- We were working in out-of-town theatre with Benny Goodman,
who did not use flutes in his band. Before the job, I was upstairs
in an empty room, practicing my flute, when in walks Benny Goodman.
He sits down without saying a word, listens to me for about half
an hour. When I finished playing, he got up and left, without
saying a word! B.G. would fire musicians right on the spot when
they were on the job, playing. He would say, "Pass your
music to the one in charge of the library and leave the bandstand."
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- When I was with Alvino Rey, we were making a movie called
"Sing Your Worries Away," which starred Buddy Epson,
Patsy Kelly, June Havoc, and Michelle Morgan. I was dating Michelle
Morgan’s stand-in. One day, when Michelle Morgan was walking
in the studio lot, I went up to her and kissed her, thinking
she was my girl-friend - the stand-ins looked so much like the
real stars. As I kissed Michelle, my girl friend, the stand-in,
walked up to us. I apologized to Michelle Morgan, who said, "I
wish it was me."
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- When I was with Carmen Cavallero, we were working at the
Mark Hathan in San Francisco. Bette Davis used to sit on the
piano bench with Carmen Cavallero. Bob Mitchum would sit with
the saxophone section. The stars were crazy about the Big Bands!
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