He Was Everywhere…
[Kendrix was] the most photographed African American in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s… …save perhaps Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King*… He was everywhere.
Dr. Brenda Greer, 2021 lecture for the Alexandria Black History Museum
Kendrix had a phenomenal list of connections in sports, media, entertainment, fraternal organizations, and politics. His advertising campaigns and publicity events were full of famous faces, including baseball stars Ernie Banks and Jackie Robinson, actress Diahann Carroll, jazz percussionist Lionel Hampton, and singing legends Marian Anderson and Harry Belafonte.
Kendrix himself often appeared in the publicity photographs of promotional events, usually with a bottle of Coca-Cola nearby! Throughout the collection, his charm and tenacity shine through, essential qualities in a people-centered business where what the public thinks - counts!
*Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, and Martin Luther King all appeared in his PR work!
Mr. Kendrix and the Duke
Duke Ellington and Kendrix’s paths crossed several times throughout their careers. Ellington was one of the celebrities who Kendrix worked with in the 1940s promoting war bonds for the Treasury Department.
The pair worked together again in 1947 when Kendrix was working on the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Liberia, for which Ellington wrote “The Liberian Suite.”
In 1958, Ellington was featured on an exclusive 7-inch EP vinyl record with Mahalia Jackson. The disc was available for 50₵ and three Carnation Evaporated Milk can labels as part of Kendrix’s “premium promotion” campaign for the company.