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It has been brought to my attention that there are more artist's that played an HN White instrument, if anyone can provide biography information on the following I will be happy to add them to our list of accomplished artists.
Yusef Lateef
Arnie Lawrence
Herb Geller
Johnny Griffin
Frank Foster
Wardell Gray
Jimmy Hamilton
Hank Mobley
Joe Maini
James Mood
Here is a list of artist's who ply HN White instruments today.
Ted Klum, Mark Gross, Alan Gauvin, Mike Karn, Kurt Bacher
*Thanks Andy Faber for the above information.
Mr. Julian "Cannonball" Adderley
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Born: September 15, 1928 Died: August 8, 1975 Played: King Super 20 Alto Saxophone |
Julian "Cannonball" Adderley was born September 15,1928, in Tampa, Florida. Julian learned saxophone in high school and later became the band director. After serving in the U.S.Army, 1950-53, he began playing saxophone as a hobby in local clubs. He later played with his brother Nat (cornetist) in Lionel Hampton's band. Julian played with Oscar Pettiford and also Miles Davis. He later formed a quintet with his brother and soared to jazz stardom possessing phenomenal technique. Julian died suddenly of a stroke / heart failure on Aug. 8, 1975 in Gary ,Indiana. He faithfully played on a King Super 20 Alto saxophone. Back to Top
Mr. Nathaniel "Nat" Carlyle Adderley
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Born: November 25, 1931 Died: January 2, 2000 Played: King Master model's, # 1065, # 1065S, and # 1067S Super 20 sterling bell cornet's. |
Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (Nat Adderley) was born on November
25 1931 in Tampa, Florida. Nat started playing the trumpet in 1946. He switched
to the cornet in 1950 and continued playing the cornet the rest of his career.
Nat attended Florida A&M University majoring in sociology, with a minor
in music. He played the cornet in the Marching "100" and the french
horn in the Universities Symphonic orchestra. Nat left the University to enter
the army where he played cornet during 1951-1953 in the 36th. Army band. After
his discharge from the army, he returned to school and graduated with a B.A.
degree in Sociology. He later played with Lionel Hampton, Oscar Pettiford, J.
J. Johnson, and Woody Herman. In 1959, he played with his famous Alto sax playing
brother, Julian Cannonball Adderly in their newly formed quintet. In 1975, Nat's
brother Cannonball died and Nat formed his own quintet with Sonny Fortune and
Vincent Herring. Nat's' two most famous songs were, "Work Song" and
"Jive Samba". He recorded many albums, kept a busy schedule, and taught
music theory at Florida Southern college until he began to suffer the effects
of diabetes in the mid 1990's. Nat retired from playing in 1997 he had a leg
amputated. Nat died at the age of 68 from complications of diabetes in Lakeland
Florida. Nat proudly played and endorsed the H. N. White King Master model's,
# 1065, # 1065S, and # 1067S Super 20 sterling bell cornets. Back
to Top
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Born: January 7, 1908 Died: April 17, 1967 Played: King Super 20 Trumpet Model # 1047 |
Henry "Red" Allen, born Jan. 7, 1908, died Apr. 17, 1967. Red Allen was taught trumpet by his father, Henry Allen Sr. Red Allen started playing violin, drums, ukulele,and alto horn.He later settled on the trumpet. Red Allen was known as a fierce cornet player in 1926, and in 1927, he played with King Oliver's Dixie Syncopator's in St. Louis. He was the lead trumpet for Luis Russell's Orchestra, played for Fletcher Henderson, and also the Mills Blue Rhythm band. In 1937, he opened for Louis Armstrong. In the 1940's, he formed his own sextet, and in the mid 1950's, he opened at the Metropole in New York and stayed there for 11 years. After touring successfully in England he died from pancreatic cancer at 59 years of age. Red Allen did not smoke or use drugs, rarely drank, was always on time and was happily married for 37 years. He played a H. N. White King Super 20 model # 1047. Back to Top
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Born: January 20, 1922 Played: The King 2-B Trumpet during the 1940's and early 1950's. |
As a teenager, Ray was already making musical history with his own band in Cleveland, Ohio. His musical skill and magnetic presence on a band stand brought him to the attention of the legendary Glenn Miller. at the age of 18, Ray was playing first trumpet with the glenn miller orchestra. During world war II, Ray enlisted in the navy. He was placed in charge of a service show band which toured bases in the Pacific. As always Ray's talent and showmanship rose to the top, and his orchestra won the award as the best service band. Upon his discharge in 1946, Ray made a decision which would affect the American musical landscape for close to five decades---he formed the Ray Anthony orchestra. immediately, Ray and his orchestra became a national sensation. With the resurgence of big bands, Ray Anthony is at the top of his uniquely american institution. in 1994, he and his orchestra were the leading american big band in concerts and recordings. Ray Anthony now operates his own internet store at www.bigbandcdstore.com. Biography provided by Ray Anthony web site. Back to Top
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Born: May 19, 1919 Died: January 8, 1990 Played: King Super 20 Tenor Saxophone |
