Tommy Shepard

After twelve months with Ben Bernie, he enlisted in the United States Army and played in a variety of Army big bands, finally winding up with Wayne King's Orchestra at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, where he played for two years, making V-Discs, working bond rallies and generally supporting the nation's spirits.

Released from service in 1946, he settled down in Chicago working first at the Chez Paree, then on the staff of the orchestras at NBC, ABC, and finally CBS.

While he was at ABC, Shepard was granted six months leave of absence in 1953 to join Stan Kenton on first trombone (his section mates were Frank Rosolino and Bill Russo).

It was a big swinging band that gave some of the top studio musicians in Chicago a chance to perform once a week.

In 1960, Shepard started working in Hollywood and quickly became one of the city's busiest free-lance studio trombone players.