Washington, Jackie

Jackie Washington fonds. – [189-]-2009; predominant 1970-2009. – 8.5 m of textual records and other materials. – ca. 2,500 photographs, ca. 150 audio cassettes, ca. 8 audio compact discs, 7 DVDs, 2 video cassettes, 2 audio discs.

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Jackie Washington (1919-2009) was the grandson of a Virginia slave. The second of thirteen siblings, Washington began his musical career at age five when he started singing with The Four Washington Brothers. By the early 1930s, Washington and his brother Ormsley became a self-taught musician, learning the guitar and piano. Before serving in World War II, he worked as a porter for Canadian Pacific Railroad, which inspired his lifelong interest in trains. During this time, the Washington family played host to many talented touring musicians including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Lionel Hampton. After obtaining a medical discharge from the army, Washington worked in Hamilton at the American Can Company, eventually forming a musical duo with Sonny Johnston. The two soon developed a weekly radio show on CKOC and in 1948 Washington became Canada’s first black disc jockey for CHML radio. His career showed continuing promise in the 1960s when the musician took full advantage of the burgeoning coffee house scene in order to establish himself as a folk musician. When folk festivals gained popularity in the 1970s, Washington became a fixture at such events as the Home County Folk Festival in London, Ontario and the Festival of Friends in Hamilton, Ontario. In spite of health problems (Washington was diagnosed with diabetes in 1970), he continued to work, recording his first album, Blues and Sentimental, in 1976. In the late 1980s, Washington continued to tour as part of a trio “Scarlett, Washington and Whitely,” with Mose Scarlett and Ken Whitely.  During his later years, Washington was upheld as an important musician both locally and nationally. He was recognized with an honorary doctoral degree conferred by McMaster University in 2003. The Jackie Washington Rotary Park was named in his honour in 2004.

The fonds consists of extensive photographs and textual, audio and audio visual materials. It also contains realia including trophies and honours, such a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hamilton Music Awards and even some of Washington’s hats. The collection is organized into the following series:  Personal Information and Miscellany; Artwork, Projects, and Musical Career; Legal, Financial, and Medical Documents; Correspondence; Greeting Cards; Flyers and Programs; Honours, Trophies, and Plaques; Journals and Notebooks; Song Lists, Lyrics, Sheets; Photographs and Portraits; Sound Recordings and Moving Images; Posters and Promotional Images; Realia; Newspaper Clippings.

Title is based on content of fonds.
The fonds (23-2009) was acquired in May 2009 from various individuals including Ken Whitely, David Kidney, and Cathy Powell. The guitar was acquired in 2011.
Finding aid available electronically.
Access to Box 2 (Legal, Financial, and Medical Documents; Correspondence) is restricted until 2019.
No further accruals are expected.