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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZSHAVERS, Charlie(b 3 Aug. '17, NYC; d there 8 July '71) Trumpet, composer. Father played trumpet; he was a distant relative of Fats Navarro, began on piano and banjo; played with Tiny Bradshaw, Lucky Millinder; became famous with the John Kirby sextet '37-44 as an ideally pretty and imaginative voice in "the biggest little band in the land' and as composer of "Pastel Blue', "Undecided' (with words by Sid Robin, the latter a hit by Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb '39, the Ames Bros. '51, Benny Goodman Sextet version early '50s, etc) One of the most popular and original stylists of the Swing Era, he later played with Tommy Dorsey, co-led a sextet with Terry Gibbs and Louis Bellson, toured with JATP, with Dorsey ghost band dir. by Sam Donahue, stayed with it and was featured as a vocalist on world tours when its name changed to the Frank Sinatra Jr. Show. Also recorded with Coleman Hawkins on Prestige, Bellson, Goodman, Georgie Auld, Charlie Ventura, Lionel Hampton, many others; own LPs '50s on MGM, Bethelehem, Capitol. Always popular in the UK; on a tour there he saw an electrical outlet in a hotel bathroom that said "FOR SHAVERS ONLY' and said, "Wait 'til Eldridge hears about this!' |