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Pee Wee Hunt

Walter Gerhardt "Pee Wee" Hunt (May 10, 1907 – June 22, 1979) was an American jazz trombonist, vocalist, and bandleader. Hunt was born in Mount Healthy, Ohio. He developed a musical interest at an early age, as his mother, Sadie, played the banjo and his father, Edgar C., played violin. He had a younger sister, Marian, and younger brother, Raymond. The teenage Hunt was a banjoist with a local band while he was attending college at Ohio State University, where he majored in Electrical Engineering, and during his college years he switched from banjo to trombone. He graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He joined Jean Goldkette's Orchestra in 1928.

Hunt was the co-founder and featured trombonist with the Casa Loma Orchestra, but he left the group in 1943 to work as a Hollywood radio disc jockey, before joining the Merchant Marine near the end of World War II. He returned to the West Coast music scene in 1946. His "Twelfth Street Rag" was a three million-selling, number one hit in September 1948. He was satirized as Pee Wee Runt and his All-Flea Dixieland Band in Tex Avery's animated MGM cartoon Dixieland Droopy (1954). His second major hit was "Oh!" (1953), his second million-selling disc, which reached number three in the Billboard chart.

At age 72, Hunt died after a long illness in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Hunt and his wife, Ruth, had a daughter, Holly, and a son, Lawrence.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 10, 1907 (Mount Healthy), Died June 22, 1979 (Plymouth)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1930 - 1943

Roles Represented in DAHR: trombone, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 282 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
OKeh W404568 10-in. 12/6/1930 Alexander's ragtime band Casa Loma Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
OKeh W404571 10-in. 12/6/1930 Put on your old grey bonnet Casa Loma Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Brunswick E36437 10-in. 4/1/1931 I’m crazy ‘bout my baby (And my baby’s crazy ‘bout me) Casa Loma Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Brunswick E36497 10-in. 3/23/1931 When I take my sugar to tea Casa Loma Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Brunswick E36499 10-in. 3/23/1931 Put on your old grey bonnet Casa Loma Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Brunswick E36699 10-in. 5/18/1931 Just a blue-eyed blonde Casa Loma Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Brunswick E36907 10-in. 7/6/1931 Take it from me (I’m takin’ to you) Casa Loma Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Brunswick E36908 10-in. 7/6/1931 It’s the girl Casa Loma Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio vocalist  
Brunswick E37242 10-in. 10/6/1931 If I didn’t have you Casa Loma Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo vocalist  
Decca 38676 10-in. 9/17/1934 When will I know? Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38677 10-in. 9/17/1934 Chinatown, my Chinatown Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38678 10-in. 9/17/1934 Nagasaki Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38715 10-in. 9/24/1934 A new moon is over my shoulder Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38716 10-in. 9/24/1934 I'm in love Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38717 10-in. 9/24/1934 You're a builder-upper Glen Gray Orchestra vocalist, instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38718 10-in. 9/24/1934 Judy Glen Gray Orchestra vocalist, instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38726 10-in. 9/24/1934 Stompin' around Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38727 10-in. 9/24/1934 P. S. I love you Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38929 10-in. 10/31/1934 Irresistible Glen Gray Orchestra vocalist, instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38930 10-in. 10/31/1934 I've got an invitation to a dance Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38931 10-in. 10/31/1934 Maybe I'm wrong again Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 38932 10-in. 10/31/1934 You took advantage of me Glen Gray Orchestra vocalist, instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 39130 10-in. 11/16/1934 Where there's smoke there's fire Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 39131 10-in. 11/16/1934 Two in a dream Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
Decca 39132 10-in. 11/16/1934 Blue moon Glen Gray Orchestra instrumentalist, trombone  
(Results 1-25 of 282 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hunt, Pee Wee," accessed November 7, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106359.

Hunt, Pee Wee. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 7, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106359.

"Hunt, Pee Wee." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 7 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/106359

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