Tiny Hill
| Tiny Hill | |
|---|---|
circa 1967
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Harry Lawrence Hill |
| Born | July 19, 1906 |
| Origin | Sullivan, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 13, 1971 (aged 65) |
| Genres |
Jazz Big band |
| Occupation(s) | Bandleader |
| Instruments | Drums Banjo Güiro |
| Years active | 1931–1971 |
| Labels | Vocalion, Okeh, Columbia, Harmony, Decca, Mercury |
| Associated acts |
David Carroll The Cactus Cutups Hilltoppers, Hillsiders |
Harry Lawrence "Tiny" Hill (July 19, 1906 – December 13, 1971) was a band leader of the Big Band era. During the height of his career Hill was billed as “America’s Biggest Bandleader” because of his weight of over 365 lb (166 kg). His signature song was "Angry", which he first recorded in 1939 on Columbia records Vocalion label. He used sandpaper blocks and a güiro to generate a double shuffle "beat that makes the listener itch to dance".
Hill was born in Sullivan Township (Moultrie County), Illinois. His parents were William Fred Hill (1880-1915) and Osa Crowdson Ault (1890-1982). His parents separated when he was seven years old and he went to live with an aunt. He was active in high school sports and was president of his senior class. He graduated from high school in 1924 and then attended Illinois State Normal School for two years. Financial difficulties forced him to leave college to go to work. He went to Detroit where he worked in a produce warehouse. After a series of short term jobs he ended up driving a team of mules for the Midwest Canning Company in Rochelle, Illinois.
In 1931 Hill formed his first big band which were known as the “Fat Man’s Band” . Hill played the drums with the trio which played for several years in and around Decatur, Illinois. In 1934 Tiny joined the Byron Dunbar band in Decatur as a drummer and vocalist. After a year with Dunbar, Hill left to form his own band, taking many of Dunbar’s band members with him.
Members of Hill’s new band were Dick Coffeen and Harold King on trumpets; John Noreuil on trombone, Jim Shielf on piano, and Reightno Corrington on bass. The reed section included Bobby Walters, Bob Kramar and Nook Schreier, who also did arranging. The group’s style was Dixieland jazz and hillbilly music. Their theme song was “Dream Girl”. By 1937 the band was playing its warm and easy-to-dance-to music three nights a week to packed audiences at the Ingleterra Ballroom in Peoria, Illinois.
In September 1939, the band was heard over Remote WGN Radio broadcasts from the Melody Mill Ballroom in the Chicago suburb of North Riverside, Illinois. The band played for several years at the Melody Mill and acquired a large following throughout the Midwest.
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Wikipedia