Age, Biography and Wiki

Buddy Collette (William Marcel Collette) was born on 6 August, 1921 in Los Angeles, California, U.S., is an American jazz musician (1921–2010). Discover Buddy Collette's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 89 years old?

Popular As William Marcel Collette
Occupation Musician, educator
Age 89 years old
Zodiac Sign Leo
Born 6 August 1921
Birthday 6 August
Birthplace Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Date of death 19 September, 2010
Died Place Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 6 August. He is a member of famous Music Department with the age 89 years old group.

Buddy Collette Height, Weight & Measurements

At 89 years old, Buddy Collette height not available right now. We will update Buddy Collette's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Who Is Buddy Collette's Wife?

His wife is Helen (? - 2008) ( her death) ( 1 child)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Helen (? - 2008) ( her death) ( 1 child)
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Buddy Collette Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Buddy Collette worth at the age of 89 years old? Buddy Collette’s income source is mostly from being a successful Music Department. He is from United States. We have estimated Buddy Collette's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income Music Department

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Timeline

1921

William Marcel "Buddy" Collette (August 6, 1921 – September 19, 2010) was an American jazz flutist, saxophonist, and clarinetist.

He was a founding member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet.

William Marcel Collette was born in Los Angeles on August 6, 1921.

He was raised in Watts, surrounded by people of all different ethnicities.

He lived in a house built by his father in an area with cheap, plentiful land.

The neighborhood in which he grew up was called Central Gardens area.

For elementary school, he attended Ninety-sixth Street School because it allowed black students.

Collette began playing piano at age ten, at his grandmother's request.

His love for music came not only from his community, but from his parents—his father played piano and his mother sang.

In middle school, he began playing the saxophone.

That same year, he formed his first band.

They played the music of Dootsie Williams, which Collette's parents had received while at a party.

The following year, Collette started a band with Ralph Bledsoe and Raleigh Bledsoe.

Together they played for less than a dollar each at parties put on by people in the area on Saturday nights.

Following this, Collette started a third group which eventually included Charles Mingus on bass.

He and Mingus became very good friends.

When he was fifteen, Collette became a part of the Woodman brothers' band, along with Joe Comfort, George Reed, and Jessie Sailes.

During his first couple years of high school, Collette began traveling to Los Angeles in order to form connections with other musicians.

At the Million Dollar Theatre, he and his band competed in a battle of the bands, but lost to a band that included Jackie Kelson, Chico Hamilton, and Al Adams.

Afterwards, Collette was asked to join the winning band, making twenty-one dollars per week.

Later, Charles Mingus joined this band.

At the age of 19, Collette started taking musical lessons from Lloyd Reese, who also taught Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus, and many others.

Collette credits Reese with teaching him and the other musicians how to manage themselves in the music world.

During World War II, Collette served with the U.S. Navy band attached to the pre-flight school at St. Mary's College.

Led by Marshal Royal, it was one of two regimental bands of African-American musicians.

From that band of 45 musicians, two dance bands were formed, the first being the Bombardiers, led by Royal.

1941

The second dance band, the Topflighters, was led by Collette, who had been playing with Les Hite's band in 1941 before enlisting.

1942

His memoir records a trip that he, Bill Douglass, and Charles Mingus made from Los Angeles to San Francisco in October 1942, after hearing that a Navy officer was recruiting musicians from the union there to serve in an all-black band that would be stationed at St. Mary's.

Both Mingus and Douglass changed their minds, however.

Douglass was later drafted by the Army; Mingus got re-classified 4-F.

Collette, like most black Navy bandsmen, was trained at Camp Robert Smalls, at the Great Lakes, Chicago, complex of Navy bases.

According to Collette, he formed the second dance band at St. Mary's after he refused to join the Bombardiers on baritone sax, and along with most of the remaining fellows in the marching band realized that the dance band service was much easier than general musicians duty.

Also in his band were Orlando Stallings on saxophone; James Ellison, Myers Franchot Alexander and Henry Godfrey on trumpet; George Lewis on first trombone; Ralph Thomas on bass tuba; and a few fellows he recalls only by nickname: "the Indian" on bass; "the Spider" and "the Crow" on tenor saxophones.

Both dance bands played gigs at the Stage Door Canteen, the USO in San Francisco that featured 24-hour service and entertainment, as featured acts and as back-ups to the stars that were performing there, usually unannounced, when they were in the San Francisco area.

Willie Humphrey, a New Orleans Dixieland jazz legend, joined the marching band late.

Collette recalls that Marshal Royal didn't realize who he was and wasn't that interested in Dixieland, so Collette was able to get him into the Topflighters and subsequently arranged songs to highlight Humphrey's talent.

Collette and others from St. Mary's played at clubs around San Francisco, especially in Oakland and at Redwood City, south of San Francisco, while in the Navy.

"When you're in uniform, you're not supposed to be working outside," he writes, "so we would get in civilian clothes–it was such a good job."

After serving as a U.S. Navy band leader, he played with the Stars of Swing (Woodman, Mingus, and Lucky Thompson), Louis Jordan, and Benny Carter.[3]

1949

In 1949, he was the only black member of the band for You Bet Your Life, a TV and radio show hosted by Groucho Marx.