Don Robey

Label owner, songwriter, producer Don Robey's name should be on any serious list of early pop/R&B pioneers. His Duke-Peacock family of labels boasted an impressive roster: Johnny Ace, Bobby "blue" Bland, Big Mama Thornton, Clarence "gatemouth" Brown, The Dixie Hummingbirds, O.v. Wright, Carl Carlton, The Five Blind Boys Of Mississippi, Inez Andrews, Memphis Slim, Little Junior Parker, Joe Hinton, and more.



Born November 1, 1903, in Houston, TX, Robey's entrepreneurial spirit was nutured while growing up around the elite of Houston's black business community. Dropping out of high school, he tried his hand at being a professional gambler. After marriage and having a son, he opened a taxicab business. Combining his passion for music with his business sense, Robey became an event promoter, holding ballroom dances around the Houston area. During the late '30s, Robey left Houston for a few years for Los Angeles, opening the Harlem Grill night club. After returning to Houston in the mid-'40s, he opened the Bronze Peacock Dinner Club spotlighting top jazz talent.

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