Sonny Dunham
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elmer "Sonny" Dunham (November 16, 1911 - July 9, 1990) American trumpet player and bandleader.
Born in Brockton, Massachusetts, the son of Elmer M. Dunham and Ethel A (Lewis) Dunham attended local schools and took lessons on the valve trombone at the age of 7. He changed to the slide trombone at age 11, and was playing in local bands by the age of 13. Dunam began his musical career as a trombone player in the Boston area. In the late 1920s he moved to New York where he played with Ben Bernie for six months before moving onto Paul Tremaine's Orchestra in 1929 where he remained for 2 years. It was while he was working with Tremaine's group, where he also sang and arranged, that he switched to the trumpet.
In 1931, he left Tremaine and for a few months led his own group calling it Sonny Dunham and his New York Yankees. He then joined the Casa Loma Orchestra, in 1932 where he became a popular soloist, scoring a big hit with his trumpet work on "Memories of You." He stayed until March, 1936 he when he formed another more unusual group, Sonny Lee and The New Yorkers Band, which featured 14 pieces, with ten of his musicians doubling on trumpet. After the band failed to secure adequate bookings, he moved to Europe for three months and in 1937 returned to the Casa Loma Orchestra, where he remained until 1940 when he tried again to form his own group, this time, with more success.
His new band debuted in July of 1940 at the Glendale Auditorium in Los Angeles. Sonny's band toured the United States, playing at the top spots and holding talent searches along the way. After returning to New York in early 1941, they were on nightly radio broadcasts at the Roseland Ballroom, and at the Meadbrook at Cedar Brook, New Jersey, in June. The band then left New York in the late summer for Hollywood, but returned to New York in January 1942, only to return to the road again by March of that year. They played at the Hollywood Palladium in April, and were also featured in the Universal Picture "Behind the Eight Ball" with the Ritz Brothers and Grace McDonald. Sonny served as musical director for this film. The band also appeared in another Universal film short "Jivin' Jam Session." The band then left to play in Chicago, and returned to New York for an appearance at the Paramount Theatre in November, 1942. From January to April, 1943, his band was on the bandstand of the Hotel New Yorker. They later toured the mid west and returned to New York late that year where they recorded for Langworth Transcriptions. In February of 1944, the band returned to the Hotel New Yorker, and in April, performed at the Cafe Rouge Room at the Hotel Pennsylvania. The band headed back to Los Angeles and performed at the Hollywood Palladium in July and August. While there, the band appeared in the Universal film short "Jive Busters" and then went over to Warner Bros. where they were featured in the film "Sonny Dunham and His Orchestra." In September, they headed back to the East Coast. After another tour of the mid west in 1945, and again in 1946, the band returned to New York in late 1946.
The band had few appearances between 1947 and 1950. Sonny dissolved the band in 1951 and worked with Bernie Mann and Tommy Dorsey for a while before forming another group. He moved to Florida in the 1960s where he formed a smaller band and played mainly in the area. He took the band on cruise ships when he could find bookings, and also booked bands for the cruise ships. By this time he was now performing only on the trombone due to problems with his lips.
Little was heard from Sonny in the 1970s and 1980's. He was living in a trailer in Miami, Florida, still involved in booking bands for cruises and playing occasionally when he could find work. His last few years were not happy ones, and he died of cancer on July 9th, 1990.
