LG096 Interview: Missie Wilkerson (LG096Goreau_Side1)

LG096Goreau_Side1

Goreau, Laurraine

Wilkerson, Missie

1973-07-28

2020-03-14
2020-03-14

Side 1 and 2: Interview with Missie Wilkerson on 1973-07-28 or 1973-09-28, continued on Tape ID: LG097. Abstract for Wilkerson: [00:00-30:11] Longtime friend of Mahalia Jackson, Missie Wilkerson, talks extensively about hers and Jackson's relationships with the Rockefeller family. She shares a story about her time working as a cook for the family in 1951 – 3:24. Later she discusses the financial support Jackson received from the Rockefellers including the fact that Nelson Rockefeller sponsored Jackson's Salute to Black Women event – 9:01. Wilkerson speaks about Jackson's close relationship to Coretta Scott King – 15:00. Wilkerson, Goreau and Wilkerson's niece spend several minutes trying to remember a quote about Jackson by Martin Luther King Jr. that was then shared by Coretta at Jackson's funeral – 18:11. Wilkerson shares a story about Jackson coming home with a large sum of money after a benefit concert. Jackson subsequently entrusted the money to Wilkerson, who rolled it up in a towel and slept with it – 24:40. The interview continues on LG096Goreau_Side2 with Wilkerson describing how Jackson earned the first $25 of her career after being hired by Clarence McGowan to sing at funerals. She explains that from then on McGowan always purchased flowers from Jackson's shop and requested Jackson to sing at his own funeral. She was unavailable and suggested Albertina Walker instead – 7:24. Goreau and Wilkerson discuss the assorted people who worked with Jackson at her beauty shop and later, her flower shop – 9:07. Wilkerson describes the close relationship that developed between Jackson and Mayor Richard J. Daley of Chicago – 16:01. Wilkerson then shares that Jackson was very fond of two of her (Wilkerson's) young female relatives and shortly before her death had planned to sponsor their education and help further their careers – 21:31.

30 min., 11 sec.

sound recording

Audio

interviews

Hogan Archive of New Orleans Music and New Orleans Jazz, Tulane University Special Collections

Laurraine Goreau collection, HJA-059

https://archives.tulane.edu/

Music trade

Nineteen fifties

Tulane University Digital Library

eng

HJA059_LG096_1.mp3

Copyright to portions of this collection has been transferred to Tulane University Special Collections. Tulane University can grant permission to publish for materials to which it holds the copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or owner’s heir for permission to publish where Tulane University Special Collections does not hold the copyright. For permission to publish collections material to which TUSC holds intellectual property rights, please contact Research Services at specialcollections@tulane.edu.

This recording was digitized in 2020 as part of a Recordings at Risk grant funded project administered by CLIR, "Tell the real story of me": Mahalia Jackson and Black Gospel Quartets in the South.

LG096 Interview: Missie Wilkerson, Laurraine Goreau collection, HJA-059, Tulane University Special Collections, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.

specialcollections@tulane.edu