Rafael Méndez

Known as the "Heifetz of the Trumpet," Rafael Méndez was one of 15 children in his family. His father, Maximino, conducted a family orchestra in which Rafael played cornet. Emigrating to the United States at the age of 20, Méndez settled in Detroit. By day, he worked in an automobile factory and by night, would play with local bands and orchestras. He was unable to play after being hit in the face by a swinging door while at the the Fox Theatre in 1932. Méndez returned to Mexico, where his father helped him rehabilitate his playing. When he returned to Detroit, he met bandlead...