Georgie Auld ( John Altwerger ) was born in Toronto, Ontario on May 19, 1919. Mr. Auld was a Tenor saxophone player, Army veteran, band leader and Club owner. Georgie first started on Alto sax but after hearing Coleman Hawkins, switched to Tenor sax. Played with Bunny Berrigan's orchestra, Artie Shaw, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn, Maynard Ferguson and more. Health problems related to tuberculosis caused his move to California where he opened a club, "The Melody Room". He remained active until he passed away on January 8, 1990 in Palm Springs, Ca. Georgie played a H. N. White King Super 20 Tenor Sax. Back to Top
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Born: December 25, 1902 Died: August 7, 1971 Played: King Tuba, King Sousaphone, King Symphony Bass, and King Double Bell Euphoniums |
William John Bell was born in Creston, Iowa on Christmas Day, 1902. Siblings included three sisters (Sarah Betzner, b. 1898; Ruth Rankin, b. 1900; Alice White Hazeltine, b. 1907) and one brother (Samuel Milligan Bell, b. 1896). Parents were William M. Bell and Nancy Milligan Bell. When William Bell was around ten years old, he began playing tuba in a boys band in Fairfield, Iowa. At age of fourteen (1917) Bell was already touring with W. W. Norton's popular area professional bands and orchestras. He continued to perform for Norton after entering the University of North Dakota at age 15 (1918) on a full music scholarship. In 1921 Bell’s fame and performance stature was recognized by none other than John Philip Sousa. The music world was astounded when John Philip Sousa summoned, without an audition, (Bell was only 18) to accept the position of principal tuba in The Sousa Band. From 1924 to 1937, William Bell served as Principal Tuba with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. He also taught at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and soon established himself as an outstanding teacher of tuba and low brass. During this time Mr. Bell met Mr. H. N. White maker of King brand instruments, and helped develop his own tuba that Mr. White put into production. Later Mr. Bell said, “I want to say that Mr. White has just completed for me the greatest brass instrument ever built, in my opinion--a double baritone and tuba. It has been my dream for several years to have such an instrument. ... Mr. White told me last September, that if I would stay at the factory a few days to help the testing of the experimental work, he would build this instrument. I am quite positive that he is the only manufacturer in the world who would have consented to do this.” During this tenure at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Bell also played principal tuba on the weekly radio broadcasts of the popular Armco Band directed by Frank Simon. From 1926-1937, during off-season for the symphony, Bell would settle in New York City to play principal tuba in the famed Goldman Band, or his beloved Asbury Park Municipal Band. In 1927, in Cincinnati, William Bell married the love of his life, Agnes Haacke who became affectionately known to a legion of musicians as "Aggie" and died in 1963. In 1937, conductor Arturo Toscanini formed a new orchestra to be known as The NBC Symphony Orchestra. This orchestra was to be comprised of the world's greatest musicians. Then in 1943 William Bell finally succumbed to the long standing invitation of his former Sousa colleague Maurice Von Praag, then manager of The New York Philharmonic, to accept the position of principal tuba in the Orchestra. In 1961, Bell accepted and moved with his wife Aggie to Bloomington, Indiana to teach at Indiana University. In 1971, William Bell retired from Indiana University. Shortly after his retirement in May, 1971, Bell became ill and passed away on August 7, 1971. Back to Top
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Born: March 14, 1912 Died: January 4th, 2001 Played: King Super 20 Tenor Saxophone |
Born in Reinerton, Pennsylvania March 14th, 1912, Lester Raymond Brown was one of four sons of the town's bandmaster and bakery owner. Brown's father trained his sons in both the music and the bakery business, and by the age of 9 Brown was playing professionally with his father at local events as a saxophonist. By the time he entered the Ithaca Conservatory of Music in New York State, Brown had added a number of instruments to his repertoire, notably the clarinet. Brown decided to test the waters in New York City in 1936, where he assembled a new band, Les Brown's Orchestra, which was signed by Decca Records. During his 1940 season at the Edison, Brown's warm-up act featured a 17-year-old Ohio native, Doris Van Kepplehoff. Brown signed the young singer, who became better known as Doris Day. Brown's orchestra gained its moniker in 1942, after a radio announcer ad-libbed the tag line. As Les Brown and His Band of Renown, Brown reunited with Doris Day in 1943, the singer by then divorced and the mother of a young child. Brown went to great pains to arrange for his lead singer to bring her daughter on tour with the band, and in between tour dates, recorded "Sentimental Journey". As an anthem for World War II soldiers and their loved ones, "Sentimental Journey" gave Les Brown and Doris Day a place in the hearts and history of a generation. In 1947, Brown replaced bandleader Desi Arnaz as Bob Hope's music director, and the Band of Renown was featured regularly on the comic's top-rated radio show. From 1950 