Cotton"
21:45 - Starting with the Gondoliers after Slim's death and other bands he's playing with
25:00 - Thoughts on recording again
26:15 - Recording sessions he has been on
27:15 - Future of music in New Orleans - the evolution of music
30:30 - New Orleans music scene in the late 60's
32:00 - Live Music starts again
Interview with Deacon John (part 1)
Deacon John:
00:15 - Birthdate, family info, learning to sing
02:20 - First professional gig
02:30 - Learning to play the guitar - early influences - Neville Family
04:30 - First recording session with Allen Toussaint
04:50 - First recording as a solo artist - other musicians, studio info; Other bands that he played with
06:25 - First band, Training his band - Replacing band members, getting more popular
11:20 - Effect on Louisiana music and rock music in general during the British Invasion
12:00 - Band begins
13:00 - Gaining a new fan base (younger college age people)
15:30 - "Many Rivers to Cross"
Interview with Deacon John (part 2)
Deacon John:
00:50 - Club scene during this time
02:30 - Personnel of the band - Richard Knox, John Lorie, Eddie Smith
04:00 - How his name "Deacon John" came about
04:40 - Rip Records (Rip Robinson) Bringing Ray Charles down to New Orleans
06:00 - Recording with a full band - overdubs, feel of the takes
07:30 - Making money in the music business
08:38 - The future of New Orleans R&B
08:45 - British bands being influenced by New Orleans music
11:00 - New recordings
Teddy Edwards, Sam Lee, Duke Burrell
New Orleans artists - Fats Domino, Professor Longhair ***[mostly inaudible]***
Teddy Edwards, Sam Lee, Duke Burrell
***Recording mostly inaudible - Left channel is more clear***
00:00 - Dancehalls
01:40 - Change of sound between r&b and rock
07:00 - Fats Domino when he first started out - musicianship and songs he played
09:45 - Getting their start at the Robin Hood Club - Annie Laurie, Paul Gayten
11:40 - Roy Brown - "Good Rockin' Tonight"
13:10 - Cosimo's Studio - Talking about the sessions he took part in
14:05 - Effect of Rhythm and Blues music on people - mostly young people who were playing it
15:30 - Leaving New Orleans for California in 1962. Was in New Orleans during the early Fats Domino era
17:10 - Playing with Joe Higgins, Joe Turner
19:30 - Race issues in New Orleans - segregation
27:30 - Musicians living on the West Coast
Interview with Frank Fields
Frank Fields:
00:00 - Starting with music - Learning guitar, banjo, drums; Joseph Butler
01:15 - Playing with bands around Baton Rouge, going into the Navy
02:30 - Playing with Dave Bartholomew - Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Little Richard
03:10 - Playing with Paul Gayten at the Brass Rail on Canal Street - Lee Allan, Frankie Parker, Paul Gayten
04:20 - Other musicians and bands that Frank worked with - Sugarboy and the Canecutters
05:15 - Edgar Blanchard, taking a year off
07:20 - Touring Europe with Papa French
09:40 - Playing different repertoires with Dave Bartholomew
10:25 - Touring Europe
11:20 - Playing with Edgar Blanchard's band
Interview with Gerri Hall
Gerri Hall:
00:30 - Singing background
02:00 - Musicians who Gerri worked with
03:30 - Joining a band with Huey Smith (The Clowns)
07:00 - Life on the road with the band - places they played while on tour
13:00 - Info about Huey Smith and the band, Gerri's role in the band
13:25 - Popularity outside of New Orleans
14:30 - Other members of the band - Lee Allen
16:10 - Earl King and Allen Toussaint
20:00 - Recordings Huey and Gerri made together
22:20 - Older recordings of hers that haven't been released
23:30 - "Poor Jenny" "Broken Heart's Question" George Davis and Porgy Jones
26:40 - Background vocals done with Dave Bartholomew from '62-'64
28:40 - Justin Adams
30:45 - Politics in the New Orleans music scene
32:30 - Gerri's musical life after the Clowns - Performing with Lee Allen - tour stops
37:50 - David "Fathead" Newman
39:10 - Working with Ray Charles as a backup singer - Difficulty working with him
43:30 - Big Bands - Singing with Wallace Davenport
Interview with Gerri Hall (Part 2)
Gerri Hall:
00:15 - Playing Jazz after playing Rock n' Roll
00:55 - Recording of "Who Can I Run To"
02:00 - Talking about a bass player named Chuck Badie, Roger Dickerson, Ellis Marcalis
05:20 - Gerri's last recording called "Who Can I Run To?" and the restrained recording process
09:00 - Gerri's future in music and performing
