07 November 2023

Del Courtney Seven Decade Career 1933-93

Greg Poppleton's Phantom Dancer swing jazz radio show

Del Courtney was a pianist, bandleader, actor and composer whose career spanned seven decades. He played for four US presidents. He is your Phantom Dancer Feature artist this week.

The Phantom Dancer is your weekly non-stop mix of swing and jazz from live 1920s-60s radio and TV every week.

LISTEN to this week’s Phantom Dancer mix (online after 2pm AEST, Tuesday 7 November) and weeks of Phantom Dancer mixes online at, at https://2ser.com/phantom-dancer/

DEL

Known as the “Old Smoothie” for the smooth dance tunes he and his band would play, Del Courtney started playing paino at age 9 and at university did a double degree in music and teaching

He formed his first band in 1933 at the Claremont Hotel, San Francisco, and became immensely popular in the Bay Area with record deals and radio shows.  His late 1930s bands included electric guitar and keyboards.

In the mid-1940s, he was a favourite at Chicago’s musically prestigious Blackhawk Restaurant, and by 1948 was playing his sixth engagement at the Rose Room at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco., another room the networks broadcast from daily

His band in 1948 was: George Rank, Seymour Solk , Billy Petri trumpets; Rick Meyer and Johnny Strong trombones; Doug Lowery, Rick Sanders, Johnny Shepherd and Ken MacCoulou reeds; Bob Moonan piano, Val Eddy double bass, Mel Severs guitar, and Ellis Stickey drums. The vocalists were Gloria Foster and Gil Vester. 

In October 1958, his album Dancing ‘Til Daybreak LP, which was released on Capitol Records.

In the 1960s he had a daily radio show over KSFO from the Tonga Room of the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco.

On July 3, 1964, both Courtney and Les Malloy became the owners ofSan Francisco  radio station KSAN. Courtney was also musical director of The Oakland Raiders football club

In the mid-1990s swing revival, Courtney ,came out of retirement to front a big band, playing at the Blue Tropix Restaurant and Night Club and the Elks Club in Honolulu. He is credited with bringing big band swing to Hawaii in the 1930s.

He was still playing once a month at the age of 93. He died age 95.

He was married to the famous big band era swing singers Connie Haines, who sang with Tommy Dorsey as you’ll hear on this week’s Phantom Dancer, and Yvonne King from The King Sisters

He was also an actor and producer, known for The Hideous Sun Demon (1958), Harbor Command (1957) and Aloha Summer (1988). He had his own sponsored TV shows in the 1950s.

His theme song, which he composed, was ‘Good Evening’. His memoir was entitled “Hey! The Band’s Too Loud”.

Del Courtney oral history: https://ww1.namm.org/library/oral-history/del-courtney

7 November PLAY LIST