Miami Overtown Soul Funk R&B Interviews

[Southernsoul]

When the City of Miami was officially incorporated in 1896, many of the voters who signed the charter lived in Overtown. At its peak the area commanded a 40,000 strong constituency. In the 1940's, 50's, and 60's, Overtown was the mecca for gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, soul, and funk in the Magic City. These collected interviews represent some of the voices that have contributed to the area, residents and visitors, and their reflections on life there and throughout Florida.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Peoples-History-Overtown-Jacob-Katel/dp/1520280246/

 

These voices include:
Retired Overtown Police Lieutenant Archie McKay
Retired Overtown Police Lieutenant Otis Davis
Sam Moore - Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
Gloria Jolivet – Singer and Musician with Bo Diddley
Jerry Butler from The Impressions
Robert and Donald McKnight (visual artists, brothers)
Steve Alaimo - Singer/Songwriter, TV Host, Record Exec
Joyce Jenkins – 1950’s WMBM Student Staff
Kelsey “Kit” Collie – 1950's Miami Times Journalist
Sonny Rabin on The Lord Calvert and Sir John Hotel
Miami’s R&B Soul Sensations
Latimore - Blues Hall of Fame Singer/Songwriter and Musician
Willie Clarke - Grammy Winner, Producer, Engineer, Record Exec
Joyce Moore - Manager
Edward "Coley" Colebrook - Owner of Shantel Lounge
Pastor Vincent Spann - Liberty City
Henry Stone - Pioneer Record Distributor & Record Label Exec
Abdul Muhsin - Radio Host
Enid C. Pinkney - Miami Pioneer, Preservation Leader, Movie Producer, Educator
Jimmy Smith - Concert Goer
Fats - Area Resident
Irby McKnight at The Bus Stop
Willie "Little Beaver" Hale - Million Record Selling Guitar Legend
Guy On The Street
Jimmy Behind The Bar at Shantel Lounge
Demp From The Oceanliners - Saxophone Player
Clint from The Bahamas
The 2nd Ave Crew
The Guy Across from Shoeman
Pops and Friends
White – 3rd Ave Bus Stop
Mitty Collier - Church Pastor, Gospel Recording Artist
Garnet Mimms - Recording Artist, Minister

[Roburt]

The Overtown club scene was just about destroyed by the local politicians in the late 60's. 

The area had been a thriving black enclave, with loads of housing, shops & clubs. But the politicians drove freeways through the area (the I- 95 & 195) to ensure 8 / 10 lane freeways reached the city centre. The majority of the housing (tightly packed 'ghetto' tenements) was swept away with lots of the shops. With no resident audience, the clubs soon struggled & then closed. The 2 big 'black hotels' went a similar way -- so the soul acts playing Miami Beach hotels had nowhere to stay (they wouldn't let them eat or stay in the hotels they were 'starring' in). 

The vibrant club scene that had developed acts such as Sam & Dave, Frank Williams' Rocketeers, Betty Wright, Little Beaver, the Twans, the Marvels, etc was destroyed in a single stroke.

Miami's Overtown & what the freeways did to it (I put a post up about this some years ago, can't recall the thread name though) .... first pic is 1967, 2nd dates from 1970.

If you drive along the I-95 today, you can see the little that remains of the area. 

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by Roburt

[Roburt]

To get a feeling for what the Overtown club scene was like back in the 60's (& the hotel scene on Miami Beach), go to my old thread 'OLD MIAMI SOUL SHOWS' (posted in 2012) ....

www.soul-source.co.uk/forums/topic/228600-old-miami-soul-shows/#comments

Some ads for shows from those times ... 

BTW, lots of music history books have the beginnings of Sam & Dave wrong.  Sam Moore was born in Miami whilst Dave Prater moved there from Georgia in 1957. Both performed solo in local clubs up until 1960 (LOTS OF SOURCES  SAY 61) when Sam came to Dave's assistance on a club gig at the KING OF HEARTS CLUB and their duetting commenced ........ I have copies of a couple of ads when they were starring as a duet at the King of Hearts Club in 1960. At the time they were still being billed under their solo performing names ... Sam Moore & David / Dave Prater; but as a duo performing together. 

 

 

[Roburt]

In June 2012, they staged a big exhibition in Overtown about the area's 1960's music / club scene ... 

I helped out by providing hi-res scans of some old club ads;  A photo taken at the Miami Overtown exhibition  

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Roburt

[Roburt]

The text on my piccy below is an extract from the book.

While not wrong, I feel his comments squeeze 6 years events into a simple statement.

Sam & Dave first teamed up one night when Sam was doing a solo gig at Miami's King Of Hearts Club but was struggling to get a song right. Dave stepped in to help him & thus the Dynamic Duo was formed. They were performing together as a duo as early as July 1960. Their 1st 45 escaped (on Marlin) in 1961. Roulette picked up their contract in 1962 but they were back on a local label (Alston) in 64. Atlantic signed them & put them with Stax in early 65 & the duo came to the UK to perform on the Stax / Volt tour (with Otis Redding) in spring 67. His statement makes it seem less complicated than that.

BUT HEY, memories are strange things & we often confuse the facts surrounding some events. After all, these events kicked off over 63 years ago. "I'm Sorry" by Brenda Lee was No.1 on the US pop charts.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Roburt

[Southernsoul]

Great info thanks Roburt more on the way stay tuned

[Southernsoul]

The quote from the book excerpted by @Roburt above comes from an interview with Retired Overtown Police Lieutenant Otis Davis from Miami's original African-American police force (incorrectly identified as a captain in the first edition of the book). The interview with Sam Moore is the best in the book, and according to the man himself,

"I was actually born in Georgia. And then my mother and
my grandmother and the rest of the family, my aunt, my
cousins, and everybody migrated to Florida. I don’t know
what caused them to come. I was a baby. I was born in
1935. All I ever knew was Miami. I can’t even tell ya about
Georgia, other than maybe my grandma saying she was
going to go visit her mother. I think once or twice she may
have taken me on a train to Georgia. I was a little boy. But
I was raised in Miami...."

Edited October 12, 2023 by Southernsoul