Disciplines

African American Studies

Abstract

Delores Martin was interviewed August 9th 2005 by Mark Niason. Martin was very active in the Doo Wop Bronx scene during the 1950s. Her father was a tailor and her mother a dietician. She and her family moved to the Bronx in 1941. Martin remembers a safe and happy childhood. She explained that it was safe to play on the streets, as the neighborhood parents would watch over them.

Martin explains that music was an important part of her home life. R&B and Gospel were the two prominent genres played in her house. Martin never had formal signing instruction, however, she did perform solos at her mother’s church. She would frequent the Apollo Theatre and The Blue Morocco to see performances and listen to music. Martin would also venture into Manhattan for the nightlife.

Martin lived in a predominantly black neighborhood; however, the high school in which she attended, Morris High, was racially diverse. Martin was an active member in the local community center, Forest House. After high school, Martin’s mother bought a house on Lafontaine Avenue.

Martin, Deloris.mp3 (53722 kB)

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Martin, Deloris.mp3 (53722 kB)
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