Jimmy Forrest

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Jimmy Forrest (January 24, 1920 - August 26, 1980) was a jazz musician who played tenor saxophone throughout his career.

Born Jimmy Robert Forrest Jr., he is famous for his first solo recording of "Night Train", with its hook and classic tenor solo. He recorded frequently as both a sideman and a bandleader. "Night Train" reached #1 on the Billboard R&B chart in March 1952, and stayed at the top for seven weeks. "Hey Mrs. Jones" (#3 R&B) and "Bolo Blues" were his other major hits.

Forrest was born in St. Louis, Missouri and played alongside Fate Marable as a young man. He was with Jay McShann in 1940-42 and with Andy Kirk from 1942-48, when he joined Duke Ellington. After his solo career, he played in small combos with Harry "Sweets" Edison and Al Grey as well as appearing with Count Basie.

Forrest's version of "Night Train" was the theme song of a nightly rhythm and blues radio program in the Houston, Texas market that virtually introduced white teenagers to what was then called race music. The program, also called Night Train, was hosted by William A. "Rascal" McCaskill, and was broadcast on KREL-AM from 1954 to 1957. The Night Train show brought in more than 100,000 mail-in requests per year, and was the most listened to program in its time slot.^{[citation needed]}

Late in life Forrest married Betty Tardy and settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he later died.

[edit] See also

• List of Jump blues musicians
• List of jazz saxophonists
• List of artists who reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart

He also played with Miles Davis, in the Spring of 1952 at The Barrelhouse Club.

[edit] References

• All Music Guide biography

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