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Charles Leonard Kunz (August 18, 1896 – March 16, 1958) was an American-born pianist and band leader who worked in Great Britain during the British dance band era, eventually becoming a well-known solo pianist.[1]
Charlie Kunz | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charles Leonard Kunz |
| Born | August 18, 1896 Allentown, Pennsylvania |
| Died | March 16, 1958 (aged 61) |
| Occupation(s) | Bandleader, musician |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | 1912–1958 |
| Labels | Decca Records, Sterno Records, Rex |
Life and career
editKunz was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States,[1] the only son of Margaret T. (Wehr) and Leonard Kunz, a master baker who played the French horn. He made his debut aged six and made his first appearance as a prodigy aged seven. During World War I he led his own resident band, while working in a munitions factory.
He came to the United Kingdom in 1922 as a pianist in a small dance band.[1] He was to remain there until his death from a heart attack in 1958.[1] He is buried in Streatham Vale Cemetery. He was such a distinctive and popular pianist that he abandoned his orchestra to concentrate on his piano playing, both at music hall venues and on the BBC.[1] Two of Britain's most famous female vocalists were with his orchestra in the 1930s: Vera Lynn and Welsh songstress Dorothy Squires. His best known crooner was George Barclay.
Kunz was the pianist in a dance band which was led by the drummer, Ed Krick. The band came to London in 1922 to play a residency in the London Trocadero. The band returned without Kunz to Pennsylvania after a successful run at the 'Troc' and, until 1998, still got together for sessions for retirement homes, renamed as 'The B Flats'.
His debut as a soloist came in 1934 at the Holborn Empire, London followed by countless variety theatres in Britain and the Continent, after playing in hotels, restaurants and ballrooms. The same year saw the beginning of what was to become a continuous output of solo records of "Charlie Kunz Medleys". His signature tune was "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie", and his closing theme was "Pink Elephants".[2]
He became the highest paid pianist in the world, earning up to £1,000 a week.[3] His piano transcriptions sold widely in the teaching of piano-playing. Kunz's playing style was a relaxed flowing interpretation of popular melodies played with subtle soft and loud accents, which he called "melody and rhythm with expression".[citation needed]
He was married three times:
- 1) Amanda Dysher (died) (one son Joseph)
- 2) Eva Dorothy "Nin" Lloyd, a fashion model (1923–1939) (two sons Peter and Gerald) In 1939 he was living with Eva in Elmer Road, Chichester Area.
- 3) Pat Sparkes (1942–1958)
He is buried in Streatham Park Cemetery in London.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 728. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ Ades, David; Bickerdyke, Percy; Holmes, Eric (July 1999). This England's Book of British Dance Bands. Cheltenham: This England Books. pp. 11–13. ISBN 0-906324-25-4.
- ^ "Charlie Kunz, jazz musician, his connections with Brent, London". Brent-heritage.co.uk. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
External links
edit- "Internet Archive Search: Charlie Kunz - archive.org (multimedia content in the public domain)". Retrieved 29 April 2012.
- "British Pathé Search: Charlie Kunz - britishpathe.com". Retrieved 1 May 2012.
- Charlie Kunz Archived 22 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine
- Charlie Kunz Discography
- Charlie Kunz Biography - AllMusic