Evelyn Johnson lecture, February 19, 1990 [videorecording]. 1990.

ArchivalResource

Brown, Mary Ellen, 1939-. Evelyn Johnson lecture, February 19, 1990 [videorecording].

Evelyn Johnson lecture, February 19, 1990 [videorecording]. 1990.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/690596575

Evelyn Johnson talks of being one of the first black women to be involved in the music industry; how she opened the doors for women as executives in the music business and broke the race barrier. Johnson studied business while working as an X-ray technician but was not allowed to take the certification exam because of her race. In 1946 she was the manager of the Bronze Peacock Club in Houston (where Blues and R&B were played). In 1949 she formed Peacock Records to promote R&B, blues, and gospel, which launched the careers of Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Johnny Ace, Lloyd Price, Big Mama Thorton, Bobby Blue Bland, B.B. King, and Ike and Tina Turner. She discusses radio stations initial refusal to play "race" music or blues; how women artists didn't sell well during the war since the buyers were other women; and how women at church weren't allowed to play instruments in the service so their participation was limited to being directors and composers. She also discusses copyright licensing and the current difficulty in separating music from other media. Johnson started the Buffalo Booking Agency, later known as Evelyn's Booking Agency. She has served on panels at the Smithsonian since 1986.

1 videocassette : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.

Indiana University Archives of African American Music & Culture, AAAMC