Raymond D. Bowman
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Raymond DeArmond Bowman (September 4, 1917 - November 30, 2001) was an important American classical, jazz and ethnic (world) music critic, concert promoter and writer, based in Southern California. He was a survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941 and was an early member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.
He was born in Rockingham County, Virginia but moved to Long Beach, California with his family at the age of 3, As a child he became a prodigy violinist, encouraged by his mother who had a love of classical music.
His mother was Vesta Virginia Bowman, one of the founders of the Long Beach Symphony Society. His family survived the 1933 earthquake and his mother made soup for the neighborhood in the front yard of their Loma Avenue home, which was damaged. He later attended Wilson High School. He attended Columbia University in New York, where he obtained degrees in literature and journalism. Returning home, he became a member of the The California Junior Symphony Orchestra and appeared in the motion picture "They Shall Have Music" in 1939. (Note: Bowman appeared in some scenes in the movie, but wasn't sitting in the orchestra when it performed the synch-over in the movie, although he was in the actual orchestra that recorded the music).
He enlisted in the Army in late 1940 and was sent to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Ironically a few weeks later, he witnessed the attack by the Japanese on December 7, 1941 while stationed at the Army base. He was about to play a game of tennis when the attack began and quickly found himself firing a machine gun at the planes from a bunker wearing only his tennis outfit. During the war he worked in counter-intelligence in the South Pacific and rarely saw action for the rest of his enlistment because he was stationed on small outposts in the Pacific most of the time. His combined active and reserve enlistment lasted 17 years. He attained the rank of Master Sergeant.
He was Adjutant of the Hollywood American Legion Post 43 during the 1950s and was active in veterans affairs. He was one of the original members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and signed the incorporation papers a year after it was formed in 1961.
He married the former Lita Santos who had 2 children from a previous marriage, Leslie and Christian. In 1962, she bore his son, Raymond D. Bowman, Jr.
In 1963, he opened an art gallery in Beverly Hills with his good friend Eric Mann. "The Bowman-Mann Gallery" was located on La Cienega Blvd. near Wilshire Blvd. Many famous artists give one-man shows there, including Mae Babitz, Edgar Payne, Cetone Starr and Innocenzo Daraio.
He was a major concert presenter of classical and jazz music. He met countless musicians, conductors and composers over the years. He was also instrumental in bringing world ethnic music to the Los Angeles area for the first time during the 1960s. For nearly 20 years he presented the "Monday Night Concert Series" at the Ice House in Pasadena. One of the most famous acts he presented was Lily Tomlin and her first record album was recorded on one of his nights. He also presented the San Francisco Mime Troupe, Ruth St. Denis, Lily Tomlin, George Greeley, Dennis Dreith's Nova Jazz Ensemble, Rene Heredia and his Flamenco Show, the Aman Folk Ensemble, Devi Dja and many more.
He was a classical music critic for the South Bay Daily Breeze during the 1970s and was a fixture at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion during the symphony and opera seasons. He knew most of the performers and members of the press for nearly 40 years in the Los Angeles arts scene. He adored long conversations with "intellectuals" and could engage in discussions with them on art, music or history until late in the night. In his later years he was listed in the Marquis Who's Who social register.
He loved drives to scenic places and one drive he enjoyed was the cliffs above San Diego bay in Point Loma. He asked that when it was "his time", he be buried "high on a cliff overlooking Coronado and the bay". He died on November 30, 2001. His wish was granted and his burial site overlooks that magnificent view. At his funeral were members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association he had befriended over the years, who are mostly ex-Navy personnel. Ironically, an Army firing squad was unavailable to be at his funeral and at the last minute a U. S. Marine Corps firing squad graciously stepped in to perform the ceremonial duties. He was very proud of his military career and this would have pleased him greatly.
