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| Willie Cook Gugge Hedrenius Big Blues Band |
I received a phone called from Howard E. Magee concerning prominent African Americans who were born or lived in the Village of Tangipahoa. The Village of Tangipahoa is located in the Northern end of the Parish of Tangipahoa. Howard's objective is to highlight prominent African Americans for Black History Month 2018.
According to the 2000 census the populations was 747. The Village got its name for after the Tangipahoa Native American people. It also the home of the Camp Moore, a Confederate Museum that is known for their annual reenactments.
Not to forget Micheal Jackson Dyson who was a professional football player who played for the Cleveland Browns who home was also in Tangipahoa, Louisiana.
Howard brought to attention that a Jazz Musician named Willie Cook was born in the Tangipahoa, Louisiana. Willie was born on November 11, 1923, and died on September 22, 2000. He was an American jazz trumpeter. He migrated with his family to Chicago and learned to play the violin before the trumpet summoned him. Making the trumpet the instrument of choice.
He joined Perry King Perry's band in the 1930s, then joined Jay McShann's band early in the 1940s. He later credits include performing and recording with Johnny Hartman, Earl Hines, Jimmie Lunceford, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, B.B. King and, Count Basie. He joined Ellington's band in October 1951 as lead trumpeter and stayed for a decade. He moved to Sweden in 1982 after spending time in the country touring. He died of heart failure in Maria Regina Hospice in Stockholm on September 22, 2000.
MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC RESOURCES
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2000/oct/19/guardianobituaries
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/21/arts/willie-cook-76-lead-trumpeter-with-gillespie-and-ellington.html
https://youtu.be/y7hm9M9eci4
