Very much enjoyed Chris/Cbjanower's posting of the Porters and Waiters Club in Ogden, UT. This brings to mind that it was Pullman porters who helped spread the word about Black jazz and blues music, by bringing and selling 78 rpm recordings to places where there was no exposure to such music.
Also brings to mind the biography of Robert Jr. Lockwood, a Mississippi Delta Blues musician and adopted son of Robert Johnson, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, who recorded in 1937. Johnson was the author of "Crossroads" and "Sweet Home Chicago", which have been covered by innumerable musicians, including Eric Clapton. Robert Jr. Lockwood left the Delta during WW II and found his way to Cheyenne, WY, employed as a track worker for the Union Pacific. In his off hours, he played at bars around town. He was a broad gauge musician, who played blues, jazz and even country and western. He was enthusiastically embraced for his musical talent by the citizenry of Cheyenne. A rare event where a Black man was embraced during the dark period of segregation, due to bringing unique talent to an entertainment starved town.
