Bob Astor

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Bob Astor born as Robert E. Dade (born October 5, 1915 in New Orleans , † after 1967) was an American composer and bandleader of swing.

Live and act

Bob Astor began his career as a trumpeter and drummer in smaller ensembles in the New Orleans and eastern Texas area . He then moved to southern California and formed his first band there in 1940, with which he made his debut at Hermosa Beach ; his orchestra was the first on the west coast of the United States to include African American musicians. Later, Bob Astor's band also toured the Midwest and Eastern United States; it had u. a. longer engagements at the Elms Ballroom in Youngstown (Ohio) and at the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh . Although Astor composed numerous titles and a contract with Decca Records was about to be concluded, the orchestra did not record any recordings as a result of the record strike, in which a number of later famous musicians played, such as u. a. Jack Nimitz , Shelly Manne , Zoot Sims , Les Elgart , Larry Elgart , Dave Pell , Illinois Jacquet , Marty Napoleon , Tommy Allison, and Neal Hefti ; The band's theme song was "Blue Lights" (composed by Astor). In the mid-1940s, Astor broke up the band and worked as a radio disc jockey in California. In the 1960s he worked in the music business as an artist agent for the New York Shaw Agency and was one of the organizers of the Beatles' America tour in 1964 .

Bob Astor is remembered for the songwriting teamwork with pianist George Williams , who wrote a number of titles in the field of jive and rhythm and blues together. Songs like "Fat Sam From Birmingham" were among others. a. recorded by bandleaders like Louis Jordan and King Pleasure ; the Astor / Williams ballad "I Remember Harlem" became known through the interpretation of the trumpeter Roy Eldridge . Bob Astor's other compositions included "If You Don't Believe I'm Leaving, Count the Days I'm Gone", "Here Comes the Judge", "In the Cool of the Evening", "There Ain't No Flies." on Me ”,“ Fat Sam ”,“ You're My Baby ”and“ I'm the Butcher Boy ”.

Bob Astor should not be confused with the vocalist of the same name who sang in Arthur Briggs ' Savoy Syncopators Orchestra in the late 1920s .

literature

  • George T. Simon: The Golden Era of Big Bands ("The Big bands"). Hannibal-Verlag, Höfen 2004, ISBN 3-854-45243-8 .
  • Leo Walker: The Big Band Almanac . Ward Ritchie Press, Pasadena. 1978

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Astor, Bob
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Dade, Robert E. (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American composer and band leader of swing
DATE OF BIRTH October 5, 1915
PLACE OF BIRTH New Orleans
DATE OF DEATH after 1967