Benny Carter
Ridley was a record collector and archivist. In fifty years of collecting, he owned more than 8,500 LPs, 3,000 78s, 200 45s, 300 CDs, and 6,000 books on African American history and music. He specialized in Duke Ellington albums (he had more than 600) and Benny Carter (he had 200 Benny Carter albums).