Interview with Clarence "Frogman" Henry on Fats Domino
Clarence "Frogman" Henry:
00:45 - Radio coverage of Rock 'n Roll and Fats Domino
02:25 - Other popular musicians who were on the same radio stations - Elvis Presley, Joe Turner
02:45 - Elvis Presley's popularity amongst black population
03:00 - Music coming out of New Orleans in the '50s
03:40 - Clarence's first time seeing Fats perform
06:00 - Fats playing with Billy Diamond's band
06:10 - Fats' records on the jukeboxes around New Orleans
06:40 - Fats built his house in the 9th Ward where he grew up
07:45 - Fats' influence on Clarence's style - triplets, Mentioning Professor Longhair's style
09:15 - Fats' popularity with white people in New Orleans
10:20 - Fats' overall influence on New Orleans music
11:40 - Fats and Dave Bartholomew working together
12:40 - High School Hops
14:00 - Fats' personality
16:30 - Asking if Fats has any idea of the effect that he's had on music and on people around the world
17:15 - Overview of what New Orleans was like in the '40s and '50s
21:00 - New developments in the city, mentioning the city being below sea level, above ground gravesites
23:00 - Things that New Orleans is known for - food, music, traditions
24:00 - French Quarter - Bourbon Street, tourists
Interview with Al Johnson
Al Johnson:
00:00 - Birth, childhood, learning trumpet and piano, first tunes he learned
01:55 - Musicians who influenced him - Louis Armstrong
03:00 - Clubs he used to play at
04:30 - Description of his band (The Twilighters) - 4 piece - members, instruments
06:00 - First recording session with Aladin Records and how it came about - 1958
09:45 - Cutting of his second recording - "Nina"
10:45 - Never signing a recording contract and never getting paid for his music
11:30 - "Carnival Time" - Al's song about playing in New Orleans on Claiborne Street - recording session
17:00 - Leaving music because of being taken advantage of
18:35 - Joining the Army band and playing trumpet
19:00 - After leaving the service, working as a welder, a cab driver, and starting music again
21:00 - Plans for recording again
22:45 - Final comments - State of the music scene in New Orleans
Interview with Joseph "Smokey" Johnson
Joseph "Smokey" Johnson:
00:00 - Birth and family info
01:30 - Tremé
03:30 - Marching bands, Jazz funerals
04:40 - Learning to play the drums / influences
08:50 - Smokey's first paying gig
10:00 - Playing with Bill Senegal
11:30 - Playing with James "Sugarboy" Crawford
13:45 - Joining Dave Bartholomew's band
14:15 - Frank Williams - Blues records he made
15:20 - Roy Brown
17:38 - Working for Imperial Records and working in Motown - Earl King, Robert Parker, Fats Domino
18:10 - Recording with Fats Domino
20:00 - Recording solo projects / Band members / record labels
23:00 - Leasing his record to VeeJay, killed sales
25:00 - Other NOLA records that Smokey recorded
33:30 - Fats Domino's band - members, shows
34:35 - Fats' management of his band
36:30 - Working for Fats and fighting for raises
38:15 - Young people playing New Orleans Jazz music
39:45 - Refusing to play New Orleans Jazz as a young boy
41:20 - Playing with Lillian Boutte
44:20 - Touring Europe
44:45 - Future plans with music
-Walter Kimble's Death
Interview with Joe Jones
***The tape is originally recorded at a slightly faster speed***
Joe Jones:
00:25 - Introduction - From the 7th Ward in New Orleans, In U.S. Navy Band
01:25 - Schooling - studying harmony in college
03:00 - First band that he played with in high school - Joe Jones and His Atomic Rebops
03:20 - Teaching harmony to musicians in New Orleans - John "Picket" Brunious
06:15 - Deluxe and Chess Records renting a place "The Pentagon" in New Orleans to record bands
-musicians being taken advantage of
07:00 - Roy Brown and other Influential musicians and booking agents in New Orleans
08:00 - Recording session for "Good Rockin'Tonight"
08:30 - John Fernandes playing trumpet with Joe's band, music director at Xavier University
09:15 - Joe teaching music, becoming a booking agent and running his band
10:40 - Musicians union in New Orleans - developing the club, objectives
13:00 - Attending college on a music scholarship and joining the Navy
-developing the first Navy All Black Band
15:45 - Destruction of the musicians' club in New Orleans
18:50 - Playing with B.B. King - playing piano, assistant band leader, tuning his guitars
20:30 - Touring with his band
22:30 - Shirley Lee - signing to a booking agency
