Straight Life (39 page)

Me in the uniform of the Cleveland Boys Band, San Pedro, California, under the direction of James E. Son. This was my first exposure to a musical group.

Benny Carter and his band at Billy Berg's Swing Club, Hollywood, about 1944. From left to right: Sonny White (piano), Benny, Jimmy Cannady (behind Benny), Harold Clark, Tommy Moultrie (bass), Bob Graettinger, Joe Epps, Willard Brown, Candy Ross. Second row: Percy Brice, Charles Johnson, Bumps Meyers, Al Gray, Calvin Strickland, John Morris. Photo courtesy of Benny Carter.

Me as a soldier boy in 1944.

Playing football at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I'm on the left, carrying the ball.

A rehearsal with the Army Ground Forces Band at Camp Butner, North Carolina.

Me, Patti, my mother, and my "cousin" John in Tijuana, just after World War II.

My first wife and first love, Patti.

Right after the war, before rejoining Kenton, I toured with The Lou Olds Group for a short time and had this picture taken in Arkansas. The inscription says, "Love! to my beer drinking buddy-your goofy son. Pepper" My mother and I drank and smoked pot together.

Stan Kenton, a powerful man, who was the only person I knew to approach the stature of my father. I'm on the left with my sax. New York's Commodore Hotel around 1948.

On the road in Iowa with Kenton's band. The bus broke down and it was freezing cold. We made a good thing of it, though, and had an impromptu march down the highway. Ray Wexell is the leader and behind him, left to right, are Bob Fitzpatrick, Bart Varsalona, and Harry Betts. Photo courtesy of Buddy Childers.

Bob Cooper and June Christy in their Kenton days.

The Stan Kenton band on Catalina island, 1951. Left to right, first row: Stan, Jay Johnston, Bob Cooper, me (suffering with a terrible sunburn), Bud Shank, Bart Caldarall, Bob Gioga. Second row: Shelly Manne, Dick Kenney, Harry Betts, Bob Fitzpatrick, George Roberts, Milt Bernhart. Last row: Ralph Blaze (on guitar), Don Bagley, John Coppola, Buddy Childers, John Howell, Shorty Rogers, Maynard Ferguson. Photo courtesy of Ray Avery.