He joined Kemp's orchestra as a reed player (tenor saxophone, clarinet, and flute) and vocalist in the fall of 1925.
After "Three Little Fishies" became a hit in 1939, Dowell was involved in a legal dispute with lyricists Josephine Carringer and Bernice Idins.
[1][2] During World War II he was drafted and served as a bandleader aboard an aircraft carrier, the U.S.S.
[1][2] The band survived a bombing attack by Japanese forces, then performed while the wreckage was cleaned up.
[2] He wrote and sang the novelty song "Three Little Fishies"[1][2] and recorded for Brunswick, Sonora, and Victor.