Henry Busse
Encyclopedia
Henry Busse Sr. was a jazz
trumpeter known for work with sweet bands and big band
s.
landing in the German ghettos there. Rousted by the police for sleeping in Grand Central Station, unable to speak the English he found a job on a boat heading to California. He acquired some English on his trip. 1916, found Busse Hollywood and working as an extra in Keystone Cop films and playing trumpet in a movie theater pit band.
Busse was the subject of discrimination due to his German accent, which caused concern among those living in post-World War I
America.
At one point, eight out of the top ten sheet music sales spots belonged to the band. During his peak with them, Busse was earning $350 weekly, while fellow band member Bing Crosby
was earning just $150. He co-composed several of the band's early hit songs, including "Hot Lips
" and (with Gussie Mueller
) "Wang Wang Blues".
Busse was concertmaster for the Whiteman Band when it toured Europe in the '20s, and there discovered a song written by a German doctor - Robert Katscher. Back in the States, Johnny DeSilvia penned new words and the song's name was changed to "When Day is Done"; it was a hit, and made Busse famous.
While with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Henry Busse played alongside brothers Tommy Dorsey
and Jimmie Dorsey (who later left to start their own separate bands). He played with Ray Bolger
at the Chez Paree
, a night club owned by notorious gangster Al Capone
; Busse ran the house band there and worked for Capone.
Busse hit his peak in 1930-45, playing dance music before the war and swing during it. His music was often berated by Downbeat magazine, which called his a "sweet" or "Mickey Mouse" band. He and his band appeared in an MGM color movie in 1935 called 'Starlit Days at the Lido' filmed at the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood (sadly pulled down in 2006 after 85 long years) along with Clark Gable and MGM's stable of stars and in the movie "Lady Let's Dance", in which Busse had a speaking part.
His personal life wound up in gossip columns when he partied one night with a woman at the Hotsy Totsy Club and woke up married. He sought an annulment
and during the 18 months to unwind the legal tangle, he toured Europe and staved off arrest for nonpayment of alimony
.
singing trio.
Busse stayed with Whiteman until 1928 when he left the band and formed his own group, The Henry Busse Orchestra
. This group which was more of a sweet dance band than a jazz band had a very successful career.
Henry Busse and his Orchestra continued to record and perform up until his death in 1955. Busse died at an undertaker's convention at the Peabody Hotel
in Memphis, Tennessee
while he was playing with the Shuffle Rhythm Band.
, he became friends with several notable people of that time, including Ray Bolger
, Al Jolson
, Ruby Keeler
, Irving Berlin
, George Raft
, Ginger Rogers
, and Edward G. Robinson
.
Al Hirt
and Herb Alpert
have remarked they were inspired by the trumpet solo work of Busse, particularly his rendition of "Rhapsody in Blue".
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trumpeter known for work with sweet bands and big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
s.
Early life
Born May 19, 1894 to a generational German Band family. Henry Busse studied violin and then trumpet(after a finger he had broken was set incorrectly) under his Oompah Band leader uncle. In 1912,following numerous failed attempts, at age 18, Henry Busse successfully ran away from the family farm outside of Magdeburg, Germany where he had been forced to play trumpet in his uncle's band . Henry initially "jumped ship" in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
landing in the German ghettos there. Rousted by the police for sleeping in Grand Central Station, unable to speak the English he found a job on a boat heading to California. He acquired some English on his trip. 1916, found Busse Hollywood and working as an extra in Keystone Cop films and playing trumpet in a movie theater pit band.
Early career
In 1917, Busse played the trumpet with the 'Frisco "Jass" Band'. He then formed his own band Busse's Buzzards (which was the nucleus of the Paul Whiteman orchestra of the mid-1920s) featuring Henry Busse—they made four sides total.Busse was the subject of discrimination due to his German accent, which caused concern among those living in post-World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
America.
At one point, eight out of the top ten sheet music sales spots belonged to the band. During his peak with them, Busse was earning $350 weekly, while fellow band member Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
was earning just $150. He co-composed several of the band's early hit songs, including "Hot Lips
Hot Lips
"Hot Lips" is a popular song written by jazz trumpeter Henry Busse, Henry Lange, and Lou Davis. The song was a #1 hit for Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra...