onward, Brown and his band traveled with Hope on war and peace time tours of military bases in the US and overseas, and appeared on 18 of the famed Bob Hope Christmas Specials. Les Brown was a co-founder of the National Academy of Recording Sciences in 1957, and served as the Academy's first Los Angeles chapter president. With associates Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, Brown was key in making the Academy's Grammy Awards ceremonies a major media event. In 1996, Brown landed a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the leader of the Longest Organized Group In Popular Music. Despite poor health, Brown continued to play many of the Band of Renown's shows until August 2000, when he was forced by illness into retirement. Les brown died at his Los Angeles area home on January 4th, 2001. Back to Top
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Born: December 9, 1932
Played: King Symphony Trumpet with a silver bell. |
Donald Byrd (Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture II) Born on December 9th, 1932 in Detroit. Michigan. Donald studied at Wayne University (Bachelor of Arts), obtained a Master of Arts in Music education at the Manhattan School of music, and a Doctorate in Ethnomusicology from the Columbia teachers College. He played in the Air Force Band, played with Art Blakey, Max Roach, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and others. He taught at Rutgers University, the Hampton Institute, New York University, Oberlin College, Howard University, and North Carolina Central University. His best selling album was " Blackbyrd". He continues to teach. Donald played a H. N. White King Symphony trumpet with a silver bell. Back to Top
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Born: September 12, 1867 Died: January, 30 1945 Played: King Master Model Cornet # 1065 |
Herbert Lincoln Clarke was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, Sept.12, 1867. His father was an organ player and his three older brother's were also musicians. He was self taught on his brother Edwin's cornet. He played for the Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra, Queen's Own Rifles Band, Citizens Band of Toronto, and in 1893, joined John Phillip Sousa's band. In 1933 he conducted the Long Beach Municipal Band until 1943. Dr. Clarke was a master cornetist, performed over 6,000 public concerts, toured 14 countries, 473 concerts in one year and published many technical manuals. He died on Jan 30, 1945 in Los Angeles, California, and was interred in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C., near the grave of John Phillip Sousa. He played a King Master model cornet, model # 1065. Back to Top
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Born: November 6, 1916 Died: October 12, 2002 Played: King 2-B Trombone |
Ray Conniff was born in Attleboro, Mass. His father played trombone
and his mother played piano. Ray started playing lead trombone with the high
school orchestra. His first professional job was with Dan Murphy's " Musical
Skipper". Ray played with Bunny Berigan's band, Bob Crosby, Artie Shaw
and Glen Gray. During WW II, Ray was in the Army and arranged music. In 1946
he arranged for Harry James. Ray continued to arrange, conduct and make music
up to the age of 85. Ray recorded over 100 albums, sold over 70 million and
received a Grammy award for recording
"Somewhere my Love". Ray suffered a stroke and passed away on Oct.12,
2002 at 85 years of age.Ray played a King 2-B trombone. Back
to Top
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Born: January 5, 1906 (Defiance, Ohio) Died: November 14, 1989 Played: King "Master" Cornet & Super 20 Cornet
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By the1920's Bill Davison began to build his career with various bands including Ben Meroff's Chicago-based orchestra. In the 1930's he was in Milwaukee, billed as "Trumpet King" Davison, and despite a lip injury in 1939 (he was hit in the mouth, appropriately for Milwaukee, by a flying beer mug) had arrived in New York by 1941. In 1945 he joined Eddie Condon's house band, and those long nights and hard musical pace at Condon's club made him a commanding front man, a tough and reliable lead cornetist that Condon could count on. By 1960, Davison was a soloist. despite his regular reunions with Condon he began a new lifetime pattern of band leading and touring. Between 1965 and 1975 Wild Bill had toured with over 100 bands and recorded over 20 new albums. Even by 1985 Wild Bill still played at jazz festivals and toured England in 1986. He died on November 14th 1989 at the age of 83 in Santa Barbara, Ca. Back to Top
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Born: March 8, 1918 Died: March 22, 1974 Played: King Super 20 Tenor Saxophone |
Sam Donahue was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 8, 1918. Sam mainly played Tenor Saxophone, but also played trumpet and valved trombone. He played for Gene Krupa, Harry James, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Stan Kenton. His overall style was influenced by Count Basie. While in the Navy he played for Artie Shaw's Navy band. After his discharge from the Navy, he organized his orchestra. After Tommy Dorsey died, he lead Dorsey's band and worked studio recording jobs. He was leading the band when he was struck with cancer and died on March 22, 1974 in Reno Nevada. Sam played a H. N. White King Super 20 Tenor Saxophone.
