Key, Robert

Date:
1977-10-25
Length:
66 minutes
Interviewer:
Friedman, Robert
Transcription available:
no
Series:
African American Community Interviews
Series ID:
9999_001
Interview Number(s):
__416
__417
Summary:
Mr. Key was a musician. He was born in Louisville but really launched his career in Chicago before touring as a singer. In this interview, he discusses his career, including the stint he did in the U.S. Army in Asia and Europe. He also discusses the music "scene" in Louisville in the middle of the twentieth century, beginning with the nightclubs that were open in the 1920s-1940s, under segregation, and including an assessment of the clubs hosting live music in the 1970s. Mr. Key also assesses the local talent, and discusses the difficulty of making it as a performer in Louisville.
Topic(s):
African Americans--Kentucky--Louisville, African American singers, African American musicians, Nightclubs--Kentucky--Louisville, Singers, Musicians, Veterans