Ray McKinley

Ray McKinley, nicknamed " Eight Beat Mack " or " Mack ", ( born July 18, 1910 in Fort Worth, Texas; † 7 May 1995 Largo ( Florida)) was an American jazz drummer, singer and band leader of the Swing.

McKinley played in local bands like Savage Cummings and Larry Duncan in the area of ​​Fort Worth / Dallas, before 1929, the band of Smith Ballew joined, where he met Glen Miller, who became a lifelong friend. Together they went in 1934 in the band of the Dorsey brothers. McKinley remained in the follow-up band, the Jimmy Dorsey in 1935 initiated alone. In 1939 he joined Will Bradley, with whom he soon led the band and as a singer with "Beat me Daddy, eight to the bar " in 1940 a hit had ( as a songwriter he had partial rights under the girl his wife's name Eleanore Sheehy ). They played, among others in the Famous Door and the Paramount Theater. In January 1941, a grossed in a duo with pianist Freddie Slack 78s ( " Southpaw Sereande " ) was created; 1942 McKinley founded his own band in which Imogene Lynn and he was even the singer, Lou Stein piano and Pete Candoli and Dick Cathcart played trumpet. The band performed at New York's Commodore Hotel, and in the film " Hit Parade 1943" on. In addition, some records created for Capitol; with the song " Big Boy" had the McKinley band in May 1943 a first hit in the national charts (# 14). After McKinley was drafted, he joined as a drummer in the Glenn Miller Army Air Force in band, which he headed until 1945 after the disappearance of Miller 1944 Jerry Gray.

After his discharge from the U.S. Army in 1946, he founded back its own formation, initially a quartet, with which he had for Majestic the hit " Hoodle - Addle " (# 15). Finally, he expanded the lineup to a big band, which existed until the beginning of 1952, and arranged in the Dean Kincaide and Eddie Sauter; Other members were Johnny Carisi, Peanuts Hucko, Mundell Lowe and Nick Travis. It has also made recordings of the Sauter arrangements like " " Civilisation ( Bongo, Bongo, Bongo ) ", " Your Red Wagon "," Hangover Square "," Sandstorm "," Tumblebug "and" Borderline "; the latter presented the newly added trombonist Vern Friley. The biggest hit of the band but was "You've Come a Long Way from St. Louis ," written by Bob Russell and John Benson Brooks, which he recorded with a small group for RCA and placed 16 weeks in the charts. His last hit was " Sunflower" in March 1949.

In 1956 he took over from Helen Miller the offer, to take over the management of the Glenn Miller ghost band of Tex Beneke, which he did until 1966; it was subsequently taken over by Buddy DeFranco. McKinley retired to Stamford (Connecticut) and came back only occasionally at festivals, limited its activities to participate in television and radio advertising music. The mid-1970s he moved to Key Largo in Florida.