Doc Cheatham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Doc Cheatham
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Photo by Ed Newman
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Adolphus Anthony Cheatham |
| Born | June 13, 1905 Nashville, Tennessee, United States |
| Died | June 2, 1997 (aged 91) Washington D.C., United States |
| Genres | Swing, Dixieland, Big band music |
| Occupation(s) | Bandleader |
| Instruments | Trumpet, vocals |
| Labels | Sackville, Black & Blue, Jazzology, Metronome, Stash |
Adolphus Anthony Cheatham, known to everyone as Doc Cheatham (born June 13, 1905 – died June 2, 1997), was an amazing American jazz musician. He played the trumpet, sang, and led his own bands. He was also the grandfather of another musician, Theo Croker.
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Doc Cheatham's Early Life
Doc Cheatham was born in Nashville, Tennessee, in the United States. He had African, Cherokee, and Choctaw family roots. When he was young, there wasn't much jazz music in Nashville. He first heard jazz from early recordings and touring bands around 1919.
His family wanted him to become a pharmacist, which is someone who prepares medicine. But Doc loved music more! He kept the nickname "Doc" even though he chose to play music instead. He started by playing the soprano and tenor saxophone and the trumpet in Nashville's African American Vaudeville theaters.
Learning from Jazz Legends
Doc Cheatham later toured with bands that played for blues singers. Early on, he was inspired by trumpeters like Henry Busse and Johnny Dunn. In 1924, he moved to Chicago and heard King Oliver play. Oliver's music was a huge discovery for Doc.
Doc followed King Oliver around to hear him play. Oliver even gave young Doc a special mute for his trumpet. Doc used this mute for the rest of his long music career. The next year, Louis Armstrong came back to Chicago. Armstrong became a lifelong inspiration for Doc Cheatham. Doc called him "an ordinary-extraordinary man."
Playing with Famous Bands
Doc Cheatham played in Albert Wynn's band. Sometimes, he even filled in for Louis Armstrong at the Vendome Theater. He also recorded music on the saxophone with Ma Rainey. In 1927, he moved to Philadelphia and worked with bands led by Bobby Lee and Wilbur de Paris. The next year, he moved to New York City.
After a short time with Chick Webb's band, Doc toured Europe with Sam Wooding's band. He came back to the United States in 1930. He played with Marion Handy and McKinney's Cotton Pickers. Then, he got a big job with Cab Calloway. Doc was Calloway's main trumpet player from 1932 to 1939.
Playing Around the World
In the 1940s, Doc played with other jazz greats like Benny Carter, Teddy Wilson, Fletcher Henderson, and Claude Hopkins. After World War II, he started playing regularly with Latin bands in New York City. These included bands led by Perez Prado, Marcelino Guerra, and Machito.
The first time Doc joined Machito's band, he was fired! He found it hard to play with the clave rhythm, which is a special beat in Latin music. But Doc kept trying and eventually mastered it. He also played again with Wilbur de Paris and Sammy Price. From 1960, he led his own band on Broadway for five years. After that, he toured with Benny Goodman.
In 1959, the U.S. government helped fund a trip for bandleader Herbie Mann to visit Africa. Doc Cheatham was part of this band. They went on a tough 14-week tour from December 1959 to April 1960. They visited many countries, including Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.
Later Years and Singing Career
In the 1970s, Doc Cheatham worked hard to make his playing even better. He would record himself and listen carefully to find ways to improve. He wanted to remove any old, common musical phrases from his playing. This hard work paid off, and he became even more famous.
His singing career started by accident in a Paris recording studio in 1977. He was just checking the microphone levels before a recording session. He sang and "scatted" (made sounds with his voice like an instrument) through a song. The recording machine was already on, and that song was later released on an album! People loved his singing, so Doc Cheatham continued to sing for the rest of his career.
Final Performances and Awards
In his last ten years, Doc Cheatham toured a lot. He also had a regular Sunday gig leading the band at Sweet Basil in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. During one of his many trips to New Orleans, Louisiana, he met a young trumpet player named Nicholas Payton.
In 1996, Doc Cheatham, Nicholas Payton, and pianist Butch Thompson recorded a CD together. It was called Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton. This album was a big success! Doc was nominated for two Grammy Awards for his playing on the album.
In 1998, after he had passed away, Doc Cheatham won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Solo. This was for his performance of "Stardust" on the Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton CD. His wife, Amanda, and daughter, Alicia, accepted the award for him.
Doc Cheatham's Death
Doc Cheatham loved playing music so much that he continued performing until just two days before he passed away. He died from a stroke in June 1997, just eleven days before his 92nd birthday.
Discography
- 1961 Shorty & Doc with Shorty Baker
- 1973 Adolphus Doc Cheatham
- 1975 Hey Doc!
- 1976 Doc and Sammy
- 1977 Good for What Ails Ya
- 1979 Black Beauty
- 1979 John, Doc and Herb
- 1982 I've Got a Crush on You
- 1982 It's a Good Life
- 1982 Too Marvelous for Words
- 1983 The Fabulous Doc Cheatham
- 1985 At the Bern Jazz Festival
- 1985 Highlights in Jazz
- 1987 Tribute to Billie Holiday
- 1988 Dear Doc
- 1988 Tribute to Louis Armstrong
- 1988 Doc Cheatham and Sammy Price in New Orleans with Lars Edegran's Jazz Band
- 1992 Eartha Kitt/Doc Cheatham/Bill Coleman with George Duvivier & Co.
- 1992 Echoes of New Orleans
- 1992 You're a Sweetheart
- 1993 Live
- 1993 The Eighty-Seven Years of Doc Cheatham
- 1995 Duets and Solos
- 1995 Swinging Down in New Orleans
- 1996 Live at Sweet Basil
- 1997 Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton with Nicholas Payton
- 1997 Mood Indigo: A Memorial
- 1999 At the Vineyard on a Cold Sunday in January
- 2000 Live at the Windsor Jazz Series 1981
- 2003 Meets the Swiss Dixie Stompers Plus Two
- 2011 From Dixie to Swing
- 2013 Live in New York 1985 with George Kelly
With Benny Carter
- Legends (1993)
With Dizzy Gillespie
- To Diz with Love (1992)
With Herbie Mann
- Flute, Brass, Vibes and Percussion (1959)
- The Common Ground (1960)
- Our Mann Flute (1966)
With Jay McShann
- The Big Apple Bash (1979)
With Sammy Price
- Fire (1975)
