Frank Shelton "Red" Perkins (December 26, 1890 – September 27, 1976) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

trumpet player, singer, and bandleader. Perkins led of one of the oldest

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

-based jazz territory bands, The Dixie Ramblers, and saw his greatest period of success in the 1920s and 1930s.

Early life

Perkins, who was

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, was born in Muchakinock,

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, a coal mining camp near Oskaloosa, Iowa. As an adult, Perkins moved from Oskaloosa to

Fort Dodge Fort Dodge is a city in and the county seat of Webster County, Iowa, United States, along the Des Moines River. The population was 24,871 in the 2020 census, a decrease from 25,136 in 2000. Fort Dodge is a major commercial center for North Ce ...

, Iowa. In 1917, Perkins moved with his wife and child to Omaha, Nebraska. He got a job as a porter at a barber shop and worked there from 1917 to 1925.

Career

In 1923, Perkins took over the Omaha Night Owls jazz band and renamed them the Dixie Ramblers. Perkins based his band in Omaha's Near North Side. It was a small band with six players but several of the musicians doubled on different instruments. The Dixie Ramblers quickly grew into a medium-sized jazz territory band. The National Orchestra Service booked the band from 1923 into the 1940s. In 1932, he joined with harmonica player O.P. Alexander and they performed on radio station WFAA until 1934. Perkins and his band were signed by

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

in 1936 and later released music on

Gennett Records Gennett Records () was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s and produced the Gennett, Starr, Champion, Superior, and Van Speaking labels. The company also produced some Supertone, ...

. The band cut more than 250 sides of records. The band played in ballrooms, theaters, and hotels in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota. One of the Dixie Rambler's most famous songs was "Hard Times Stomp."Alt URL
The jazz band was known for its variety acts and floor shows. Perkins' bookings were handled by National Orchestra Service of

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

Personal life

Towards the end of the big band era in the late 1940s, Perkins moved to

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, and became a professional photographer. He died September 27, 1976, in

Selected discography

During the 1920s and 1930s, the Dixie Ramblers recorded for

. * Red Perkins and His Dixie Ramblers : Frank "Red" Perkins (t, as, ss, v) dir. Joe Drake (t, cl, ts, arr), Andre C. Oglesby (tb), Jesse Simmons (cl, as, ts), Howard Fields (p), Charles “Goodie” Watkins (bjo, gtr), Eugene Freels (t, bb), Harry Rooks (d-x), trio (v). * Richmond, Indiana, May 5, 1931 # 17727-A: "Hard Times Stomp" (Perkins) Ch 40044 # 17728-A: "My Baby Knows How" (Davis-Akst-Richman) - vFP Ch 16661 * Richmond, Indiana, May 6, 1931 # 17729-A: "Old Man Blues" (Paul, Ellington, Mills) - v3 Ch 40044 # 17730: "Minor Blues" (Perkins) Ch 16288

Members of The Dixie Ramblers

Anna Mae Winburn Anna Mae Winburn ''(née'' Darden; August 13, 1913 – September 30, 1999) was an American vocalist and jazz bandleader who flourished beginning in the mid-1930s. An African-American, she is best known for having directed the International Sweet ...

, singer * Bill Osboen * Charlie "Big" Green, trombone * Charlie Watkins * Harry Fooks *

Jabbo Smith Jabbo Smith (born Cladys Smith; December 24, 1908 – January 16, 1991) was an American jazz musician, known for his virtuoso playing on the trumpet. Biography Smith was born in Pembroke, Georgia, United States. At the age of six he went into ...

, trumpet * Jay Green * Jim Alexander

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Red American jazz bandleaders American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters American big band bandleaders Western swing performers Swing bandleaders Musicians from Omaha, Nebraska Gennett Records artists King Records artists People from Mahaska County, Iowa Musicians from Minneapolis 1890 births 1976 deaths 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American singers 20th-century American trumpeters Singers from Minnesota Jazz musicians from Minnesota Jazz musicians from Nebraska 20th-century American male singers American male jazz musicians Musicians from Iowa