"DUKE ELLINGTON"; (of course!)
In the Spring of 1973, or '72, my wife and I were in a Lounge at the Hilton, in Las Vegas. Onstage were Duke Ellington and his Band. My wife, then a very attractive "light-skinned" woman, the kind the Boys in the Band flirted with, was getting their treatment. I protested, by gesture, and Duke, at the Break, had the spotlight put on us. He made some comment about the "commotion"., and, He then joined us at our table for drinks. He returned, on Breaks, throughout the evening.
That was Duke Ellington! ; ever the showman, ever the Promoter, and one Wonderful Human Being! In my travels, I was blessed to meet tens, or hundreds, of Jazz and Blues Legends. I was "hooked" in my Teens in Missouri, by performers like King Pleasure, and similar recordings of the 40's and 50's. In Venues like, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., The Queen Mary: the list was long; I met and "partied" with performers from Ernie Andrews to Nina Simone. They all came up the "hard way". As Black Performers, they all were "working" long after contemporary white musicians, of lesser talent, had "retired". They were also paid less. On the evening that Duke was shoved into a small Lounge at the Hilton, the "Headliner" was Ann Margaret, as I remember! So, go Figure! Red-Neck Gangsters controlled many a Black Musician throughout our History. Louis Armstrong told stories of "checking-himself" into Jail, to prevent petty Mobsters from stealing his Pay.
Young Blacks cheat themselves, by allowing Whites to dictate their tastes in Music. Thousands of talented Blacks, from Vaudeville to this day, have left a rich legacy that whites still "feed on" for their livelihood; while young Blacks are left to re-invent inferior material for their living. Tragic!!
Stay Vigilant! Re-Connect with their Legacy? You might find your way back to true "Community", and, to a healthier and wealthier Life!
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