Dr. Hepcat
Albert Lavada Durst arrived in Austin, Texas on the 12th of January 1913. He learned to play piano while still a child growing up in that city. Local venues hosted him as he developed barrelhouse blues skills during his youth. These early performances built a foundation for his future career. His rhythmic jive talk became a signature element of his style. This unique voice eventually won him a position announcing Negro league baseball games in Austin.
Radio station KVET manager John Connally heard Durst perform at local events. Connally later served as Governor of Texas after this encounter. Station owner Jake Pickle supported the hiring decision fully. The year was 1948 when they brought Durst onto their staff. He became the first black radio disc jockey in the state of Texas. White listeners and black listeners both tuned into his broadcasts regularly. Senator games drew crowds solely to hear Dr. Hepcat speak.
Durst introduced jazz, blues, and rhythm and blues to white audiences in Austin. The Texas State Historical Association credits him with reaching an entire generation of white listeners. His presentation made him successful across racial lines in the community. A lot of people listened to Senator games just for the pleasure of hearing him. He functioned as good an entertainer as he did an announcer. Fame spread all over Austin during these years of broadcasting.
Uptown Records released recordings by Durst under the direction of Fred Caldwell. Caldwell owned the label and served as program director at KVET. Durst managed a gospel music group called the Charlotes. He wrote the song Let's Talk About Jesus for the Bells of Joy. The publication of The Jives of Dr. Hepcat appeared in 1953. This dictionary captured his unique style of hip rhythmic jive talk. The magazine Wax credited him as one of the inventors of rock'n'roll radio in 1978.
Durst retired from KVET during the early 1960s after many years on air. Mount Olive Baptist Church ordained him as a minister in 1965. He gave up performing for several years following this religious transition. From the mid-1940s until retiring in 1979, Durst worked as director of athletics. Rosewood Recreation Center in Austin employed him in that administrative role. His dual career spanned decades of service to the community.
The mid-1970s marked Durst's return to playing blues music publicly. Festivals and other venues hosted him again after his long break. Performances continued through the year 1979 when he finally stopped. He brought many prominent black entertainers to perform in Austin throughout his life. Albert Lavada Durst died in Austin on the 31st of October 1995.
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Common questions
When did Albert Lavada Durst arrive in Austin Texas?
Albert Lavada Durst arrived in Austin Texas on the 12th of January 1913. He learned to play piano while still a child growing up in that city.
What year did Dr. Hepcat become the first black radio disc jockey in Texas?
Dr. Hepcat became the first black radio disc jockey in the state of Texas in 1948. Radio station KVET manager John Connally and owner Jake Pickle supported his hiring decision that year.
Who published The Jives of Dr. Hepcat and when was it released?
The publication of The Jives of Dr. Hepcat appeared in 1953. This dictionary captured his unique style of hip rhythmic jive talk under the direction of Fred Caldwell at Uptown Records.
Where did Albert Lavada Durst work as director of athletics from the mid-1940s until 1979?
Rosewood Recreation Center in Austin employed him as director of athletics during those decades. His dual career spanned service to the community alongside his broadcasting work.
When did Albert Lavada Durst die and what church ordained him as a minister?
Albert Lavada Durst died in Austin on the 31st of October 1995. Mount Olive Baptist Church ordained him as a minister in 1965 after he retired from KVET during the early 1960s.
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5 references cited across the entry
- 1bookBlues - A Regional ExperienceBob Eagle et al. — Praeger Publishers — 2013
- 2bookThe Guinness Who's Who of BluesGuinness Publishing — 1995
- 4bookJakePickle, J. et al. — University of Texas Press — 2010