" and (with Gussie Mueller
Gussie Mueller
Gustave "Gussie" Mueller was an early jazz clarinetist....
) "Wang Wang Blues".
Busse was concertmaster for the Whiteman Band when it toured Europe in the '20s, and there discovered a song written by a German doctor - Robert Katscher. Back in the States, Johnny DeSilvia penned new words and the song's name was changed to "When Day is Done"; it was a hit, and made Busse famous.
While with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Henry Busse played alongside brothers Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
and Jimmie Dorsey (who later left to start their own separate bands). He played with Ray Bolger
Ray Bolger
Raymond Wallace "Ray" Bolger was an American entertainer of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the Scarecrow and Kansas farmworker Hank in The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
at the Chez Paree
Chez Paree
The Chez Paree was a Chicago nightclub, which opened in 1932 and closed in 1960. Located in the Streeterville neighborhood of Chicago at 610 N Fairbanks Ct, the club was host to many great entertainers, ranging from singers to comedians to vaudeville acts. A "new" Chez Paree opened briefly in the...
, a night club owned by notorious gangster Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
; Busse ran the house band there and worked for Capone.
Success and controversy
His personal life wound up in gossip columns when he partied one night with a woman at the Hotsy Totsy Club and woke up married. He sought an annulment
Annulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
and during the 18 months to unwind the legal tangle, he toured Europe and staved off arrest for nonpayment of alimony
Alimony
Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
.
Late career
In 1928, after mastering the English language, Busse Sr. began Henry Busse and the Shuffle Rhythm Band, which enjoyed great success in the '30s and '40s. A year later, Busse Sr. married Dorothy Drake, a former model and stage actress. Their only son, Henry Busse Jr., was born in 1931, and was 3 when his parents divorced. In 1935, Busse Sr. married Lorayne Brox, member of the Brox SistersBrox Sisters
The Brox Sisters were an American trio of singing sisters, enjoying their greatest popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s.-Early life:The members were*Bobbe...
singing trio.
Busse stayed with Whiteman until 1928 when he left the band and formed his own group, The Henry Busse Orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. This group which was more of a sweet dance band than a jazz band had a very successful career.
Henry Busse and his Orchestra continued to record and perform up until his death in 1955. Busse died at an undertaker's convention at the Peabody Hotel
Peabody Hotel
The Peabody Hotel is a luxury hotel in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The hotel is well known for the famous "Peabody Ducks" that live on the hotel rooftop, but which make daily treks to the hotel's lobby in a daily "March of Ducks" celebration.- History :...
in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
while he was playing with the Shuffle Rhythm Band.
Impact
Aside from his close relationship with Bing CrosbyBing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, he became friends with several notable people of that time, including Ray Bolger
Ray Bolger
Raymond Wallace "Ray" Bolger was an American entertainer of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the Scarecrow and Kansas farmworker Hank in The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:...
, Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
, Ruby Keeler
Ruby Keeler
Ruby Keeler, born Ethel Hilda Keeler, was an actress, singer, and dancer most famous for her on-screen coupling with Dick Powell in a string of successful early musicals at Warner Brothers, particularly 42nd Street . From 1928 to 1940, she was married to singer Al Jolson...
, Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
, George Raft
George Raft
George Raft was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s...
, Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
, and Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson
Edward G. Robinson was a Romanian-born American actor. A popular star during Hollywood's Golden Age, he is best remembered for his roles as gangsters, such as Rico in his star-making film Little Caesar and as Rocco in Key Largo...
.
Al Hirt
Al Hirt
Al Hirt was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million selling recordings of "Java", and the accompanying album, Honey in the Horn . His nicknames included 'Jumbo' and 'The Round Mound of Sound'...
and Herb Alpert
Herb Alpert
Herbert "Herb" Alpert is an American musician most associated with the group variously known as Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, or TJB. He is also a recording industry executive — he is the "A" of A&M Records...
have remarked they were inspired by the trumpet solo work of Busse, particularly his rendition of "Rhapsody in Blue".