The Music Man

Joseph Winters, Sr. served with distinction during his decades in the Raleigh Police Department.

Service to the Community

Joseph B. Winters was born in Raleigh in 1912, one of twelve children. After graduating high school, Winters attended St. Augustine’s University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics in 1936. He worked as a clerk for the Alcohol Beverage Control Board but was soon approached by members of his community about joining the Raleigh Police Department to help increase diversity. Six years later, Winters became one of the first African Americans in Raleigh to join the police force. He earned several accolades during his thirty-four years of service, including recognition by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. Winters was married to Mable Mordecai for 64 years and they raised three children: Mercedes, Joseph, Jr. and Chacona.

The Winters’ family home on South Pettigrew Street, just off New Bern Avenue in 1940.

Joseph Winters:

Service

Joseph Winters:

Music Maker

Lionel Hampton

A ticket for Lionel Hampton’s show, seen on the right playing the vibraharp.

Raleigh Memorial Auditorium hosted many of Joseph Winters, Sr.’s shows.

Lionel Hampton

One of the biggest names of the Big Band era was Lionel Hampton, a jazz percussionist, pianist, and band leader. Hampton helped define the sounds of the 1930s and 1940s with his mastery of the vibraharp, a percussion instrument heard in jazz and swing orchestras. Joseph Winters, Sr. booked Hampton and his orchestra in 1948 and two more shows in 1953 and 1956 at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. “He wanted to bring music to the people of Raleigh — and he wanted to bring the best,” remembers Winters’ daughter Chacona Winters Baugh.

Article from Raleigh’s News and Observer reviewing Cole’s shows.

Nat King Cole

Poster and cover of program for Nat “King” Cole’s 1951 show.

Joseph Winters, Sr. worked with Nat “King” Cole in 1951 on a show with Count Basie and his Orchestra held at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. Violence overshadowed his return four years later. While on tour in 1956, six white men attacked Cole on stage in Birmingham, Alabama. The performer canceled the rest of the tour including the Raleigh show. Winters realized this would be disastrous and begged Cole to resume the show. Using his position on the City’s police force, Winters promised a safe show if he performed. Cole agreed and stayed in the Winters’ home during his two segregated shows.

Nat King Cole

Newspaper article about

Joe Winters promotion

of the show on February 21.

Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke flanked by two reporters backstage at Memorial Auditorium, 1958.

Joseph Winters, Sr. booked Sam Cooke in February 1958, just after the performer released his album, Songs, which rose to break the top 20 most popular albums of that year. A local newspaper reviewed Cooke and the all-star lineup saying, “Never before has so much talent been packaged into one show. And best of all, the public knows that they’ll get to see and hear their favorite artists do number after number.” Cooke first found success with the gospel group The Soul Stirrers. In 1957, Cooke appeared on The Guy Mitchell Show and signed with Keen Records. His first hit, “You Send Me,” released in September, spent six weeks at Number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Winter’s itemized costs for the James Brown’s show reveals the work involved in promoting shows.

James Brown

James Brown and his band were always popular shows for Joseph Winters, Sr. He booked the legendary performer several times in Raleigh venues. In 1964, Winters produced a Thanksgiving show with Brown, whose career was on the upswing after he upstaged the Rolling Stones on T.A.M.I., a variety television show, which aired a month earlier. Brown’s Raleigh show featured local DJ Ray “Dr. Jocko” Henderson from Raleigh’s most popular Black station WLLE. Henderson went to Detroit and hosted another radio show, a popular TV show, and became a Motown Records executive.

James Brown

Free Bar-B-Que helped attract customers to see “Mr. Dynamite” in 1964.

Aretha Franklin

A ticket from Dorton Arena for Aretha’s show on Feb. 9, 1969.