Sam was a regular visitor to the H. N. White plant in Cleveland and made such a good impression on Mrs. Edna White that she would often remark after he left "...he is such a nice man." After Sam took over the Tommy Dorsey Band the King Company ran ads proclaiming "...nobody ever deserved success more!" Back to Top
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Born: February 29, 1904 Died: June 12, 1957 Played: The King Super 20 Saxophone |
The older of the two Dorsey brothers was a musical prodigy. At the age of seven Jimmy was playing the slide trumpet and cornet with his father's brass band at local parties. In 1933 Jimmy and younger brother Tommy formed their famous “Dorsey Brothers Orchestra”. The band did not last long with each of their tempers. After breaking up, Jimmy went on to form his own band which was very successful. During the early fifties, Jimmy and Tommy were able to get back together forming the greatest band of all time. Back to Top
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Born: November 19,1905 Died: November 26, 1956 Played: Almost every King Trombone made |
Tommy Dorsey was born November 19, 1905 in Shenendoah, Pennsylvania. Tommy and his older brother Jimmy were both taught as young children by their father, who was a coal miner who became a music teacher and led a brass band. During the twenties, Tommy and his brother Jimmy lead Dorsey's Novelty Six before moving to New York. By 1934, they officially formed the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. At that time Glenn Miller and Bob Crosby were both members of the band. The orchestra did not last long though, when Tommy, well-known for his temper stormed off the stage one night in 1935. Tommy was intent on being better than his brother and work very hard to show Jimmy up at every opportunity. Tommy took over the Joe Haymes Orchestra. The two Dorsey brothers' orchestras, which appeared similar but both had their own musical styles, were soon two of the most popular bands in the country. Tommy was eventually more successful than his brother, especially by the time the Swing Era reached its peak in 1938. Although he was known as an ambitious and demanding bandleader who didn't hesitate to fire musicians if they didn't meet his expectations, Dorsey was probably his own biggest critic and never had much confidence in his skills as a musician. In 1942, Dorsey attempted to expand his sound by hiring the string section of the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Despite this effort to bring in new life, Dorsey's band couldn't withstand the decline in popularity that plagued many Big Bands immediately following World War II. This led to Tommy's temporarily leaving the music business before he reformed his orchestra, which initially did not enjoy much more success than the previous one, shortly thereafter. In the early 1947, the two brothers had a chance to spend time together and reconcile during the filming of The Fabulous Dorsey's. Again, Tommy formed a new band and struggled to keep it going. Finally in 1953, Jimmy returned to form a new Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Jackie Gleason helped the brother land their own popular television program on CBS in 1954. On November 26, 1956, Dorsey, whose affinity for the culinary arts was well known, choked to death in his sleep in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Tommy loved Mr. White's trombone the first time he played it, and the two of them quickly established a good working relationship. In 1934 Mr. Dorsey started endorsing King with his Liberty Trombone. Back to Top
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Born: May 26, 1914 Died: June 26, 1968 Played: Liberty No. 2-B, King Super 20 Trumpet (Picture from e-bay) |
In 1936 Ziggy Elman joined Benny Goodman and formed part of one of the best three-man trumpet sections of the swing era. With Harry James and Chris Griffin, Elman shared lead and solo duties and his dynamic, biting playing was a great asset to the band. After leaving Goodman, Elman worked with other big bands, including those of Joe Venuti and Tommy Dorsey. In the late 40s, Elman tried leading his own big band and met with a measure of success especially with a re-recording of "And The Angels Sing". In the early 50s he worked in film studios in Los Angeles but ill-health and personal problems kept him from achieving much success. Many people thought Ziggy to be the world's greatest trumpet player. Back to Top
Mr. John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie
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Born: October 21, 1917 Died: January 6, 1993 Played: King Super 20 Trumpet |
Mr. John Gillespie was born on October 21,1917 in Cheraw South Carolina. The family home was in Englewood, New Jersey, and Dizzy was the ninth and last child born to James and Lottie Gillespie. Dizzy inherited his love for music from his father, (a builder and brickmason) who played in a band and collected musical instruments. James was too busy working to teach his children music, and Dizzy was the only child that loved the instruments that were around the house. Dizzy first taught himself to play the trombone. At 12 he began to play his friend's nickel plated trumpet. The rest is history. In 1933 Dizzy graduated from high school and attended Laurinburg Technical Institute. In 1937, Dizzy moved to New York City and later joined the Teddy Hill Orchestra and met dancer, Lorraine Willis, his future wife & manager. In 1940, Dizzy met Charlie Parker and they were the founding Father's of Bebop. Dizzy played with Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, directed Billy Eckstines orchestra and later formed his own orchestra. Dizzy composed two world famous hits, "A Night in Tunisia", and "Salt Peanuts". In 1947 Dizzy began playing H. N. White King Super 20 trumpets. Two models were given to him by Edna White at the Cleveland factory. On January 6, 1953 during a birthday party for Lorraine at Snookie's in New York City, two band members fell on Dizzy's Martin trumpet. Dizzy liked the new sound his trumpet produced as the bell turned upwards at a 45 degree angle. Dizzy thereafter had all of his horns custom made with the upturned bells. Dizzy continued to lead his own orchestra and also a Quintet that toured