LG108 Interviews: Gene Shapiro; Brother John Sellers (LG108Goreau_Side1)

LG108Goreau_Side1

Goreau, Laurraine

Shapiro, Gene
Sellers, John, 1924-1999

1972-12-04

2020-03-14
2020-03-14

Side 1: Interview with Gene Shapiro on 1972-12-04, on the topic of estate tax hearings in California and Illinois. Interview with Brother John Sellers on 1973-01-13, continued on Tape ID: LG110. Side 2: Continued interview with Brother John Sellers on 1973-05-26 in New York City, conducted by telephone. Abstract for Shapiro and Sellers: [00:57-28:50] In LG108Goreau_Side1, Goreau and attorney Gene Shapiro discuss Jackson's estate and tax hearings in the state of California as well as the existence of a storage locker containing many of Jackson's personal belongings. They discuss the possibility of Jackson receiving a posthumous award from Amistad Research Center – 9:20. Goreau speaks about Jackson's cemetery plot and a memorial to her in Louis Armstrong Park – 14:50. Shapiro then talks extensively about tax hearings in Illinois and problems caused by Cylestine "Polly" Fletcher – 18:22. [28:51-1:01:31] Brother John Sellers discusses his difficult childhood during the Great Depression, his abandonment by his family and how he became Aunt Hannah's godson – 30:17. Goreau and Sellers talk about how Jackson identified with Sellers because of her own difficult childhood and parental abandonment, prompting her to take him under her wing – 40:55. Sellers recalls when Jackson stayed with him in his New York apartment for several months and hid large amounts of cash in her dresser – 49:43. They discuss Jackson's early music career and her relationship with manager Harry Lenetska – 52:51. [0:00-56:25] On LG108Goreau_Side2, Brother John Sellers discusses Jackson's multiple arrests for false pretenses because she had been double-booked – 7:20. He shares a story about Jackson's performance on the Ed Sullivan Show and her insistence on organ accompaniment – 22:04. They discuss the dates and circumstances around Jackson's various early recording sessions – 24:03. Goreau and Sellers talk about Jackson's relationship with Cylestine "Polly" Fletcher and both express their disdain for Fletcher – 40:14. They talk about Jackson's flower shop – 43:52.

1 hr., 1 min., 31 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
Gospel music -- Accompaniments
Depressions -- 1929

Illinois
California

Nineteen sixties

Tulane University Digital Library

eng

HJA059_LG108_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.

LG108 Interviews: Gene Shapiro; Brother John Sellers, Laurraine Goreau collection, HJA-059, Tulane University Special Collections, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.

specialcollections@tulane.edu