Randy Brooks

Through no fault of his own, Randy Brooks ultimately had a tragic life after a brief period of fame. An excellent swing-based trumpeter who started playing when he was six, Brooks picked up very early experience performing with Rudy Vallee, touring with the singer for two years, starting when he was 11! He also worked with Claude Thornhill, Bob Allen, Art Jarrett's Orchestra (which was organized after the death of Hal Kemp) and, most importantly, in 1944 with Les Brown's Big Band. Brooks (who was influenced by Harry James) started his own orchestra in late-1944, just when the ...