Tiny Hill
Birth name	Harry Lawrence Hill
Born	July 19, 1906(1906-07-19)
Origin	Sullivan, Illinois, USA
Died	December 13, 1971 (aged 65)
Genres	Jazz Big band
Occupations	Bandleader
Instruments	Drums Banjo Güiro
Years active	1931-1971
Labels	Vocalion, Okeh, Columbia, Harmony,Decca,Mercury
Associated acts	David Carroll The Cactus Cutups Hilltoppers

Harry Lawrence “Tiny” Hill (July 19, 1906 – December 13, 1971)^[1] was a band leader of the Big Band era. During the height of his career Hill was billed as “America’s Biggest Bandleader” because of his weight of over 365 lbs. His signature song was “Angry” which he first recorded in 1939 on Columbia records Vocalion label. He used sandpaper blocks and a güiro to generate a double shuffle rhythm to inspire dancing.

Contents 1 Early life 2 His own band 3 Married life 4 Popular Songs 5 Later years 6 Notes 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Early life

Hill was born in Sullivan Township (Moultrie County) Illinois. His parents were William Fred Hill and Osa Gowdson Hill. His parents separated when he was seven years old and he went to live with an aunt. He was active in high school sports and was president of his senior class. He graduated from high school in 1924 and then attended Illinois State Normal School for two years. Financial difficulties forced him to leave college to go to work. He went to Detroit where he worked in a produce warehouse. After a series of short term jobs he ended up driving a team of mules for the Midwest Canning Company in Rochelle, Illinois.

[edit] His own band

In 1931 Hill formed his first big band which were known as the “Fat Man’s Band” . In 1934 Tiny joined the Byron Dunbar band in Decatur, IL as a drummer and vocalist. After a year with Dunbar, Hill left to form his own band, taking many of Dunbar’s band members with him.

Members of Hill’s new band were Dick Coffeen and Harold King on trumpets; John Noreiul on trombone, Jim Shielf on piano, and Reightno Corrington on bass. The reed section included Bobby Walters, Bob Kramar and Nook Schreier, who also did arranging. The group’s style was Dixieland jazz and hillbilly music. Their theme song was “Dream Girl”.

In September 1939, the band was heard over Remote WGN Radio broadcasts from the Melody Mill Ballroom in the Chicago suburb of North Riverside, IL.

Augmented by vocalists such as Allen De Witt, Bob Freeman, Irwin Bendell and Hill himself, the group's popularity soon extended to Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa, growing steadily throughout the 30s and 40s.

In 1943 Hill and his orchestra became the summer replacement band on the Lucky Strike “Your Hit Parade” radio show.

In 1945 He was hired as Folk Music Director at Mercury Records. He resigned as Country A&R man at Mercury in March 1948.

At a performance at the Trianon Ballroom, South Gate, CA, June 18, 1946, booked by MCA, the members of the orchestra consisted of^[2]:

• VOCALISTS: Tiny Hill, Buddy Milton, Bobby Anderson, Russ Phillips
• CORNETS: Sterling Bose, Bobby Anderson
• TROMBONES: Russ Phillips, Jimmy James
• SAXES: Buddy Walden, Bobby Walter, Vic Jaroney, Jim Turner
• RHYTHM: Buddy Milton, guitar; Clarence (Penny) Pfiefer, drums; Pat Paterson, bass; Jimmy Shields, piano
• ARRANGERS: Wally Fobart, Ralph Morse, Bobby Walter, Bobby Anderson

Tiny and his band continued to enjoy success for many years, well into the 1950’s, until the end of the big band era.

[edit] Married life

Hill was married twice. He was first married to Alta Blystone from Sullivan, IL. She travelled with Hill and his mother cooking meals for the band when they were on the road.

On May 1, 1946 Hill married 31 year old Jenny Lou Carson, a successful county music singer and songwriter. The couple purchased a log cabin on Naches Pass near Mount Rainier, WA in 1948. The couple had a very successful business partnership with Hill performing many of Jenny Lou's songs and eventually recording eleven of her songs including "Never Trust A Woman" in 1947 (Mercury #6062). Hill's mother did not like Jenny Lou and their marriage was doomed from the start. Jenny Lou filed for divorce in April 1949, it became final on July 5, 1949.

[edit] Popular Songs

Hill’s band performed in ballrooms across the country and on radio and recording such songs as "Angry," "Sioux City Sue," "Heartaches," "I'll Sail My Ship Alone," "Who's Sorry Now?," "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue".

In 1951 Hill had a hit with a cover of “Hot Rod Race” written by George Wilson.

In all, Hill made over 95 recordings on six different labels.

[edit] Later years

In January 1950 Hill moved to Colorado where he would spend time when not on the road. He purchased a 140 acre dairy farm at Ft. Lupton named Mountain View. In 1951 the band traveled 46,000 miles in ten months. In 1952, the band racked up 61,000 miles in 11 months, all by automobiles. Fast cars were one of Tiny's hobbies. In '51 and again in '52, the band was his guests at the Indianapolis Memorial Day Races. Another of his hobbies was cooking. In 1956, Hill opened Radio Station KHIL in Brighton, CO.

He eventually spent less time on the road and more time with his business interests.

Despite the ending of the Big Bands era, Hill continued to play in small combos in the Denver-Brighton area, often returning to the Midwest for guest appearances. Undeterred by the decline in the commercial appeal of the big band sound, Hill resolutely remained at the helm of the combo until his death in 1971. The inscription on his tombstone reads: “Forgotten quickly by many, remembered forever by a few.”

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Many Tears Ago – The Life and Times of Jenny Lou Carson, Arnold Rogers & Jerry Langley , Nova/Nashville Books © 2005 ISBN 0-9628452-4-8
• Decatur Tribune, Paul Osborne, pg 4, August 26, 2009

[edit] External links

• Tiny Hill at Allmusic
• University of North Carolina Southern Folklife Collection at the Wilson Library