ENTREPRENEUR

Don Robey expanded his business empire with ventures like the Harlem Grill – a renowned nightclub that attracted high-profile patrons – and the Bronze Peacock Club, a popular venue for live performances that showcased prominent African American talent. The Bronze Peacock Dinner Club left a legacy as “arguably the most sophisticated African American owned and operated nightclubs in the South during the 1940s and 1950s” (Roger Wood). Additionally, his Buffalo Booking Agency helped secure engagements for artists, furthering his influence and reach within the music industry. In his time, Don Robey ran the largest Black-owned business in the US - all out of the 5th Ward, in Houston, TX, in the 1940s/50s/60s segregated South.