Where did musicians play the blues?

Tobacco Warehouses

The tobacco factories on Pettigrew and Fayetteville streets in Durham drew not only African Americans who had been shunned by other employers during the Jim Crow era, but they also attracted blues musicians seeking to earn a living from tips they could receive for their playing. Gary Davis, for instance, stood next to a woman's barbecue stop on the corner of Pettigrew and Fayetteville.

However, work was seasonal. Tobacco processing began in the fall and ended after the winter. Tobacco auctions at the Bull City warehouses brought farmers with cash who were willing to pay for good music as well as fine tobacco. Typically only professional bluesmen like Blind Boy Fuller, Gary Davis and Sonny Terry could earn enough tips to support themselves. A good tip could be as much as fifteen dollars, more than five times what the factory jobs paid. But the seasonal nature of the work, in addition to the constant urging of police for crowds to move off the narrow streets, forced many musicians to consider other venues to supplement the income they made on the streets.

Another street setting that proved more stable were the cafés and barbershops around town. Lincoln Café, across Pettigrew Street from the Bull City barbershop, and the City Newsstand provided consistent work for musicians and entertainment for customers.

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