Black Omnibus hosted by James Earl Jones

This is the complete Black Omnibus 13-episode, four-disc set recorded in 1973 featuring live performances and conversations with the day’s most prominent African American athletes, entertainers and cultural figures.

Shot in Hollywood, California, and hosted by James Earl Jones, Black Omnibus includes Richard Pryor, Rufus Thomas and the Bar-Kays, all of whom were in town for the legendary Wattstax Music Festival that year which was attended by over 100,000 people.

“Black Omnibus is the whole wide world of the black experience.” —James Earl Jones

DISC ONE

Episode 1

• Jim Brown
• Rev. James Cleveland
• Arnold Dover
• Paula Kelly
• Ray May
• The New Birth (originally The Nite-Lighters)
• Maxine Weldon

Episode 2

• Hank Crawford
• The Friends Of Distinction
• Cleavon Little
• Letta-Mbulu
• Richard and Willie

Episode 3

• Franklin Ajaye
• Papa John Creach
• Hannah Dean
• Ron O’Neal
• Esther Phillips
• Hugh A. Robertson
• Alan Weeks

DISC TWO

Episode 4

• Shadrack
• Eubie Blake
• The Sylvers
• Goldfinger and Dove
• Carmen McRae

Episode 5

• Lou Rawls
• Paula Kelly
• Althea Gibson
• Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
• Luther Ingram
• Beah Richards
• Oscar Brown Jr.
• Jean Pace

Episode 6

• The Bar-Kays
• Sondra “Blinky” Williams
• The Crusaders
• Jim McMillian
• Gene Washington
• Paul Mooney

DISC THREE

Episode 7

• Odetta
• Little Dion
• The Spinners
• Dr. Alvin Poussaint
• Dr. William Grier

Episode 8

• La Verne Williams
• Slappy White
• Scoey Mitchlll
• Caribbean Allstars Steel Band
• Freddie Hubbard

Episode 9

• Rufus Thomas
• Richard Pryor
• Caroline Blakey
• Jimmy Smith
• Bernie Casey

DISC FOUR

Episode 10

• Willie Bobo
• Alex Haley
• Michell Simmons
• Oscar Brown, Jr.
• Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
• Quasi Badu
• Elvin Jones

Episode 11

• The Edwin Hawkins Singers
• Dr. Don Shirley
• The Voices of Deliverance
• Cicely Tyson

Episode 12

• Ahmad Jamal
• Abbey Lincoln
• Jimmy Witherspoon
• Taj Mahal

Episode 13

• Gloria Lynne
• Charles White
• Stu Gilliam
• Esther Phillips
• Ahmad Jamal
• Ray Scott