Robert Carter

        Jazz trombonist and vocalist; musician’s union leader

        Birth:                            September 26, 1915

        Birthplace:                    St. Louis, Missouri

        Date of Interview:         March 31, 1982

        Place of Interview:        Narrator’s home

        Interviewer:                  Dan Havens

Robert Carter began his musical studies with P.B. Langford, director of the Odd Fellows Brass Band (a lodge band).  One of fifteen children, Robert attended Sumner High School where he continued his music training.  Lodge and funeral bands were among his first music performing groups as a youth.  He would later perform with Harry Winn, Eddie  Johnson’s Crackerjacks, Eddie Randle’s Blue Devils, Fate Marable, Charles Creath, Dewey Jackson, the George Hudson Orchestra, and Singleton Palmer’s Dixieland Six.  Mr. Carter is a former President of the musicians’ union, Local 197 in St. Louis.  He has been a long-time executive board member of the St. Louis musicians’ union Local 2-197.

For the table of contents for the Interview of Robert Carter, please click on this link:  Oral History and Research Materials:  Robert Carter

E-mail comments and inquiries about the National Ragtime and Jazz Archive to Therese Dickman at tdickma@siue.edu or call 618-650-2695.

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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Updated by Kristin Walker
April 2005