Howard 'Howdy' Quicksell
Encyclopedia
Howard "Howdy" Quicksell (b. 1901 - d. October 30, 1953, Pontiac, Michigan
) was an American composer
and banjo
ist.
He was featured on banjo
with the Jean Goldkette
orchestra from 1922 until 1927, one of just two mainstays (saxophonist Doc Ryker was the other) with the Goldkette band from inception to demise. During this period he also recorded with pick-up groups led by Bix Beiderbecke
and Frank Trumbauer.
He co-composed the songs "Sorry" and "Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down," both recorded by Bix Beiderbecke. The former was also recorded by Fletcher Henderson
, while the latter was featured in Woody Allen
's film Sweet and Lowdown. Other notable Quicksell compositions include "Pardon The Glove" and "Dustin' The Donkey" (a.k.a. "The Pay Off"), both recorded by the California Ramblers as well as by other dance bands of the period.
Quicksell left the music business in the 1930s and was employed for many years by a Michigan
distillery. He later lived in Des Moines, Iowa
. He died in 1953.
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
) was an American composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
ist.
He was featured on banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
with the Jean Goldkette
Jean Goldkette
John Jean Goldkette was a jazz pianist and bandleader born in Patras, Greece. Goldkette spent his childhood in Greece and Russia, and emigrated to the United States in 1911....
orchestra from 1922 until 1927, one of just two mainstays (saxophonist Doc Ryker was the other) with the Goldkette band from inception to demise. During this period he also recorded with pick-up groups led by Bix Beiderbecke
Bix Beiderbecke
Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke was an American jazz cornetist, jazz pianist, and composer.With Louis Armstrong, Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s...
and Frank Trumbauer.
He co-composed the songs "Sorry" and "Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down," both recorded by Bix Beiderbecke. The former was also recorded by Fletcher Henderson
Fletcher Henderson
James Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. was an American pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, important in the development of big band jazz and swing music. His was one of the most prolific black orchestras and his influence was vast...
, while the latter was featured in Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
's film Sweet and Lowdown. Other notable Quicksell compositions include "Pardon The Glove" and "Dustin' The Donkey" (a.k.a. "The Pay Off"), both recorded by the California Ramblers as well as by other dance bands of the period.
Quicksell left the music business in the 1930s and was employed for many years by a Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
distillery. He later lived in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
. He died in 1953.