Europe in 1959. Dizzy switched back to playing King trumpets and ended his career playing on a Schilke trumpet that was given to him by Jon Faddis. The King Silver Flair trumpet that Dizzy played from 1972 through the1980's, was presented to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. where it is on display. Dizzy was the first jazz artist appointed by the U.S. Department of State as Cultural Ambassador to tour on behalf of the U.S. throughout Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Dizzy received the Handel Medallion from New York City, the Paul Robeson Award from Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies, the Chevalier of the Legion Honor by the French Government, the Kennedy Center Honors at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and was awarded the National Medal of Arts. Dizzy died on January 6, 1993. Volumes can be written about the life of Dizzy. In his Memoirs, "To Be or Not to Bop", his last written words were, "When I breathe the last time, it'll be a happy breath". Dizzy is buried next to his mother at the Flushing Cemetery, in Flushing, New York. His grave bears no head stone. Back to Top
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Born: May 10, 1907 Died: June 22, 1979 Played: King 2-B Trombone |
Born Walter Hunt on May 10, 1907 in Mt. Healthy Ohio. Pee Wee came from a musical family, his father played violin and his mother played banjo. Hunt started playing banjo in his teen years and went to Ohio State for collage. During this time Pee Wee started playing with local bands and started playing the trombone. The trombone become his passion, and he started playing with Jean Goldkette's Orchestra in 1928. A year later he joined Glen Gray's Orange Blossoms, a Detroit band that eventually became known as the Casa Loma Orchestra. Pee Wee was a heavily featured member of that band for many years, providing not only a solid line in trombone choruses but also a large portion of likeable vocals. Hunt eventually left the Casa Loma in 1943, and became a Hollywood radio disc jockey for a while before spending the closing period of the war as a member of the Merchant Marine. In 1946 he returned to the west coast music scene, forming his own dixieland outfit and playing the Hollywood Palladium, where audience reaction to his pure hokum version of "Twelfth Street Rag" was so enthusiastic that Hunt decided to record the number at one of the band's Capitol Records sessions. The result was a hit that topped the US charts for eight weeks in 1948. Five years later, Hunt was in the charts again with a corn ball version of "Oh!", an evergreen song from 1919. Like "Twelfth Street Rag" it became a million-seller and charted for nearly six months. This proved to be Hunt's last major record and the trombonist dropped from the limelight, but still continued playing his happy music until his death in June 1979. Back to Top
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Born: March 15, 1916 Died: July 5, 1983 Played: Special made Silver Sonic Super 20 Trumpet Recommend: "Trumpet Blues" - The Life of Harry James by Peter J. Levinson |
JAMES, HARRY HAGG (1916-1983). Harry Hagg James was born to Everett Robert and Maybelle (Stewart) James on March 15, 1916, in Albany, Georgia. His stage life began as the circus contortionist in the Hagg Circus, which later became the Christy Brothers Circus. His musical education began with the drums at age four in the circus band. He learned to play piano and trumpet with his father, the circus bandmaster. In 1934 he toured as a trumpet player with Joe Gill, and in 1935 he joined Ben Pollack's band. Early in 1936 he made his recording debut with Pollack's band. Fame came later in 1936, when he joined Benny Goodman's orchestra. Harry made a name for himself with great trumpet solos and an appearance in the band's 1938 movie, Hollywood Hotel. After he started the Harry James Band in 1940, his hit song, "You Made Me Love You" (1941), sold over a million copies. Other popular Harry James recordings included "Carnival in Venice" and "Flight of the Bumble Bee." Harry, along with his band, developed the boogie-woogie style for big-band swing. His romantic ballads were the key to his success and shot him to fame as a big-band leader. In 1941 a national poll voted his band the number-one dance band in the country. Harry appeared on radio shows for Danny Kaye, Coca-Cola, and Jack Benny, and also on his own Chesterfield Cigarettes-sponsored series. Some of the famous musicians who performed with Harry James in the 1940s were Dick Haymes, Frank Sinatra, and Helen Forrest. Early 1951 Harry traded in his Selmer trumpet for a H. N. White "Super 20 Silver Sonic" which was specially made (the valves were moved forward a few inches) for him. This change in trumpets was due in large part because of the friend ship Harry had with Mrs. H. N. White. When Harry was in Cleveland he would stop by the King plant (to pick up a new trumpet) and would spend hours talking with Edna White and would go out for an early dinner with her before going to his gig. Into the 1950s and 1960s Harry and the band were joined as well by Buddy Rich, Sam Firmature, Jack Perciful, and Ray Sims. James continued to be popular, appearing cameo or with Benny Goodman's band in many movies, including Two Girls and a Sailor (1944), Young Man with a Horn (1950), The Benny Goodman Story (1955), and Anything Goes (1956). Still an active musician in the 1970s, he was quoted then as saying, "I don't look at people as changing, being old or being young. I just look down from the stand to see if people are having fun." James was married four times. His first marriage was to Louise Tobin in 1935. It lasted until he met Betty Grable, whom he married in 1943. He and Betty moved to Las Vegas, where Harry played for many years. He and Betty divorced in 1965. After the divorce he married Joan Boyd, a Las Vegas showgirl. He had five children from his various marriages. Harry James died of cancer at the age of sixty-seven on July 5, 1983, in Las Vegas, Nevada. To see our Harry James Trumpet in the Collection Click Here. Back to Top
Mr. William Geary "Bunk" Johnson
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Born: December 27, 1889 Died: July 7, 1949 Played: King Liberty Trumpet |
