Wayne State University Press Main PageWSU Press Main Page Wayne State University Press Wayne State University Main PageWayne State University Main Page
Africana StudiesAfricana Studies
Art and Art History
Classical StudiesFilm and Television Studies
Great Lakes Books Series / Regional InterestJournalsJewish Studies
Labor Studies and Urban Studies
Literature, Literary Theory, German Literary and Cultural Studies, Humor StudiesSpeech & Language Pathology

About WSU PressContact WSU Press
Frequently Asked Questions
 Book Information About the book Reviews
Toast of the Town
The Life and Times of Sunnie Wilson

Sunnie Wilson with John Cohassey		 As part of the great migration of southern blacks to the north, Sunnie Wilson came to Detroit from South Carolina after graduating from college, and soon became a pillar in the local music industry. He started out as a song and dance performer, but found his niche as a local promoter of boxing and musical acts.
Part oral history, memoir, and biography, Toast of the Town draws from hundreds of hours of taped conversations between Sunnie Wilson and John Cohassey, as Wilson reflected on the changes in Detroit over the last sixty years. Supported by extensive research, Wilson's reminiscence is complemented by photographs from his own collection, which capture the spirit of the times. An influential insider's perspective, Toast of the Town fills a void in the documented history of Detroit's black business and entertainment community from the 1920s to the present. 		"Wilson has been a source of support and encouragement to so many in Detroit. Over the years, [he] has provided jobs for anyone in need. [His] business establishments have been a place for entertainers to display their talents, a meeting ground for charitable and civil rights activities, recreation for families, and a place to gather for good friends with good food provided."
—Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer
 

Great Lakes Books Series

$29.95s paper / ISBN 0-8143-2696-X

212 pages
64 b&w illustrations

1998

1998 Award of Merit from the Historical Society of Michigan