A couple of brick walls adjacent to the Lower Fifth Ward home of online retailer Spectrum Audio are now graced with a mural meant to pay tribute to an earlier Upper Fifth Ward audio enterprise. Peacock Records, founded in 1949 by Don Robey, captured recordings by Big Mama Thornton, James Booker, Little Richard, and other jazz and gospel artists at its studio at 2809 Erastus St. — now the home of Charity Baptist Church. A couple miles to the southwest at 3301 Cline St., artist Wiley Robertson painted a version of the record label’s Peacock logo — adjacent to another of his signature “Love” murals:
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The installation is part of a series meant to honor local icons coordinated by UP Art Studio. It was completed late last week, after some weather delays.
Photos: Spectrum Audio
Really cool work. Wiley does it again!….. But more importantly, does this dwelling count as a work of art?
That’s just beautiful.
Great mural and nice artwork, but Robey’s Peacock Records office was on Lyons Avenue [now the Louis Robey Professional Bldg site], well north of the mural, with the Bronze Peacock Dance Club on Erastus St., even further north than the Lyons Ave., site. Props to Spectrum Audio for gracing any site in the area with this tribute. More folks should know of Don Robey and the [occasionally strong armed] role he played in the early Houston music scene. Interesting character. Just get on his bad side.
Whoops…
Just DON’T get on his bad side.
JOB WELL DONE ON THE RESEARCH DONE BY SPECTRUM AUDIO,A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT GREW UP IN THE AREA HAVE NO CLUE WHO THIS GUY DON ROBEY WAS. PEOPLE USE THE FACILITY EVERYDAY AND HAVE NO IDEAL THE HISTORY OF THE BUILDING.AGAIN WAY TO GO SPECTRUM.
I have a few questions about the mural. I have an assignment for an art class and it is to choose a mural anywhere and find out some info on it. My questions are: When was the mural made? Is it still there now? and what materials were used to make it?
Thank you, Giselle from Abq, NM