Lawrence Duhé facts for kids

Lawrence Duhé (born April 30, 1887 – died 1960) was an important early jazz musician. He was known for playing the clarinet and leading his own bands. Sometimes people spelled his name Lawrence Duhe.

Early Life of Lawrence Duhé

Lawrence Duhé was born in LaPlace, Louisiana, on April 30, 1887. His family loved music! His father, Evariste, worked at a sugar mill and played the violin. Lawrence and his three brothers formed a group called the Duhe Brothers Band. His two sisters also played music, performing the piano and organ in churches.

Music Career and Later Years

In 1910, Duhé joined Kid Ory's band and moved with them to New Orleans. About a year and a half later, he started his own band. His band played in a famous area of New Orleans called Storyville.

In 1917, Duhé moved to Chicago. His band became very popular there, playing in many dance halls. They even performed at the 1919 World Series, a major baseball event!

By 1923, Duhé returned to New Orleans. For the next ten years, he played with other bands. He performed with groups led by trumpeter Evan Thomas and trombonist Gus Fortinet. He also toured with a traveling show called the Rabbit's Foot minstrel show. Later, he worked in Lafayette, Louisiana, with trumpeter Frank Brown.

Lawrence Duhé stopped playing music in 1945. He passed away in Lafayette in 1960. Even though he was a very important part of early jazz history, he never made any commercial recordings that were released to the public.