[Dixielandjazz] Glenn Miller - Blues and the Abstract Truth -

[Steve Heist]

Hi all,
Things don't change much over the years...  In the early 70's, I was playing 
at the Ramada Inn "Speakeasy" in St. Louis - at the time, hottest 
restaurant/bar in St. Louis.  I needed a trombone player, and one night I 
called Leon King from the famous Singleton Palmer band to sit in for a 
night.  He was so fantastic and the crowd LOVED him, so I hired him on the 
spot.  A week later the manager of the club called me into the office and 
said, "Is Leon going to be a regular?"  I told him, "I certainly hope so, 
he's phenomenal!"  The manager looked me right in the eye and said, "BUT 
HE'S BLACK!!!"  I was literally stunned.  Then I got mad.  I looked him 
right in the eye and said, "Well, it's either the band WITH Leon, or no band 
at all!!"  Fortunately for us all, he backed down...
Another time in the 80's, in New Orleans, I was on a job with Papa French 
and it was at a country club which shall remain nameless.  We went to the 
front door and the doorman looked at me and said, "YOU can come in, but the 
rest of the band has to go to the back kitchen door..."  I just looked at 
him and said, "No thanks, I'm with the band..."  and we all went around the 
back...  It seems I've had to fight bigotry in the music business all my 
life and I'm sure it still goes on...
Steve

-----Original Message----- 
From: Andrew
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2012 2:42 PM
To: Steve Heist
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Glenn Miller - Blues and the Abstract Truth -

'This is the Glenn Miller Orchestra, not the Count Basie Orchestra': Leader 
of world-famous big band 'sacked after hiring black musicians'


http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/fired-bandleader-glenn-miller-orchestra-claims-management-questioned-hiring-black-musicians-article-1.1149356

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2197444/Glenn-Miller-Orchestra-Leader-world-famous-big-band-sacked-hiring-black-musicians.html
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