Alton Abraham facts for kids
Alton Abraham (born May 5, 1927 – died June 6, 1999) was an African American businessman. He was best known for managing the famous jazz musician Sun Ra.
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Alton Abraham's Early Life
Alton Abraham was born in the city of Chicago. He served in the U.S. Military in Okinawa from 1945 to 1947. After his military service, he came back to Chicago.
His Education and Early Career
Abraham studied at DuSable High School from 1947 to 1950. He also attended Wilson Junior College. Later, in 1952, he became a Radiographer at Provident Hospital. A radiographer is someone who takes X-ray images. In 1951, he was part of a singing group called the Knights of Music.
Working with Sun Ra
In late 1951, Alton Abraham met the musician Sun Ra. They quickly found out they had many interests in common.
Alton Abraham and Sun Ra were both very interested in ancient history, mysticism (which is about spiritual truths), numerology (the study of numbers), and science. They also shared an interest in the occult, which involves hidden knowledge.
Because of their shared interests, Alton Abraham, Sun Ra, and Sun Ra's brother Atis Abraham started a record company together. They called it El Saturn Records.
Preserving Sun Ra's Legacy
While Alton Abraham was Sun Ra's business manager, he collected many important items. These included objects, old artifacts, documents, and other materials related to Sun Ra. This large collection is now kept safe at the Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago. It is known as the Alton Abraham Collection of Sun Ra.