23:45 - Pay per show
Interview with Warren Miles
Warren Miles:
01:00 - People who Warren worked with during his early years
-Willie T, Ernie Cato, Eddie Bo, Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino
01:55 - Recording with "Frogman," Willie T, Eddie Bo
02:45 - Going to London with Professor Longhair
03:00 - Frank talking about his father's career in music
05:00 - Main instrument is bass, working well with the drummer
06:00 - Willie T getting into Jazz music Playing with Fats Domino
08:00 - Other records he has played on
09:55 - Warren's children - two of them play music
11:20 - "Papouse" Nelson
11:45 - Earnest McClain
12:10 - Guitar Slim
Interview with Erving Charles
Erving Charles:
00:00 - Live Music
06:45 - Playing music professionally; Influences
08:00 - "Chipaqua Chouies" (??) Band name for his first band in high school
09:00 - Recordings Erving made - studio musician
-hit records he on which he played piano
-used an alias for many recordings
-Little Richard, John Adams, Fats Domino, Sam Cooke
11:20 - Edgar Miles
15:00 - Groups he played live with - most were local groups - Smiley Louis, Guitar Slim, "Frogman" Henry
Interview with Art Neville (part 1)
Art Neville:
00:30 - Biographical Info
00:50 - First Band - The Hawkettes - "Mardi Gras Mambo"
01:30 - Band Members - George Davis, Calvin Joseph, August Floury, John Boudreaux
02:20 - Mardi Gras Mambo recording session - Produced by Ken Elliot (D.J. at WWEZ)
07:00 - Aaron Neville playing with the band and first recordings
09:15 - Recordings he made after leaving Chess, backup work as a session musician
10:00 - Playing piano with Jerry Burns - record released in England
12:00 - "All These Things" on Instant Records - relationship with Instant Records
17:00 - Traveling and playing music with his brother, Aaron; Musicians he worked with
19:00 - Clarence Brown, Leo Morris
21:00 - First recordings of The Meters
24:00 - Sissy Strut
27:20 - Current plans with music
30:45 - Other Neville brothers
Interview with Art Neville (part 2)
Art Neville:
00:00 - "Cabbage Alley;" - Influences of Professor Longhair
04:00 - Rerecording older songs
06:30 - Commentary on Allen Toussaint and other musicians
08:15 - The Meters - recordings for a new album
09:40 - Plans for live appearances
12:00 - Other kinds of music he listens to - how that affects the Meters' sound
17:00 - New material they are working on releasing
19:00 - Building a new studio in New Orleans
19:50 - Earl King
20:25 - George Porter enters the interview - Talks about his playing style
26:30 - Art talking about replacing Freddie Domino
28:00 - Porter's musical background - started playing music when he was 10
Interview with Earl Palmer (part 1)
Earl Palmer
00:00 - Family and birth Info - tap dancing
01:00 - Performing with family Vaudeville act
03:00 - Beginning of his career as a drummer
03:30 - Funeral bands
05:00 - Early Influences
07:30 - Going to music school - background on the school, Grunewald School of Music
09:00 - Playing with Earl Williams
10:30 - Playing with Dave Batholomew's band - venues - Tony's Tavern, kinds of music
16:40 - Al's Starlight Inn - Fats Domino sitting in during Dave Bartholomew's breaks
19:15 - Going on tour with Dave, Fats, and Professor Longhair
23:30 - Story about being in Los Vegas with Fats
24:45 - Artists on Imperial Records
27:00 - Playing with Earl Williams
28:00 - Other bands and clubs Earl played with - Brass Rail, Safari
32:45 - The New Orleans Rhythm and Blues Sound - Discussing various musicians
38:15 - Recording sessions from the 50's that stand out in Earl's mind
39:50 - Cosimo's studio - recording methods, microphone placement
Interview with Earl Palmer (Part 2)
Earl Palmer
00:40 - Earl's bandmate (Frank) having a stroke - effects on family and band
02:40 - Working for Eddie Mesner - Session work with artists like Little Richard
05:00 - Recording studios where Earl did session work; Other New Orleans musicians
15:20 - New Orleans has always been known for having great trumpet players
16:00 - R&B Sound drying out in the late 1950s - Rock music absorbed rhythm and blues
17:00 - Young people discovering other kinds of music and being more musically educated
19:00 - Hit records that he recorded on in the 60's - Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, Lou Rawls, Lightnin' Hopkins, etc
21:30 - Playing different genres of music - ie. Doris Day
24:00 - Interactions with famous producers and musicians in the studio
