Night School #240: Ural Thomas & Paul Knauls, Sr.

Tonight on Night School it is my great honor to welcome two of Portland’s most iconic musical figures: Ural Thomas and Paul Knauls, Sr. 

Ural and Paul have both made an extraordinary impact in Albina. In my oral history work in this arena, it is not uncommon to hear mention of both with frequency. As many will attest, there is a certain magic about these two and together they share history that speaks directly to that. 

Stylistically an outsider by nature, Ural’s stage fashion in the 1960s was in line with the likes of Parliament before that group was in existence. His handmade robes, wigs, and colorful attire were a shock to many; he once even crafted a stage suit made entirely of his own hair! This was enough to garner the attention of scouts at Uni Records, earning him studio time, a few LPs, and national exposure. 

However, this epoch in Ural’s career was brief. Upon travelling to NYC in 1967 to open for Otis Redding at The Apollo Theater, the hype machine reached it’s zenith. Ural outshone Otis on stage to the extent that - according to local lore - even James Brown was in attendance taking notes on this young man’s eclectic stage work. But it was James Brown who also exposed the industry’s dark side to Ural in an incident behind the Apollo wherein he pistol-whipped his own bandmate, leaving an impression of the music industry and its complex identity that stuck with him.

Uni Records ultimately did not know what to do with Ural Thomas. Combined with the unsettling effect of James Brown as well as Otis Redding’s lackadaisical air toward his young Portland admirer, Ural’s spirits were low. After the Apollo incident, Ural attempted to scrape together gigs on the road while working his way back west but soon ran out of luck. Broke, exhausted, and spiritually bankrupt, Ural phoned the man we now know as the “Mayor of Albina,” Paul Knauls, Sr.

Back in Portland, Paul had been steadily building business at what was becoming Portland’s most widely recognized soul music venue, the Cotton Club. Known as “the only place on the west coast with wall-to-wall soul,” this was now a destination on the Chitlin Circuit hosting the likes of Etta James, Sammy Davis, Jr. & Big Mama Thornton. Some describe the venue as a modern vaudevillian showcase in the black community. There were dancers, contortionists, comics, impersonators, and more. An extraordinary cast of local musicians got their start in this building, which remains to this day at 2125 N. Vancouver Ave. 

Upon receiving Ural’s phone call, Paul was troubled. One of Albina’s greatest musical assets was stranded in the Midwest, facing an uncertain fate. He quickly contacted Transunion and wired Ural the necessary funds to return to Portland. Upon his arrival, Paul ushered Ural into the Cotton Club where his music was received by the same community who’d supported him from the start. And though the Cotton Club would shutter its doors the following year due to racial tensions surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ural Thomas would remain, becoming Portland’s “Pillar of Soul.” Without Paul’s support and that of the Albina community, we may never know what might have become of Ural Thomas.

In rapid succession, Ural swore off the music industry in favor of a more domestic and community-driven approach to his music. In the decades since, he’s mentored some of Portland’s top soul and funk exports. His House Of Entertainment - aka his house - served as a common grounds for Albina elders and youth alike. Members of Pleasure, The Gangsters, and Slickaphonic all came up at Ural’s place, honing their chops and making waves beyond the city’s reaches. At nearly 80 years old, it is a wonder that we get to hear new music from Ural Thomas & The Pain to this day. 

Paul Knauls has similarly invested in Albina in myriad fashion. He played a critical role in the Model Cities program, the erection of “The Dream” sculpture, the renaming of Union Ave. to MLK Blvd., and even the early growth of the Portland Trailblazers organization. For what it’s worth, when the team won the championship in 1977, the after-party went down at Paul Knaul’s place. This, among countless instances behind the scenes, is exemplary of the level on which his influence extends. At 88 years young, Paul Knauls, Sr. still owns and operates a salon on MLK Blvd. named for his late wife, Geneva’s Shear Perfection.

Please join me this evening as we celebrate these two great men. Both have recently been recognized by Oregon Music Hall Of Fame, over 50 years after the instance described above. Tonight you’ll hear stories, musical selections from the Cotton Club, as well as rare and unreleased Ural Thomas recordings.