“It was well-attended, one of the highlights of my father’s career,” Joseph Winters, Jr. remembered about his father’s show with the Queen of Soul. Aretha Franklin performed on February 9, 1969 in Dorton Arena at the N.C. State Fairgrounds to an audience of approximately 8,000. Joseph Winters, Sr. first booked Franklin in May 1967, just a month after she recorded her cover of Otis Redding’s song “Respect.” Following the booking, Franklin catapulted to stardom and it took two more years for Winters to sign a contract with her. At $20,000, it was the biggest music contract Winters had ever signed. Franklin demanded half the money up front and collected the rest at the show’s intermission. Besides the money, The Raleigh Times reported the star also wanted a “1968 or 1969 Cadillac” limousine with a chauffeur.

Aretha Franklin

A flier for a show that never happened scheduled for May 29,1967 at

Raleigh Memorial Auditorium.

The integrated show reflected Americans changing attitudes and the impact of the Civil Rights Movement.

Gladys Knight & The Pips

Receipt for the show reveals Winters small cut for organizing

the show.

With the success of Aretha Franklin’s show at Dorton Arena at the N.C. State Fairgrounds, Joseph Winters, Sr. knew he could sell out larger venues than Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. On March 30, 1973 he produced a sold-out show headlined by Gladys Knight and the Pips supported by The Ohio Players and The O’Jays. Winters’ brought in over $38,000 in ticket sales. In 2020 this would amount to approximately $218,000. At the time of the show, Gladys and the Pips were in the midst of changing record labels and months away from their first number one hit “Midnight Train to Georgia”.

The box office statement shows that just under 7,000 people came the Dorton Arena.

Gladys Knight

Ray Charles

Winters’ tally sheet for Charles, which included printing by local African

American company, Irving and Swain.

Cover of the souvenir booklet.

In the late 1970s, Joseph Winters, Sr. organized a benefit show for Shaw University featuring a performer who he had worked with previously, music legend Ray Charles. Benefactors received a photograph of the performer and were acknowledged in the souvenir program. Winters held his show in the newly constructed Raleigh Civic Center on May 13, 1978. Charles was later awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Shaw University in 2000.

Ray Charles

A beloved snapshot of Officer Joseph Winter Sr. on duty from the family’s scrapbook.

His Legacy

Joseph Winters Sr. poses for a promotional photo, c. 1959.

Through his work as a police officer and visionary entrepreneur, Joseph Winters, Sr. left an incredible legacy on the community and culture of Raleigh. Winters earned the trust of citizens and city leaders through his public service. This allowed his concerts to be successful and bring people together despite segregation. “Those shows were a way to ease us into integration before it became law,” remembered Burley Mitchell, former Chief Justice of The Supreme Court of North Carolina. “They gave us a different experience.” Joseph Winters, Sr. created experiences that changed minds through the power of music.

Officers Joseph Winters Sr.(center) T. T. Street Jr. receive a letter of thanks from FBI director J. Edgar Hoover in 1966 after apprehending a bank robber.

Personal memorabilia from the Winters family

Memorabilia

A List of artists Who performed in Raleigh

A List of artists who performed in Raleigh

Hank Ballard & The Midnighters• Huey “Piano” Smith & The Clowns• Ike & Tina Turner• Inez Foxx• Ivory Joe Hunter & his Orchestra• J.J. Jackson• Jackie “Mom” Mabley• Jackie Moore• Jackie Wilson• James & Bobby Purfy• James Brown • Jay & The Americans• Jerry Butler• Jesse Belvin• Jimmy Dorsey & his Orchestra• Jimmy Ruffin • Joe Henderson• Joe Hinton• Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers• Joe Simon• Joe Tex• Joe Turner• Johnnie Taylor• Johnny Mathis• Junior Walker & the All Stars• Kim Weston• King Curtis• Kool & the Gang• LaVern Baker• Lee Dorsey• Lena Horne