Bunk Johnson confused Jazz historians for years by lying about almost everything, but nevertheless he was an early Jazz pioneer who apparently played in bands led by Buddy Bolden. He definitely played in Frankie Dusen's Eagle Band, The Superior Orchestra and with Clarence Williams. He left New Orleans in 1915 and played in minstrel shows, theatre orchestras and circus bands, and with the Black Eagle Band. While playing with the Black Eagles in 1930 the band's other trumpet player Evan Thomas was stabbed to death on the bandstand. A fight broke out and Bunk's instrument was damaged. After this incident Bunk continued to play from time to time, using a borrowed trumpet, but his heart was not in it any longer. His teeth were also starting to give him trouble and in 1931 he had pretty much retired from music. He worked as a truck driver, laborer, and as a WPA funded children's music teacher. In 1938 Bill Russell and Fredric Ramsey started to write their book, "Jazzmen". After interviewing several Jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Bunk's name kept coming up as one of the early influential jazz musicians in New Orleans. They managed to track Bunk down in New Iberia, Louisiana where he was living, and interviewed him for the book. Bunk lied about a great many things, including his birth date, so that it would look like he had been one of the first Jazz musicians. It took years until other historians figured out that Bunk was shall we say, "full of bunk" . Despite all that, Bunk's colorful stories contributed to the success of the book, and the authors took up a collection among musicians and record collectors to fix Bunk's teeth and buy him a new horn. He made his first recordings in 1942, and became a popular fixture of the Dixieland revival of the 1940's. Biography by Christopher Hillman, "Bunk Johnson" Universe Books, 1988 Back to Top
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Born: December 29, 1903 Died: June 1, 1990 Played: King Liberty Trumpet & King Miniature Trumpet |
Clyde McCoy was born on December 29 in Ashland Kentucky and raised as a child in Portsmouth, Ohio. He began playing trombone and switched to trumpet at ten years of age. As a teenager, Clyde played trumpet on riverboats and also in theaters. At 19 years of age, he began playing with a mute and was widely known for his wah wah sound. Clyde formed his own orchestra, and in 1931 he had his first big hit, "Sugar Blues". This song became his signature song which sold millions of copies. Clyde played in the Navy during WW 2, and in the 1950's Clyde's band was very successful playing concert halls and major clubs in Canada and the United States. He continued playing with a small dixieland band until the mid 80's and later died at the age of 87 in Memphis, Tennessee. Clyde played an H. N. White King Liberty trumpet and also was known for playing " Sugar Blues" on his miniature King Liberty trumpet that is now on display at the Fiske Museum of Claremont University Consortium in Claremont, California. Back to Top
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Born: February 13, 1904 Died: July 9, 1982 Played: King Liberty Trumpet |
Joseph "Wingy" Manone was born on February 13th, 1904 in New Orleans,
LA. He first heard jazz, "When the colored bands in trucks advertising
a dance, battled it out". He earned the name "Wingy" when he
lost his right arm in a accident between two streetcars at the age of ten. Manone
later started teaching himself to play the trumpet and developed quickly, becoming
a professional at the age of 17 playing in riverboat bands. Manone later worked
in Chicago and New York, was a member of the Crescent City Jazzers ( Mobile,
Alabama), and recorded with the group when they were called the Ardadian Serenaders.
He recorded as a leader in 1927, and his 1930 piece "Tar Paper Stomp"
had a riff that would later be the basis for Glenn Miller's hit "In the
Mood". Manone worked with Ray Miller, Charlie Straight, and Speed Webb,
and in 1934 started recording quite prolifically in New York. He made many records
during 1934-41 with freewheeling combos that were popular during the era. Some
of his records included such greats as tenors Eddie Miller, Bud Freeman and
Chu Berry, clarinetists Matty Matlock, Joe Marsala, and Buster Bailey, and trombonists
George Brunies, Santo Pecora, and Jack Teagarden. Wingy's 1935 recording of
"The Isle of Capri" was his biggest hit. In 1940 Manone moved to Los
Angeles, and he appeared on the radio regularly with Bing Crosby. Wingy moved
to Las Vegas in 1954, recorded regularly until 1960 (there would also be an
album in 1966 and two final numbers in 1975), visited Europe in the 1960s, and
was active until the mid-1970s, always playing freewheeling, and cheerful jazz.
Joseph "Wingy" Manone died on July 9th, 1982 in Las Vegas. Back
to Top
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Born: August 29, 1920 Died: March 12, 1955 Played: The King Super 20 Saxophone |
At age seven, Parker came to Kansas City and began studying music. By age 15 he was serious about the alto saxophone. Soon, Parker was playing with local bands until 1935, when he left school to pursue a music career. By the summer of 1937, Charlie had practiced and improved enough that he was playing with Buster Smith and Gene Ramey. In 1940, Parker joined the McShann big band and got the opportunity to perform solo in several of their recordings. Parker visited Europe in1949 and 1950, and Parker realized his lifelong dream to record with strings when he switched to Norman Granz's Verve label in 1949. By the beginning 1955 drugs took there toll on Parker and in March Parker was dead. Charlie Parker was an amazing saxophonist who gained wide recognition for his solos and innovative improvisations. He was, without a doubt, one of the most influential and talented musicians in jazz history. Back to Top
Mr. Charles James "Charlie" Shavers
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Born: August 30, 1920 Died: July 8, 1971 Played: King Super 20 Trumpet |
