Code,200003
Subject,George Hendricks
Date,10/28/2009
Interviewer,Dana Aritonovich
Abstract,"George Hendricks was born in Alabama in 1942 and moved to Cleveland at the age of 7.  He is a singer with The Hesitations and has been performing music since he was a teenager.  This 2009 interview discusses his long career as a professional R & B musician in Cleveland, describing the bands and the places in which he played, his struggles to make money playing music, and how he feels the nature of both the musicians and the music industry as a whole have changed since the 1960s.  A recurrent theme in the interview is the issue of racism, which Hendricks experienced both in the South and in Cleveland.  He argues strongly about the ability of music to bring whites and blacks together, seeing his experiences playing music to interracial crowds as proof of this."
Tags,"Alabama, music, African Americans, R&B, Quincy Elementary School, John Hay High School, segregation, Jay-Z, rap music, Boddie's recording studio, Detroit, Motown, James Brown, Apollo Theater, Elvis Presley, Jackie Wilson, Chaka Khan, Vietnam War, riots, National Guard, racial transition, Leo's Casino, Hough Riots, University Circle"
Special Notes,
minutes,
1,"born in Alabama 1942, came to Cleveland to age 7"
2,wanted to be a boxer until he heard doo wop at age 13
3,listened to radio in father's barbershop
4,Ed Sullivan
5,"Quincy Elementary School, John Hay High School, not integrated"
6,"little mixing with whites, no racist incidents until he's older"
7,bands  and nightclubs
8,"segregated schools, little contact with whites"
9,"visits South when older, feels racism"
10,played to white crowds in South
11,military service 1964-1968
12,"""music breaks through the color barrier…"""
13,club owners restrict blacks
14,generational gap in racial acceptance
15,Jay-Z and rap
16,"""What happened to all the love songs?"""
17,upcoming gig with a white doo wop group from the 1960s
18,"""People still appreciate good music…"""
19,songs were relatable
20,older songs told a story
21,Cleveland underrated as far as music
22,Boddie's recording studio
23,Detroit vs. Cleveland
24,hard to make a living as a musician in Cleveland
25,he went to Motown but was rejected
26,Cleveland investors
27,big stars had to leave Cleveland to make it
28,hip hop
29,Cleveland is inconsistent
30,"talent is here, mindset is off"
31,DJs
32,there is lots of talent in Cleveland
33,lazy musicians
34,singers vs. entertainers
35,James Brown
36,learned his craft and professionalism from older entertainers
37,Apollo Theater and old school work ethic
38,sister's singing group sings old girl group songs
39,entertainers in Cleveland can't make much money
40,musicians today don't want to rehearse
41,lack of excitement in Cleveland today
42,clubs he attended when growing up
43,most clubs were black
44,working as a house band
45,Clevelanders go their separate ways
46,reuniting with old bandmmates
47,reuniting with old bandmmates
48,Elvis
49,Jackie Wilson
50,black and white groups imitate each other
51,"radio integration thanks to Alan Freed, Ed Sullivan, ""American Bandstand"""
52,local bands did not get national exposure
53,groups more popular than solo artists
54,Cleveland hasn't changed for musicians
55,Chaka Khan booed off the stage at Front Row
56,made 1.5 cents per record sold back in the day
57,difficulty making money as a performer
58,wants to inspire and educate younger performers
59,record labels care more about money
60,music industry changed
61,neighborhood record shops
62,hard to get known without record label
63,"""the money didn't come to you"""
64,performers sleeping in their cars waiting for their big break
65,"early groups he was in, like The Sahibs"
66,returned from Vietnam in June 1968
67,National Guard in Cleveland
68,first black family on street East 140th and St. Clair
69,"upon return from army, all whites had moved out of that neighborhood"
70,Leo's Casino during Hough riots
71,"everybody performed at Leo's Casino, national acts"
72,performing for integrated audiences around University Circle
73,society changed when he came home from Vietnam
74,played in different bands after Vietnam
75,"""music is universal"""
76,audiences are brought together through music
77,different races bond through the mmusic
78,mingling with fans after shows
79,people's attitudes are influenced by music and the way they were brought up
80,love is the legacy of music
81,oldies channels are fading away
82,would love to see the music he grew up with passed down to new generations
83,it takes a lot of energy to hate somebody
84,his father did not like the music he listened to
85,"black kids today do not know anything about the blues or other older songs, but white kids do"
86,old music should continue so it can continue to inspire and educate
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