• Les Brown & his Orchestra• Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra• Little Anthony &

the Imperials• Little Eva• Little Johnny Taylor• Little Milton• Little Richard• Little Willie John• Lloyd Price• Louis Armstrong• Louis Jordan & his Orchestra• Major Lanc•e Margie Day• Marie Bryant• Martha Reese & The Vandellas• Marvin Gaye• Mary Wells• Maxine Brown• Mother’s Finest• Nat King Cole• O C Smith• Otis Redding• Patterson and Jackson• Patti LaBelle• Patty Page• Paul “Hucklebuck” Williams Orchestra• Peaches & Herb• Peg Leg Bates• Percy Sledge• Phil Phillips• Pig Meat Markum• Ramesy Lewis Trio• Ray Charles• Robert Parker• Roy Hamilton•

Ruby & The Romantics• Rufus Thomas• Ruth Brown• Sam and Dave• Sam Cook• Sammy Kaye & his Orchestra• Sarah Vaughan• Shep and The Limelites• Shirley Ellis• Shirley & Lee• Silas Green (from New Orlean)• Sister Sledge• Smokie Robinson• Solomon Burke• Stan Kenton and his Orchestra• Steve Wonder• Stump & Stumpy• Stylistics• Sugar Pie DeSanto• Sylvia• Tammi Terrell• The Bar-Kays• The Cadillacs• The Cantels • The Chiffons• The Chli-Lites• The Coaster• The Commodores• The Contours• The Crest• The Delfonics• The Dell Vikings• The Dells• The Dixie Cups• The Dreamlovers The Drifters• The Embers• The Everly Brothers• The Falcons• The Five Royales• The Five Satins• The Flemingos• The Four Tops• The Gap Band• The Heartbeats• The Impressions• The Independents• The Intruders• The Isley Brothers• The Jive Five• The Long Ranger• The Lovin Spoonful• The Marcels• The Marvelettes• The Mills Brothers• The Miracles• The Monotones• The Ohio Players• The O’Jays•

The Olympics• The Platters• The School Boys• The Sensations• The Shirelles• The Silhouettes• The Soul Sisters• The Spaniels• The Spence Twins• The Spinners• The Staple Singers• The Supremes• The Tams• The Temptations• Theola Kigore• Thomas “Fats” Waller• Tiny Bradshaw & his Orchestra• Tommy Dorsey & his Orchestra•

Tyrone Davis• Vaughn Monroe & his Orchestra• Wilbert Harrison• Wilson Pickett• Woody Herman & his Orchestra• Xavier Cugat & his Orchestra

Al Green• Amos Milburn & his Big Little Band• Anna King• Archie Bell and The Drells• Aretha Franklin• Arthur Conley• Ashford & Simpson• B. B. King• Baby Washington• Barbara George• Barbara Lewis• Barbara Mason• Barrett Strong• Ben E. King• Benny Goodman• Betty Everett• Betty Wright• Bill Doggett• Bill Haley & The Comets• Billy Preston• Billy Stewart• Blue Magic• Bo Diddley• Bobby “Blue” Bland• Bobby Day• Bobby Freeman• Bobby Lewis• Bobby Womack• Booker T. & the MG’s• Brenda Holloway• Brenton Woods• Brook Benton Bullmoose Jackson• Cab Calloway• Carla Thomas• Charles Brown & his Orchestra• Charlie Spivak & his Orchestra• Chuck Berry• Chuck Jackson•

Chuck Willis• Clarence Carter• Clyde McPhatter• Count Baise & his Orchestra• Chubby Checkers• Dakota Staton• David Ruffin• Dee clark• Della reese• Dinah Washington• Dee Dee Warwick• Dionne Warwick• Don & Juan• Doris Troy• Dorothy Moore• Duke Ellington and his Orchestra Eddie Floyd• Edwin Star• Ella Fitzgerald• Emotions• Erma Franklin• Ernie K-Doe• Erskine Hawkins• Ester Phillips• Etta James• Fats Domino • Fontella Bass• Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers• Garnett Mimms & the Enchanters• Gene “Duke of Earl Chandler• Gene Allison• Gladys Knight & the Pips• Griffin Brothers Orchestra•

Other Artists