Roy talks about his growing up in a multi-cultural neighborhood and learning to coexist with others. His oldest brother provided him with his first pair of drum sticks.

On the street he grew up on were to very important drummers: Herb Wright who played with James Reese Europe and Bobby Donaldson.

Roy mentions “Papa” Joe Jones- Count Basie’s great drummer and how much he learned from him.

On his early gigs he would play standards and the latest stock arrangements of popular tunes.

He mentions some of the Bston clubs in the late 1930s into the 1040s including “Little Dixie” which eventually became Walley’s.

When Roy Eldridge came to town with the Gene Krupa band he would jam with Roy at the “Ken” club.

Roy mentions the black musician’s union hall where players could rehearse. He talks about “Mother’s Lunch”, a hotel/restaurant that housed all the black big bands that came through town.