Bon_Bon_(singer)

George Tunnell

George Tunnell

American singer

George "Bon Bon" Tunnell (June 29, 1912[1] – May 20, 1975)[2] was an American jazz vocalist.

George Tunnell, c. 1945

Biography

Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States,[3] Tunnell was one of the first African American vocalists to perform with a white band, that of Jan Savitt and his band,[4] The Top Hatters.

In the early 1930s, he fronted a vocal quartet, the Three Keys,[5] which had a hit with "Fit as a Fiddle".[5]

Tunnell then joined Jan Savitt's Band and recorded a number of tracks with them including "Moonlight Masquerade", "The Gypsy in My Soul", "A Kiss for Consolation", plus two best-selling numbers, "Hi-Yo Silver" and "Make Believe Island".[5]

In 1941, Tunnell left Savitt and began recording solo tracks including "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire", "Blow, Gabriel Blow" and "Most Emphatically, Yes!"[5]

He then joined Spirits of Rhythm jazz ensemble briefly before spending time fronting the Tommy Reynolds Band during the 1950s.[5]

When Tunnell's career slowed, he returned to live in Pennsylvania.[2]

He died in May 1975, in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, at the age of 62.[3]

References

  1. [1]
    "Bon Bon". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  2. [2]
    "George "Bon Bon" Tunnell | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  3. [3]
    Zirpolo, Mike (15 February 2020). ""Vol Vistu Gaily Star" (1939) Jan Savitt with George "Bon Bon" Tunnell". Swingandbeyond.com. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  4. [4]
    "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #3". Digital.library.unt.edu. 1972.
  5. [5]
    Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 289. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.

Bibliography

  • Jazz Records 1897-1942 4th Revised and Enlarged Edition, by Brian Rust, Arlington House Publishers, New Rochelle, New York, 1978, ISBN 9780902391048
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