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Title: Grey Ghost Oral History Tape 1 7/29/90 Tary Owens [Side A], Grey Ghost Oral History Tape 1 7/29/90 Tary Owens [Side A]
Identifier: e_top_0053
Creator: Owens, Tary, (interviewer)
Contributor: Williams, Roosevelt T., (interviewee)
Topic: Historic farms--Texas, Racism--United States, Railroad trains
Dates: 1990-07-29
Box: 2007-247/41
Resource: Tary Owens papers
Description: Tary Owens speaking with Roosevelt T. Williams, (Grey Ghost) as they drive from Atlanta, Ga. to Austin, Tx. Williams talks about working as a field hand, riding trains, earning money as a gambler, bootlegger, and panderer. He also speaks about his sense of morality and racism in Texas. Grey Ghost tells several specific stories about altercations that either he was involved in or witnessed and a few other he heard about spurred by racial tension and discrimination. Grey Ghost discusses what he knows about Tom Moore's Farm and the song that made the Moore brothers infamous. He begins a discussion about singing in the fields and how inaccurate that would be considering the physicality of the actual labor.

Title: Grey Ghost Oral History Tape 1 7/29/90 Tary Owens [Side B], Grey Ghost Oral History Tape 1 7/29/90 Tary Owens [Side B]
Identifier: e_top_0054
Creator: Owens, Tary, (interviewer)
Contributor: Williams, Roosevelt T., (interviewee)
Topic: Agricultural laborers, Racism--United States, Texas, East
Dates: 1990-07-29
Box: 2007-247/41
Resource: Tary Owens papers
Description: Rosevelt T. Williams (Grey Ghost) speaks with Tary Owens while they travel by car from Atlanta, Ga to Austin, Tx. Williams talks about racism in Texas and violence against African Americans. He also discusses personal stories about his marriage to his former wife, his mother, sister and grandfather. His education, dancing and the song ""Black Gal Boogie"" are also included in the range of topics.

Title: Grey Ghost Oral History Tape 3 [Side A], Grey Ghost Oral History Tape 3 [Side A]
Identifier: e_top_0020
Creator: Owens, Tary, (interviewer)
Contributor: Williams, Roosevelt T., (interviewee)
Topic: Music-halls, Strippers (Burlesque), Piano music (Blues)
Dates: 1990-07-29
Box: 2007/247-27
Resource: Tary Owens papers
Description: Mr. Roosevelt T. Williams (Grey Ghost) talks about playing music at a strip club/ burlesque club many years ago. He briefly discusses other musicians there at the time and the types of songs that they played. Williams spent much of his life earning a living by being a chauffeur or a driver, for 20 years he drove a school bus in Texas. Throughout his many jobs he never completely gave up playing music out at parties. He talks about being challenged by younger players back in the day and various trio's he played with throughout the years.

Title: Grey Ghost Oral History Tape 3 [Side B], Grey Ghost Oral History Tape 3 [Side B]
Identifier: e_top_0021
Creator: Owens, Tary, (interviewer)
Contributor: Williams, Roosevelt T., (interviewee)
Topic: Concert tours, Family, Bus driving
Dates: 1990-07-29
Box: 2007/247-28
Resource: Tary Owens papers
Description: This section of Roosevelt Williams' oral history consists largely of discussions about the long drive they have been on driving from Georgia to Texas and the sights they see along the way. Williams talks about his health on several occasions, his faith, human nature and his relationships with friends and family.