Jean Goldkette facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Goldkette
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Jean Goldkette |
| Born | March 18, 1893 Valenciennes, France(Disputed) |
| Died | March 24, 1962 (aged 69) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, dixieland |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader |
| Instruments | Piano |
Jean Goldkette (born March 18, 1893 – died March 24, 1962) was a famous jazz pianist and a leader of many bands. He was known for his amazing musical talent and for helping other musicians become stars.
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Who Was Jean Goldkette?
Jean Goldkette was born on March 18, 1893. Some say he was born in Valenciennes, France, while others believe he was born in Patras, Greece. His mother, Angela Goldkette, was a circus performer from Denmark. We don't know who his father was.
Jean spent his childhood in Greece and Russia. He was a child prodigy, meaning he was super talented at a young age. He studied piano at the Moscow Conservatory, a famous music school. In 1911, his family moved to the United States. When he was 18, he played classical music in Chicago. Later, he joined a dance orchestra led by Edgar Benson.
Jean Goldkette's Business Ventures
Jean Goldkette was not just a musician; he was also a smart businessman! He rented a large dance hall in Detroit and started his own band. This band became very successful.
Soon, his business grew into a big company. It acted as an agent for about twenty different orchestras. He also owned many dance halls. In 1936, he faced some money problems, but he didn't give up. Over the next thirty years, he rebuilt his business. He worked as a musician, a conductor, and a promoter. On March 4, 1939, he married Lee McQuillen, who was a newspaper writer.
Jean Goldkette's Music Career
Jean Goldkette led many different jazz and dance bands. His most famous band was the Victor Recording Orchestra, which played from 1924 to 1929. This band was so good that it even won a "battle of the bands" contest against Fletcher Henderson's band!
Famous Musicians in Goldkette's Band
Many talented musicians played in Jean Goldkette's band. The main person who arranged the music was Bill Challis. Some of the famous musicians who played with him included:
- Bix Beiderbecke
- Steve Brown
- Hoagy Carmichael
- Jimmy Dorsey
- Tommy Dorsey
- Eddie Lang
- Chauncey Morehouse
- Don Murray
- Bill Rank
- Spiegle Willcox
Rex Stewart, who played in Fletcher Henderson's band, said that Goldkette's band was "without any question, the greatest in the world." He also said it was the first big white dance orchestra that inspired others, even Benny Goodman's band. Music historian Brian Rust also called it "the greatest band of them all."
Other Musical Roles
Jean Goldkette was the music director for the Detroit Athletic Club for more than 20 years. He also owned the Graystone Ballroom in Detroit with Charles Horvath. Charles Horvath had played in Goldkette's Victor Band when it first started.
Goldkette had his own entertainment company called "Jean Goldkette's Orchestras and Attractions." This company operated out of the Book-Cadillac Hotel in Detroit. He also helped write some songs, like "It's the Blues (No. 14 Blues)" and the words to "New Steps" in 1926.
Changes in His Career
In 1927, another famous bandleader named Paul Whiteman hired many of Goldkette's best musicians. This happened because Goldkette found it hard to pay his top-notch players.
Goldkette also helped start other popular bands, like McKinney's Cotton Pickers and Glen Gray's Orange Blossoms, which later became known as the Casa Loma Orchestra. In the 1930s, he stopped playing jazz as much. He started working as a booking agent for other musicians and played classical piano. In 1939, he put together the American Symphony Orchestra, which played its first show at Carnegie Hall. Even famous singer Frankie Laine worked for Goldkette as his music librarian!
Jean Goldkette's Final Years
In 1961, Jean Goldkette moved to California. The next year, on March 24, 1962, he passed away in Santa Barbara, California. He was 69 years old. He went to the hospital by himself in a taxi and died that same day from a heart attack. He is buried in the Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.
Images for kids
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Jean Goldkette in 1947.
