Joseph L. Walcott was the first African American to own a nightclub in New England.
"Wally" worked at many jobs including running a taxi service where one of his customers was Boston mayor James Michael Curley.
[1] Wally brought many new musical acts to Boston, including Sarah Vaughn, Lena Horne, Coleman Hawkins, Oscar Peterson and Red Garland[2] were just some of the legendary performers who played at Walcott's nightclub.
After Wally's death in 1998 at age 101, his three children took over the bar, and today Wally's Cafe is still owned and managed by his family: Walcott's daughter, Elynor, and his three grandsons, Paul, Frank, and Lloyd Poindexter.
It is the oldest jazz club in the United States to be maintained and held by one family.