Charlie LaVere
He is best known for his extensive work with arranger Gordon Jenkins, including the 1 million seller “Maybe You’ll Be There”, his own dixie jazz group LaVere's Chicago Loopers, and his later work for Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Revue, for which he composed the music and led the band performances from 1955 to 1959, and which would go on to become the longest running stage show in the history of show business,[1] running for over 31 years and over 39,000 performances.
At the age of twelve, LaVere attended a concert in Salina featuring Willard Robison and his Deep River Orchestra, and described the event as having a profound impact on his interest in jazz.
He began playing regularly with local artists, including Joe and Marty Marsala, Floyd Towne, Jim Barnes, Ray Biondi, Shorty Cherock, Larry Russel, Clark Galehouse, Carl Bean, Wingy Manone, and was awarded standing work with Wingy Manone and Jack Teagarden at The Brewery, near the World's Fair in the Spring and summer of 1933.
After touring Texas and the mid-west with Eddie Neibauer and Dell Coon in 1934, LaVere returned to local Chicago venues, working regularly with Joe Marsala at the Cass Hotel.
LaVere met and befriended writer and jazz critic Helen Oakley, who was instrumental in gathering label interest to the band's work.
[2] LaVere then found steady work in radio, performing on the Fibber McGee and Molly show for NBC, conducted by Rico Marcelli, recorded at the Merchandise Mart.
LaVere had quickly grown fond of Southern California's climate, and tendered his resignation to Whiteman soon after closing their tour, remaining behind while the group continued on to New York.
After several idle months pending his transfer through the musicians union, LaVere joined Frank Trumbaure band for steady work at the Biltmore Bowl.
LaVere also regularly performed as a solo artist for private parties at the homes of Hollywood stars of the day, including Armand Deutsch, Jack Benny, George Burns, Cole Porter, Gary Cooper, Edgar Bergen, Jimmy Cagney, Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, and Emily Kimbrough.
The band featured Billy May, Artie Shapiro, Floyd O'Brien, Joe Venuti, Matty Matlock, Nick Fatool, and George Van Eps.
Songs were recorded largely without written music, and included LaVere's original compositions "Very 8'n Boogie", "Love Lies", and "It's All In Your Mind", the latter featuring Jack Teagarden on vocals.
In the spring of 1955, Donald Novis contacted LaVere with the opportunity to audition a group for Walt Disney's Disneyland, which was scheduled to open later that year.
Disney hired the group, which included Jerry King (drums), Frank Wylie, lyricist Tom Adair and LaVere on piano.
The finished show included opener "Hello Everybody, "Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home", "Dear Old Donegal", "Leprechaun Lullaby", "Beautiful Dreamer" by Stephen Foster, "A Lady Has to Mind Her P’s and Q’s" or "Riverboat Blues", and the finale "Pecos Bill", and debuted on July 18 of 1955, LaVere's 45th birthday, and featured vocal performances by Donald Novis, Wally Boag, and Judy Marsh.
From the 1960s onward he ran his own piano repair shop in the San Diego area, in addition to performing solo residencies at resorts in California, Oregon, and Colorado.
