Harry James

b.March 15, 1916, Albany, Georgia, USA. d.July 5, 1983, Las Vegas. Harry James' father Everette James, was a trumpeter and led a circus band with the Mighty Haag Circus. His mother Maybelle, was a trapeze artist with the circus. Harry began playing the drums when he was four and began playing trumpet when he was eight. He joined the circus band the next year and was leading it by the time he was twelve. Then their family …

…Tizol and Willie Smith. From the seventies to early eighties his band was the busiest in the land and had to extend their tours, because the gigs would sell out. He also played at Roseland's Dance City in NYC, in 1972, and toured Europe and Argentina. He last performance was on June 26th, 1983, nine days before his death. He observed, "Let it just be said that I went up to do a one-nighter with Archangel Gabriel."