1942 Moline Illinois High School Yearbook Louis Bellson Benny Goodman Drummer

Description

1942 Moline Illinois High School Yearbook Louis Bellson Benny Goodman Drummer
* In good used condition. Has some water damage on the inside cover. The pages are in great shape.
* Features Benny Goodman drummer Louis Bellson. Bellson would become a world-renowned drummer, bandleader, and composer. He played with all of the most famous band leaders and singers over the years including Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and his wife Pearl Bailey, just to mention a few.
* Famous and interesting students in this book include senior students Louie Bellson, Roy Bostrom, Earl Eng, Cliff Engstrom and Ed Meyer, junior students Cal Anders, Tony Bellson, Frank DeMeyer, Jim Grafton and Leonard Hawk, and sophomores Malcolm Bosse, Leroy Skantz and Cal Whitmore. Louie Paul Bellson is featured as a senior making this one of the most desirable and collectible of all Quad-Cities area yearbooks every made. Besides his individual senior head shot photo, Louis is pictured nicely in the orchestra group photo. He's also most likely pictured at the drums in a snapshot on one of the opening pages of the book and is shown in another snapshot near the middle of the book jamming with Jim (Jimmy) Rice. Furthermore, in the back of the book is an advertisement for the Bellson Music Company, 1711 5th Avenue, his father's store. Louie would become a world-renowned drummer, bandleader and composer. He played with all of the most famous band leaders and singers over the years including Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and his wife Pearl Bailey, just to mention a few. In the Moline High School yearbook for 1943, the student body applauded him as a member of the Benny Goodman Band, right out of high school! He was born in Rock Falls, Illinois on July 6, 1924. He died February 14, 2009 at the age of 84. He had fallen and broken his hip in November of 2008, had recovered and was released from the hospital on January 28, 2009. However, the cause of death was listed as complications of Parkinson's disease following a broken hip.Roy Arthur Bostrom would become an award-winning, well-known local artist, wood carver, and illustrator. He was best known locally for his paintings of the life and community of Bishop Hill, Illinois. He was also known worldwide for his illustrations of a series of children's story books published by the John Deere Co., which included "Johnny Tractor and His Pals," "Corny Cornpicker Finds a Home," and more recently "Family Reunion" and "Centennial Surprise." He was an art director and commercial artist for Deere & Company until 1984 upon his retirement after 33 years of service.Earl "Tiny" Eng was mentioned twice for all-state honors in football.Clifford (Cliff) Engstrom was perhaps Moline's best athlete in 1942 and was elected "Line O'Type King." He played football and basketball. The basketball team won 6 straight games in the state tournament to advance to the Sweet 16 played in Champaign. Edward H. (Ed) Meyer would go on to found and develop "Meyer's Tree Farm" in 1950, which, on its 50th anniversary, became Meyer Landscape & Design.Calvin (Cal) Anders played football, basketball and ran track. He would become one of Moline's greatest early basketball players. He was an all-state full back in 1942 and was named all-tournament center at the 1943 state prep basketball tournament after leading Moline to second place. He died Sept. 15, 1952, at the age of 27, in Moline Public Hospital of a stomach disorder. Frank "Potsy" DeMeyer was one of the outstanding athletes at Moline High at that time playing football and basketball and serving on the Athletic Board. Tony Bellson was a brother to Louis Bellson. He was born in Moline to the late Carmen and Louis Bellson on May 7, 1926. The love of music and entertainment was in the Bellson blood. The family music store was a fixture in Moline for many years, and Tony helped out around the store with his brothers and sisters and initially took up the guitar before finding his passion on the drums. He was a renowned musician who played all over the country at major venues until settling down in Chicago where he played at the top clubs including many years at the O'Hare Gaslight Club. He does not appear in the 1943 Moline High yearbook and apparently did not graduate.
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