28:20 - More studio experiences - musicians who needed cues constantly
30:00 - Rock groups in the studio - using studio musicians
31:45 - Other work - movies and jingles
33:40 - Upcoming sessions and tours
36:00 - Recollections, Memorable experiences
38:20 - Describing his own drum style
41:20 - People who helped him along the way - Dave Bartholomew
Interview with Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack and Mike Leadbitter
Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack and Mike Leadbitter
00:30 - Paul Gayten's influence on Dr. John; Paul's start in the record business
04:20 - Playing at the Texas Lounge in New Orleans in 1955-1956 - Earl Baptiste, Teddy Riley, Charlie Brown
05:40 - The Dewdrop - a restaurant where many of the musicians would play and hang out
11:00 - Al Young - The Bop Shop (record store)
15:00 - Entering the musicians union in 1957
18:25 - Dave Bartholemew - how they met
22:40 - Walter "Papoose" Nelson, Jr. and his brother Lawrence "Prince La La" Nelson
25:15 - Smiley Lewis; Fats Domino
Interview with Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack (Part 1)
Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack
00:00 - "Guitar Slim" and his showmanship on stage and his first record "Feelin' Sad"
02:40 - Guitar Slim's vocal inflections - using church style singing
04:30 - Joe Corona's record label; The Clowns - members and albums recorded
07:45 - Working with Eddie Shuler and Elton Anderson
08:30 - Jerry Raines
09:40 - Jimmy Beasley and other New Orleans studio musicians
10:30 - Nicknames
11:10 - Walter "Papouse" Nelson's guitar playing style
13:30 - Musicians being arrested for drug possession
18:00 - Story about Dr. John having a song stolen by Lloyd Price - Song was meant for Willie West
22:00 - Talking about the Wild Magnolias and Chipaqua Chaouis
24:00 - J.D. Miller
27:30 - Experiences with Joe Barry
32:00 - Talking about Cosimo's Studio, Cosimo's start in record business
-Mac talking about how he started working there
37:00 - Walter "Papouse" Nelson's sound - Doubled guitar and bass parts
38:15 - Record companies using New Orleans music for their benefit
43:10 - Frank Fields
43:50 - Charlie Williams
45:00 - Lee Allan - types of solos, "king of the funky saxophone"
56:15 - Radio exposure for local New Orleans artists
Interview with Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack (Part 2)
Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack
00:00 - Local clubs in New Orleans and artists traveling to other regions of LA
01:00 - Differences between Fats' and Earl King's bands
06:30 - New Orleans Musicians union and recording session issues
08:30 - Artists being concerned about live and studio performances both being high-quality
09:00 - Little Richard - Being discovered and recording in New Orleans
12:00 - Dave Bartholomew's sessions with Fats Domino
13:20 - Imperial recording sessions that Dr. John was at, Dave Bartholomew chasing him out of the studio
23:35 - Allan Toussaint's songwriting contract with Danny Kessler
15:15 - "Lonely, Lonely Night"
24:30 - Danny Kessler's management job
26:30 - Joe Ruffino
27:45 - Joe Smith and Allan Toussaint - Instant Records, Allan's songwriting, jingles
29:50 - Toussaint keeping the New Orleans music scene alive
31:10 - Dr. John recording with Bobby Charles
32:00 - Cosimo's Studio
36:30 - Cosimo's sound characteristics - Guitar/Bass doubling lines
39:30 - Hit songs coming out of New Orleans
40:00 - Dr. John's first sessions and songs for Aladdin records
-Other artists playing Dr. John's songs; Lil Croaker
43:00 - New Orleans session drummers
49:45 - James Booker - touring, training in music
57:00 - Radio exposure of local artists (WYRB, WBOK, WJMR, WWEZ, WNOE, WGIN)
Interview with Tommy Ridgley
Tommy Ridgley:
00:00 - Beginnings in music - going to music school after finishing the service
02:45 - Singing with Earl Anderson's band - Starlight club
03:00 - First recording with Dave Bartholomew
05:00 - Legal issues with Tommy's recording "Tra La La; Conversations about royalties
12:50 - Records made with Imperial Records and Atlantic Records
13:00 - Signing to Atlantic Records
15:00 - Band members over the years and Dave Batholomew's influence on his band
19:00 - Clubs he plays in New Orleans
22:40 - Musicians he's played concerts with
23:45 - Playing concerts with James Brown and Bobby Darin
26:00 - Esquerita - Eskew Reeder, Jr.
