Robert Leo "Bobby" Hackett (January 31, 1915 -
June 7, 1976) was a jazz musician who played trumpet, cornet and guitar, and
played with the Glenn Miller Orchestra during 1941-42.
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He made his name as a follower of the legendary cornet
player Bix Beiderbecke: Benny Goodman hired him to recreate Bix's famous
"I'm Coming Virginia" solo at his (Goodman's) 1938 Carnegie Hall
concert.
In 1939 Hackett formed his own big band. Louise Tobin, then the wife of Harry James, was featured vocalist. The group contracted with MCA and made several recordings but financial problems forced it to disband after only six months. Owing MCA almost
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Bobby Hackett with fats Waller |
$3000, Hackett decided to take a steady job with Horace Heidt in order to pay off the band's debts. He remained with Heidt through the summer season of 1940.
In 1941 Hackett joined Glenn Miller. Miller and Hackett were
close friends, and Miller helped renegotiate Hackett's debt. Hackett also
recently had had dental surgery and was unable to play the cornet, so Miller
placed him as a guitarist. Hackett eventually took up his horn again and can be
heard as the featured soloist on the Miller standard ''String of Pearls.''
When Miller disbanded his orchestra in 1942 to join the Army
Air
Force, Hackett took a studio job at NBC. He also spent a brief time with
Katherine Dunham's revue. In 1943 he joined the Casa Loma Orchestra and
remained with them for three years. He then took a job with ABC, where he spent
the next fifteen years.
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Bobby Hackett with Louis Armstrong |
From the 1950s up until his death Hackett continued
performing and recording. He led several small groups and worked closely with
many other top artists, including Goodman, Teagarden, Tony Bennett, Billie
Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Maxine Sullivan, and Lee Wiley. In the
early 1950s Hackett was the star of Jackie Gleason's memorable ''Music for
Lovers Only'' album series.
Bobby Hackett died of a heart attack on the 7th June, 1976
in Chatham, Massachusetts. (info edited from Wikipedia & Solid!)
Here's a clip of the Bobby Hackett Sextet with Deed I Do!
Here's a clip of the Bobby Hackett Sextet with Deed I Do!
Bobby Hackett (Trumpet -Cornet) Urbie Green (Trombone) Bob
Wilber (Clarinet) Morey Feld (Drums) Dave McKenna (Piano) Nabil Totah (bass)