Harry Gozzard

His grandmother migrated to Canada from Ireland during the Great Famine of the 1840s.

Harry Roy Gozzard (March 5, 1916 – January 11, 1995) was an American jazz trumpeter.

He first performed with Sam Donahue.

The youngest of Charlotte (née Campbell) and William Gozzard's four children, Harry Gozzard was born in Shelburne, Ontario, Canada, on March 5, 1916.

His three older siblings, Margaret "Bessie" Gozzard Pulis, William Leonard Gozzard and Kathleen Mary Gozzard Costigan, were also born in Shelburne.

Gozzard's ancestors originated in England, Scotland and Ireland.

He, his parents and the other siblings migrated to Detroit, Michigan in 1924.

It is a collection of songs recorded between 1930–1954.

Allmusic described it as a "sampler of irreverent hot novelties, jazz burlesques, and big-band sendups."

Many prominent jazz musicians performed on that album...Sam Donahue, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Rudy Vallée, Hoagy Carmichael, Charlie Barnet, Ozzie Nelson and many more.

At the young age of 25, Gozzard (in Donahue's band) performed in a series of recordings for Bluebird Records.

Founded in 1932 by Eli Oberstein, Bluebird was a RCA Victor subsidiary label best known for their low-cost releases.

They eventually became known for the "Bluebird sound," which directly influenced rhythm and blues as well as early rock and roll.

(In 1938, Donahue went to work with Gene Krupa. Instead of disbanding his orchestra, Donahue turned over the leadership position to Sonny Burke. Around that time, John Hammond, encouraged Burke to bring the band to New York. George T. Simon stated in his book, The Big Bands, that Burke “brought his young Detroiters to New York, rehearsed them, helped support them and eventually landed an engagement at the Roseland in Brooklyn plus an Okeh recording contract.” Hammond was instrumental in igniting several musical careers, including those of Count Basie, Bob Dylan, Harry James, Bruce Springsteen, Benny Goodman, Aretha Franklin and others.)

Donahue turned over the leadership position to Sonny Burke in 1938 when he went to work for Gene Krupa.

Madden “replaced Glenn Miller in the Ray Noble band in 1938 when it toured the British Isles.” Miller left Noble's band to start his own.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra was given its big break when they were chosen to play the 1939 summer season at that prestigious venue.

As depicted in the movie The Glenn Miller Story, Si (Simon) Shribman, “a Boston-based operator who...owned a string of ballrooms all over New England,” offered Miller the opportunity to perform at his State Ballroom.

Basie was featured on four Donahue Okeh recordings made in New York on December 26, 1940.

In Count Basie: A Bio-Discography, Chris Sheridan stated, “on Boxing Day, Basie flew to New York to guest on a Sam Donahue date.”

In William F. Lee's book, American Big Bands, he mentioned that Gozzard was a sideman in the Sonny Burke Orchestra in the early 1940s.

They performed at the famous Roseland Ballroom in New York.

After two years working with Krupa, Donahue then went to work for both Harry James and Benny Goodman in 1940.

At some point in 1940, Donahue resumed as bandleader of his original band.

They “played key eastern locations, including the Glen Island Casino and Frank Dailey’s Meadowbrook [Ballroom].” Many artists made their names at Glen Island.

In an August 1942 issue, Billboard stated that “Shribman currently has Sam Donahue” booked “at Glen Island Casino.” (In an article about Sam Donahue’s Navy band, Jazz journalist, Lynn René Bayley, posted a photograph of him and Glenn Miller shaking hands while both were in the service during World War II.) Jack Madden was the last bandleader that Gozzard worked for.

Donahue and his orchestra performed at other popular venues across the U.S. An article in Billboard stated that they played a six-week engagement at the Casa Manana night club in Culver City, California, in the latter part of 1942, followed by another six-week engagement at the Hollywood Casino in Hollywood, California.

Prior to that West Coast tour, they performed at the Beach Point Club in Mamaroneck, New York.

During his years in Donahue's band, Gozzard took part in a recording known as Beat the Band to the Bar.

(In an article written by Mike Zirpolo, for Swing and Beyond, Donahue was described as "a superlative tenor saxophone soloist.") Other members of Donahue's band included the former The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson bandleader Doc Severinsen, 1946 Esquire Award winner for Best New Female Vocalist Frances Wayne, Grammy Award-winning vocalist and actress Jo Stafford and popular music arranger Leo Reisman.

While he was with the Donahue band, Gozzard performed a few times with legendary piano-playing bandleader Count Basie.

In 1949, Gozzard met a Kentucky-born woman named Wilda Crager.

They married in 1952.

Sam Donahue formed his first band in the mid-thirties.

At the time, he was just 15 years old.

He led that band for five years.

Gozzard, who was very young himself at the time, was a part of that Detroit band.

It is unclear, however, if he was an original member.

(Lady Gaga was the last one to perform there before it closed its doors in 2014. The online newspaper Curbed mentioned in an article that the site was redeveloped into a 62-story, luxury apartment building.) At the time, Burke's band recorded for Decca, Okeh and Vocalion.

Gozzard was a part of at least 16 recordings with Burke's band.