Leo Watson
Leo Watson | |
---|---|
Birth name | Leo Watson |
Born | February 27, 1898 |
Origin | Kansas City, Missouri |
Died | May 2, 1950 | (aged 52)
Genres | Jazz |
Instruments | vocalist, trombone, tiple, drums |
Associated acts | Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw |
Leo Watson (February 27, 1898 – May 2, 1950) was an American jazz vocalese singer, drummer, trombonist and tiple player born in Kansas City, Missouri, probably best remembered as a member of The Spirits of Rhythm small group, which included guitarist Teddy Bunn. Watson also worked briefly with a variety of big bands, including those of Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw and Jimmy Mundy.
Watson also provided the (uncredited) voice for Prince Chawmin' in the cartoon Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs (directed by Bob Clampett, 1943), one of the racially objectionable Censored Eleven; primary voice artist Mel Blanc's contract only allowed for his solo credit. In a 1969 interview conducted by Michael Barrier and , Bob Clampett recalled Watson's name erroneously as Zoot Watson; thus, Leo Watson himself went uncredited for his work in the cartoon for almost forty more years. Finally, Australian voice artist and animation historian Keith Scott discovered his name correctly in the Warner Bros. Archives.
References[]
- Leo Watson at Allmusic.com
- American jazz singers
- American jazz drummers
- Vocalese singers
- Swing drummers
- Swing trombonists
- 1898 births
- 1950 deaths
- Scat singers
- American jazz ensembles
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American singers
- 20th-century American drummers
- American male drummers
- 20th-century trombonists
- 20th-century American male musicians
- American male jazz musicians
- Spirits of Rhythm members
- The Washboard Rhythm Kings members
- American jazz singer stubs
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