Charles James Shavers was born August 3rd, 1920 in New York City, New York. Charlie's first instrument was the banjo. In military school, he played alto horn and was later forced to switch to trumpet. Charlie aged himself a bit, stating he was born in 1917, in order to play in John Kirby's band as a teenager.While playing with John Kirby's band from1937 to1944, Charlie took a serious interest in playing the trumpet. Charlie wrote many arrangements including the well known standard "Undecided". In 1944, Charlie worked for the CBS orchestra. Later, Charlie toured with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra between 1945 and 1950.Charlie played with Jazz at the Philharmonic in 1951 & 1952. He then played for a short time back with the Dorsey orchestra, and then with Benny Goodman for a period of time. Charlie led his own quartet for a while, and made his last recordings in 1970 while in Europe. During his career, Charlie played with many jazz legends. Charlie died of throat cancer at the age of 53 (July 8, 1971) in his home town, his death was just two days after Louis Armstrong past away. Charlie played and endorsed an H. N. White King Super 20 trumpet for many years. He often frequented the factory and was instrumental in sharing production ideas to the engineers with fellow trumpet great Ziggy Elman. Back to Top
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Born: November 26, 1889 Died: 1967 Played: King Cornet and Trumpet Recommend: "The Story of the ARMCO Band" by Christopher L. Chaffee |
H. N. White Catalog Information: |
Frank Simon was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 26, 1889. One year after Franks birth the family moved to Middletown Ohio and opened a dry goods store. At the age of nine Frank discovered the Flute and taught himself how to play with the wrong body and hand position, and then managed to talk his Mother in buying a Cornet. At age eleven he started taking lessons with Q. C. Buckles who was a local band director. Soon Frank had joined Mr. Buckles band, and when Mr. Buckles moved in 1903, he put fourteen year old Frank in charge as director. Next Frank began to take lessons from Mr. William J. Kopp who was first trumpet in the Cincinnati Symphony and served on the faculty at Cincinnati College of Music. In 1905 Kopp suggested that Simon audition for Herman Bellstedt who was a very popular Cornet soloist and composer during his tenure with the Sousa Band. Then Kopp formed his how band in 1909 and Frank served as Cornet soloist. When Frank turned twenty five, Herbert Clark announced that he was going to retire from Sousa, and Bellstedt (a long time friend of Sousa) convinced him that Frank Simon was just the person to replace Mr. Clark. With Clarks' retirement in 1917 Frank took over as the bands Cornet soloist, and began to learn everything he could from Sousa about becoming a bandmaster. Between late 1917 and early 1918 the Sousa Band took a short break for World War One, but by the Summer of 1918 the band was back touring and Frank was again playing. By 1920 Frank had come into his own as a soloist and then came the break up with Sousa. It is difficult to say what happened but what is known is that Frank was back in Middletown and as luck would have it the Armco (American Rolling Mill Corporation) executives had decided to start an industrial band. They chose Frank Simon to be the bands director and frank dove head long into making it the best band in the country. Most employees at Armco had no musical experience, but by January 7, 1921 the band had grown to 40 pieces. On January 26, 1925 the band made its first radio broadcast and by Thanksgiving Day they were on WLW which broadcasts to half the country. In 1928 the band went to the Canadian National Exposition and preformed two concerts a day during the weeklong event making headlines in the U.S. and Canada. With the onset of the Great Depression Armco found itself in financial trouble, and most of the musicians were laid off leaving Simon scrambling to find ways to salvage the band. By November 1929 the band was transformed to a radio band with professional players (from the Cincinnati Symphony) and broadcasts on WLW. In addition, Frank was instrumental in setting up the American Bandmaster Association (ABA). In 1930 Simon received an honorary doctorate from Capital College of Oratory and Music.In 1934 NBC began airing the Armco band as the "Armco Band of NBC radio fame" with a time slot on Monday at 10:30 pm (EST) with thirteen concerts per year. Broadcasts for the next few years continued to increase in popularity and Dr. Simon traveled extensively to guest conduct high school, college, and municipal bands. In 1932, Mr. Simon founded the band department at Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music, where he taught for 20 years. Sponsorships by band instrument manufacture were very important to the bands success. In the 1920's Holton was a big sponsor but by the 1930's The H. N. White Company had taken over as the bands main instrument sponsor. Dr. Simon had a great relationship with Mr. White and wrote a number of articles for the White Way News Catalog. When Frank was in Cleveland he would stay at Mr. White's home and one summer taught his daughter Cathryn how to swim. In 1939 new management took over at Armco and cancelled the band broadcasts, leaving Dr. Simon and the band members devastated. Dr. Frank Simon went on to teach and conduct until his death in 1967. If you have more information about Dr. Simon, please contact me. Biography information provided by Christopher L. Chaffee Back to Top
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Born: August 19, 1899 Died: July 12, 1950 Played: "Master" Model (under slung) Cornet Recommend: To learn more about Del go to |
H. N. White Catalog Information: |