29:00 - "Let's Try and Talk it Over," "In the Same Old Way," "Should I Ever Love Again"
34:30 - Recording a song for Phil Santo - recording was leased to an English label
28:45 - His latest recording in 1970, "Live While you Can"
40:50 - White Cliff Records - Cosimo Matasa
39:55 - Edward Frank - organ player
44:00 - Tommy's brother's music
45:00 - Future of the New Orleans music scene, Other talented younger musicians in the New Orleans area
48:15 - Most popular local artists in the 1950s - Paul Geyton, Larry Darnell, Roy Brown, Lloyd Price
50:00 - Traveling out of state
51:30 - Playing at Jazz Fest in New Orleans
Interviews with Tommy Ridgley and Justin Adams
Tommy Ridgley:
00:00 - Other Band Members - Delton Russo, Allen Dejean, Walter Harris, Leroy Joseph, James Jackson
02:40 - Recording before Fats Domino - recorded November 1949
03:20 - Working with Irma Thomas
04:45 - The Dewdrop and group member names
08:40 - Other musicians - Lawrence Cotton, Alonzo Stewart, "Dimes"
10:20 - "Lonely Man Blues"
13:00 - "Boogie Woogie Mama"
Justin Adams:
15:30 - Music in Justin's family - his beginnings
16:45 - Playing with Tommy Ridgley
17:15 - recording sessions he took part in - Fat's Domino, Little Richard, Charles Brown
19:18 - Justin's family history with music; - Manuel Manetta, Dollie Adams, Placide Adams, Gerald Adams
21:30 - Joe Jones recording - Delton Russo, "Honeyboy," James Prevost
23:30 - Dixie Cups
25:46 - Fats Domino's band members
27:00 - Big Bands he started out playing with
32:30 - New Orleans' current music scene
Interview with Marshall Sehorn (Part 1)
Marshall Sehorn:
01:00 - Marshall's history in the music business and working as a disc jockey - 1958
06:20 - Working as a record promotion rep
10:45 - Making records with Lightnin' Hopkins - "Mojo Hand"
12:15 - Discovering Lee Dorsey and signing him to a contract with ABC Paramount
15:55 - Legal problems with the Bobby Marchan record "Kansas City." Lawsuit with Johnny Vincent
26:00 - Sehorn records
36:45 - Downfall of Cosimo's studio - Forming a partnership with Allen Toussaint and discussion about Allen's records
39:15 - Building and running a studio with Allen (Sea-Saint Studio)
40:00 - Different artists that Marshall and Allen worked with - Browning Bryant
Interview with Marshall Sehorn (Part 2)
Marshall Sehorn:
01:20 - Marshall talking about actually making New Orleans his true home
06:00 - Dealing with major labels for Dr. John and The Meters
10:00 - Major labels not pushing New Orleans music
18:30 - Some record producers don't take an active role in the recordings
20:00 - Marshall's recent lack of hit records
24:00 - Continued discussion about hit records - Why some records are hits and others aren't
28:00 - The new Lee Dorsey album which includes five Dr. John songs
33:38 - Future of New Orleans music
35:30 - Texas oil money coming into New Orleans
37:00 - Trying to keep local musicians in New Orleans for recording
42:00 - Upcoming albums