Roy Kral
Roy Joseph Kral (born October 10, 1921 in Cicero , Illinois, † August 2, 2002 in Montclair , New Jersey ) was an American jazz pianist , singer and composer, part of the vocal duo Jackie and Roy with his wife Jackie Cain .
Kral was the son of a local politician of Czech origin in Illinois and learned classical piano as a child. He got into jazz through live radio broadcasts from Earl Hines' band . In 1938 he had his own big band in Cicero. After military service in World War II, in which he played and arranged for Army bands in Illinois (which was also broadcast on the radio), he worked in a radio band in Detroit. In 1947 he moved to Chicago, where he played in the quartet of his friend George Davis. There he met his future wife Jackie Cain in 1947, who tried herself as a singer. They married in 1949. In 1948/49 he was with Charlie Ventura in his "Bop for the People" band, where he arranged an old song ("I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles") in the bebop idiom at the manager's request. That was the beginning of a successful career in the Vocalese singing style. Ventura hired Cain as a singer and Kral as a pianist and arranger for the big band, which was slimmed down to a septet (1949/50). Records came out in 1949 from a live concert in Pasadena , organized by Gene Norman (with Norman's label GNP and Decca) and from 1949 with RCA. Kral later performed in a duo with his wife Jackie Cain. Both also had their own television show in Chicago in the early 1950s. In the 1950s they performed a lot - sometimes again with Charlie Ventura (1953) - in New York and Las Vegas (around 1957). Together "Jackie and Roy" recorded about 40 records, e. B. "Spring can really hang you up the most" from 1955 (Storyville, Black Lion), with Shelly Manne , Red Mitchell and Barney Kessel . In June 2002 both performed at a tribute concert for the singer Teddi King.
Roy Kral had three daughters. He was the older brother of the singer Irene Kral (1932–1978).
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kral, Roy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kral, Roy Joseph (full name); Roy, Jackie and |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American jazz pianist and singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 10, 1921 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cicero , Illinois |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 2, 2002 |
| Place of death | Montclair , New Jersey |