| Max Geldray | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Max van Gelder |
| Born | 12 February 1916 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Died | 2 October 2004 (aged 88) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | Musician |
| Instruments | Harmonica |
| Years active | 1940s–2002 |
Max Geldray (12 February 1916[1] – 2 October 2004) was a jazz harmonica player, usually credited as being the first such.[2]
Born Max van Gelder to Jewish parents in Amsterdam, Netherlands, he was best known for his playing and occasional acting on the BBC comedy radio series, The Goon Show before emigrating to the United States. The Goon Show followed a variety format, the plot of the comedy interspersed by musical performances so that each episode was broken into three segments, Geldray playing the first interlude and The Ray Ellington Quartet playing the second. Additionally, Geldray appeared in the Hancock's 43 Minutes special at the end of the first TV series of Hancock's Half Hour.
Geldray was distinguished by his large nose, often the subject of playful jokes on The Goon Show. For example, Geldray might be introduced with, "(and now for...) Max Geldray and his enormous Dutch conk" ("conk" in British slang is "nose"). At the instigation of fellow Goon Michael Bentine Geldray wrote a history of his career in the music business that was published as "Goon With The Wind".
After The Goon Show ended its run in 1960 Geldray moved to the United States, eventually settling in California, returning briefly to appear on The Last Goon Show of All in 1972. He also worked as a counselor at the Betty Ford Detoxification Center. He died in Palm Springs, California at the age of 88.
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