GENE KRUPA (1909 - 1973) Biography - Theater, Opera and Movie personalities

 
 

Biography » theater opera and movie personalities » gene krupa (1909 1973)

GENE KRUPA (1909 - 1973)
       

Musician, born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. A drummer, he played with several lesser known bands around Chicago until 1929, when he moved to New York City and worked with Red Nichols for the next two years. He was a sideman (1932-4) in commercial studio bands led by Russ Columbo and Mal Hallet, and also freelanced on classic jazz sessions with Bix Beiderbecke and Eddie Condon.

       

During 1935-8, as a main attraction in Benny Goodman’s orchestra, he became the first world-renowned jazz drummer, and then formed his own successful big band (1938) which he led until 1943, when he played briefly with Goodman and Tommy Dorsey. After leading another ‘big band’ (1945-51), he appeared with Jazz at the Philharmonic throughout the 1950s. He led his own small groups thereafter while operating a drum-tuition school, which he opened with Cozy Cole in New York in 1954. A sensationalized biographical film, The Gene Krupa Story, for which he recorded the soundtrack, was released in 1959.