Clarence Williams in New Orleans - 1916

from Hear Me Talkin' To Ya: The Classic Story of Jazz as Told by the Men Who Made It, page 57:

[In 1916 Clarence Williams received, unexpectedly, a $1600 check from Columbia records who had, without his knowledge, recorded, re-recorded and marketed a performance in New Orleans of a song he wrote.]

The news got around, and, in the Mardi Gras, all the bands were playin' "Brown Skin, Who You For?". Canal Street was decorated with brown-skin leather, and all the children were singin' it. Walkin' down Rampart Street, it was the biggest day of my life. You ask George Brunies about it. He was a youngster then, but he was at the head of the parade in one of the hottest bands down …   more >>

cite as

Nat Hentoff and Nat Shapiro, Hear Me Talkin' To Ya: The Classic Story of Jazz as Told by the Men Who Made It (London, 1992), p. 57. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1436020336512 accessed: 29 March, 2024

location of experience: New Orleans

Listeners

Clarence Williams
jazz pianist, promoter, theatrical producer, vocalist […]
1893-1965

Listening to

hide composers
Brown skin, who you for
written by Clarence Williams
performed by George Brunies

Experience Information

Date/Time 1916
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, outdoors, in public

Originally submitted by 5011Henning on Sat, 04 Jul 2015 15:32:16 +0100
Approved on Tue, 30 Aug 2016 11:43:22 +0100