|
|
| Welcome to Rayo Arts
Introducing some of the finest artwork memo rabilia from the 1930's through the 1960's.
When singing the blues soothe the soul, jazz was lighting up rhythms on your tongue, and rock and roll tossed your body all around the world.
Re-live those times with posters that will juice up your conversation, please visit
Rayo Arts - Gallery
| | | |
| As the story goes, out of this family of eleven children came several businesswomen and men, one of which was my grandfather, Raymond Overton, fourth from the left. My namesake. My name being 'Rayo', coming from 'Ray' and our last name 'O'verton, connected Ray-o. Both having the meaning of 'light'. His, 'light of the world' and mine, 'lightening from thunder'. He helped to start a luminous future for black musicians and I desire to send a bolt of his beginnings into this present time as a reminder of the past struggles of the black musicians and their influence on today's music with the blessings of the "Most High" light. He was raised on that farm, working hard, but soon found his niche in life. That life was promotion of things that he believed in and that would sustain his life and future family.
He and his brother Steve, sixth from the left, worked together to buy some land and raise cattle and chickens which soon evolved into Steve opening a restaurant serving his specialty, 'fried-chicken' and many wonderful vegetables from his to be wife, 'Viva', also known as 'Vee.' This road helped my Uncle Steve push his brother Ray into the business of bringing live entertainment into a tri-state area; Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. They both worked other jobs to maintain their passions in these fields of business. There were clubs like, The Kaliko Kat, Trocadero, Roseroom, Shadowland, Rock Castle, Paramount Social Club, Esquire, Bluenote, B.E.C. Playhouse, The Sportsman Club, The Cotillion Ballroom, The Mambo Club and many others came into play. Grandpa worked and started bringing in musicians that had never had a chance to play in the large white-owned nightclubs. But, even in those times there were black/white relationships that supported the other in making transactions, legal and illegal, to provide what was needed for their clientele.
These fine posters speak about those early days of black music, when a very live and robust generation made the best of the times. Many other black promoters and businesses started coming together and supporting the other and enjoying the rhythm and blues that fell along,
"The Chitlin' Circuit".
Below shows one of the first vehicles they purchased for the family as their businesses came alive and the 'Overton' family name became known all over their area. The one thing about my Uncle Steve was, he liked to make you laugh alot when he was doing business or just as he called it,"shootin' the bull". It was about having a real relationship with the people he dealt with, in business or otherwise. They became personal friends with most of their customers and musical personalities. They ate at 'Steve's Restaurant' and slept in 'Ray's Apartments' out behind his home, and usually after a 'gig' they would eat and 'jam' later at grandpa's house or someone's place. That was a very common occurance.
So, when you view these fine posters, try to envision, promoters, managers, booking agencies and musicians communicating by mail, telegrams and telephones to setup dances that went from town to town, down unpaved roads in packed buses and on filled train cars, smoking, drinking, using the Lord's name in vain, sometimes fighting and occasional gun-fire, passing through segregated-pressured areas, sleeping where they could, rehearsing their numbers while going through all kinds of weather, getting their wardrobes ready and ironed and shoes shined, just to bring you the best music in the world...all along, "The Chitlin' Circuit''. Rayo Arts California, USA
| |
|