Biography

Legendary clarinetist, composer ("At the Woodchoppers' Ball"), singer and bandleader (the Thundering Herd(s) ), educated at Marquette University. He was a clarinetist in the orchestras of Joey Lichter, Harry Sosnik, Gus Arnheim, and Indiana Jones, then formed his own orchestra, appearing in hotels, theatres and ballrooms. He toured Europe in 1954, Europe, and Latin America in 1958 (under the auspices of the US State Department), and made many records. Joining ASCAP in 1945, his chief musical collaborators included Chubby Jackson and Ralph Burns, and his other popular-song and instrumental compositions include "Apple Honey", "Goosey Gander", "Northwest Passage", "River Bed Blues", "Blues on Parade", "Blowin' Up a Storm", "Music by the Moon", "Early Autumn", "A Kiss Goodnight", "Your Father's Moustache", "Wild Root", "I Remember Duke", and "Misty Morning".