Watch the “Ernie Freeman: The Man in His Time” Book & Film Event

Ernie Freeman was a two-time Grammy Award winner, who helped break the color barrier in the Hollywood recording industry. He was an American keyboardist, bandleader, arranger, and producer, active as a professional musician from the 1940s into the 1970s. Despite his accomplishments, he has been forgotten by history. His daughter, Janis Freeman, and her cousin, Agin Shaheed, collaborated on a book celebrating his life: Ernie Freeman: The Man and His Times.

In this video, Janis Freeman presents her father, some family history, and some context for his career. Janis Freeman was born in Cleveland, OH; raised in Los Angeles, CA; graduated from Howard University; and attended Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York. She owned and operated a design practice in New York and Connecticut. Upon retirement, she moved to Delaware and has collected memorabilia, recordings, and documents about her father’s career. She has donated many of these items — including some of his more than 120 Gold Records — to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.