George Tunnell
George "Bon Bon" Tunnell (June 29, 1912[1] – May 20, 1975)[2] was an American jazz vocalist.
Biography
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States,[3] Tunnell was one of the first African American vocalists to perform with a white band, that of Jan Savitt and his band,[4] The Top Hatters.
In the early 1930s, he fronted a vocal quartet, the Three Keys,[5] which had a hit with "Fit as a Fiddle".[5]
Tunnell then joined Jan Savitt's Band and recorded a number of tracks with them including "Moonlight Masquerade", "The Gypsy in My Soul", "A Kiss for Consolation", plus two best-selling numbers, "Hi-Yo Silver" and "Make Believe Island".[5]
In 1941, Tunnell left Savitt and began recording solo tracks including "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire", "Blow, Gabriel Blow" and "Most Emphatically, Yes!"[5]
He then joined Spirits of Rhythm jazz ensemble briefly before spending time fronting the Tommy Reynolds Band during the 1950s.[5]
When Tunnell's career slowed, he returned to live in Pennsylvania.[2]
He died in May 1975, in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, at the age of 62.[3]
References
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Bibliography
- Jazz Records 1897-1942 4th Revised and Enlarged Edition, by Brian Rust, Arlington House Publishers, New Rochelle, New York, 1978, Template:ISBN