Charles Delaware "Del" Staigers was born on August 20, 1899 in Muncie, Indiana. Del was just six years old when he applied to Professor E.W.Garrett of the Muncie, Indiana Conservatory of Music. Professor Garrett rented the young lad a horn for 10 cents a week, and Del proceeded to drive his mother crazy with his constant practicing, to the point where she insisted that he do his practicing outdoors in a nearby empty lot. The following year he was dubbed "The Boy Wonder", performing his first solo at Winona Lake (Indiana Chautauqua). In 1912, he played his first professional engagement with the NHDVS Band in Dayton, Ohio. In 1918 he was hired as assistant cornet soloist to the great Frank Simon for the Willow Grove Concerts with Sousa's Band.Del Staigers joined Sousa's band in 1919 as assistant cornet soloist. Then in 1926, Edwin Franko Goldman was searching desperately for someone to replace his current cornet soloist. Del Staigers was highly in demand by this time and therefore difficult to reach, but Goldman persevered and finally got Staigers to join the band. In 1934 Del was let go by Goldman but remained highly in demand as a teacher and as a studio musician. Around this time Del became a paid spokesman for The H. N. White Company endorsing the King Number 2 Liberty Trumpet and the King Master Cornet. Over the next few years Del wrote a number of articles on King Instruments which appeared in the White Way News Catalogs. In 1936 Staigers was working on a program on NBC called "Showboat". Throughout the 1940's Del continued to work in Hollywood as a studio musician for radio and movies. Del Staigers died at his home in North Hollywood on July 12, 1950. Special Thanks to www.delstaigers.com for the Biography and if you wish to learn more about Del, please visit his web site. Back to Top
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Born: August 20, 1905 Died: January 17, 1964 Played: King 2-B Trombone |
Born Weldon Leo Teagarden on August 20, in Vernon Texas. Teagarden's mother gave him early piano lessons, and his father, a bit of a musician himself, presented Jack with a trombone on his seventh Christmas. Jack spent considerable time as a youth listening to the music and the hymn singing at Negro religious meetings. He joined the Peck Kelly band in 1921, when he was sixteen years old and was a mainstay of the New York Jazz scene by the late 1920s. He was also one of the best White Jazz singers, particularly when he sang the Blues on songs like Makin' Friends.In late 1933, he signed a five-year contract with Paul Whiteman Orchestra . After leaving Whiteman in 1939 Jack Teagarden put together a big band that would continue to play until 1946. From 1947 to 1951 he was a sideman with the Louis Armstrong's All-Stars. After leaving Armstrong , Teagarden led a Dixieland sextet throughout the remainder of his career, playing with such talented musicians as Jimmy McPartland , and (during a 1957 European tour) pianist Earl Hines. Teagarden toured the Far East during 1958-59, teamed up one last time with Eddie Condon for a television show/recording session in 1961. He died from pneumonia in New Orleans January 17, 1964. Back to Top
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Born: May 18, 1908 Died: July 13, 1989 Played: King Special Zephyr Saxophone |
Tommy Tucker was born on May 18, 1908 in Souris North Dakota. Tucker graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1929 with a degree in music. Best remembered for his 1941 hit recording ''I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire,'' Tommy Tucker was one of the most successful orchestra leaders of his day. His particular brand of slow dance music, aimed at the hotel ballroom audience, kept him at the top of his profession for nearly thirty years. In 1929 he formed his first band, Tommy Tucker and His Californians. The group made several recordings, with Tucker on vocals, before disbanding in the mid-thirties. In 1935, Tucker formed a new orchestra, which quickly became popular on the hotel and ballroom circuit. The new band also found work on radio, performing on the Fibber McGee and Molly Show in 1936-37 and on the George Jessel Show in 1938. Vocalists included Amy Arnell, Don Brown, Kerwin Sommerville, and a vocal grouping, The Voices Four (sometimes ''The Voices Three''). In 1944, Tucker attempted to put together a swing outfit. To help make the transition, he hired arrangers Van Alexander, Claude Hopkins and Fred Norman. The experiment was a failure and a year later he was back playing for the hotel crowd. His orchestra of the 1950s included saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and singer Eydie Gorme. Tucker retired from the music business in 1959. He spent a year teaching high school English in New Jersey before accepting a position as Assistant Professor of Music at Monmouth College. He later became Dean of the Music Department. He retired in 1978 and spent his remaining years in Florida. Aside from leading his orchestra, Tucker ran a home furnishing store and founded the Tommy Tucker School of Music. He also owned his own song publishing company. Tommy Tucker died in 1989 in Sarasota, Florida. Back to Top
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Born: December 2, 1916 Deid: January 17, 1992 Played: King Saxello, and King Super 20 tenor Saxophone |
Charlie Ventura was born December. 2, 1916 in Philadelphia, Pa. First played a C melody saxophone, switched to alto sax, and settled on the tenor saxophone. In the 1940's, 1950's,and 1960's he played with Gene Krupa's band. In 1945, he was named "Number one tenor Saxophonist" by Downbeat magazine. Charlie later formed his own band and popularized Bop music in the late 1940's. He remained active in the 70's, and 80's playing for various groups, and acts in Las Vegas. He passed away on Jan. 17, 1992 in Pleasantville, N.J. from lung cancer. He played a King Saxello and King Super 20 tenor saxophone. Back to Top
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Born: May 18, 1922 Died: May 7, 1983 Played: 2-B & 3-B Trombones |
In 1940, Kai Winding made his professional debut as trombonist with Shorty Allen’s band. Kai played with the bands of Sonny Dunham and Alvino Rey before joining the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. In 1945, he worked with Benny Goodman’s highly popular band and moved onto Stan Kenton’s orchestra. From that point on Kai hooked himself up with a number of emerging stars of be-bop, the “new jazz." Winding recorded and performed prolifically during the 1950s, and in 1954 Winding started playing with fellow trombonist J.J. Johnson. The two leaders clicked together musically right away and, surprisingly, became a hugely popular as Jay and Kai. Both Jay and Kai played King Trombones for there deep rich sound and light ling fast response, also they both promoted the trombonium for it's amazing flexibility. By the early 1970s, Kai Winding toured extensively with Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Stitt and legendary masters Thelonius Monk and Art Blakey. Back to Top
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