Joseph, Jr. (photo left) played bass, trumpet, violin/cello, guitar, trombone - played with Blanche Calloway and Nat King Cole. He also served in WW-1 in the 24th Infantry which merged with the Tenth Cavalry Guards for Teddy Roosevelt. He was musical director for the homecoming party of this Calvary Band. Joe, Jr. subscribed to Correspondence Lessons from the U.S. School of Music and taught his siblings to read and write music. He formed The Durham Brother's Orchestra, which became the 'house band' to Mamie Smiths 711 Show around 1924. The four brothers travelled with Doug Morgan's dramatic show where Eddie played trombone and 4-string guitar. Earl played clarinet and Sax. Roosevelt played piano and violin. Their cousins later joined them. They were Allen, a trombonist and engineer who recorded with Les Hite, T-Bone Walker and Lionel Hampton; Clyde played bass/tuba; and the infamous alto saxophonist Herschel Evans.

Sister Myrtle Durham played piano and chose to tour only the Church circuit.

After the Dramatic Show ended, Eddie joined the 101 Ranch Rodeo Circus which he says "was like the Ringling Brothers Show, only they had a bigger ring, because in some of the acts they had 3 - 4 tribes of Indians. Chief White Horse, Chief White Cloud and they'd perform just like they do in a movie. It was a Wild West show...yeah, and sometimes rifles... with blanks, all in the tent. They had a parade, then later on, the minstrel band would be further back in the parade playing jazz type stuff and the comedians on the wagon. But I arranged for the nine-piece minstrel show when we would break at 9PM, we'd go someplace where you could give a dance, charge 50 cents and I would write for them...and that's when I used the guitar and that's how I learned to voice above [triad] 3-part harmony. I would rehearse 4 trombones together and for the piano, I would get 2-3 French horns, voice 2-3 part harmony for them, giving a piano sound. Later we added in clarinets. I was experimenting in voicing. My brother was teaching me to read music." It was rehearsing with this traveling Circus show, and the jam sessions after the shows, where Eddie began developing multiple-part harmony.

"The last show that I was with them, they were at Yankee Stadium in New York and then they tore down [the Stadium] that year after and the show went to Europe." Eddie and his brothers joined "Edgar Battles Dixie Ramblers", a larger band..

Eric Durham exhibits that the apple doesn't fall from from the tree, as he pays tribute to his father, Eddie. This picture is courtesy of the San Marcos News taken in August 2004.

Eric is also a writer and arranger and played for the well known funk group Cameo.