I Ended My Mom's Career!

I was born in Cleveland Ohio, and in effect pretty much ended my Mother’s career in music. Three months after my birth we traveled to California. Dad and Smokey were playing with the Spade Cooley Orchestra so it was Sunny California for us…. In early 1943, my father was drafted and went to do his service in the Army, for a short time, leaving my Mother and me to stay with his Mom and Dad in North Hollywood. I still have the note that Spade Cooley sent to Dad, promising to keep his job open for him on his return. Luckily for our family, Dad never really saw any combat, and didn’t have to stay in long, but being away from home is tough on everyone. When his tour of duty was over, Dad rejoined the Spade Cooley Orchestra, who was playing regularly out at Forman Phillips Barn Dance in Riverside Rancho. I believe he was with Spade until around 1944 or 45. Around that time, for about a year, because of a Musician’s Union Strike, no music was recorded by Unionised Musicians in America. (The only important group of musicians not part of the union was the Boston Symphony!)  Before the strike took effect, the record companies recorded as much music as they could possibly turn out in the run up to the strike . I heard my Mom and Dad talk about those recording sessions. My Dad went into the studio and they recorded for more than 27 straight hours. When that was over he got three checks, one for musician, one for arranger and one for songwriter. The checks were substanial enough that they paid for a house in North Hollywood, just up the street from Roy and Dale Roger’s place.