Chester Crumpler

supplement to
The Duke – Where and When
A Chronicle of Duke Ellington's Working Life and Travels

• Probably due to his short tenure with the band, Chester isn't well known to the Ellington community at large but his name comes up over 700 times in newspaper archives from the 1930s through 1981.
• Mr. Crumpler was born February 5, 1922 in Youngstown, Ohio and died March 2 or 3, 1981, in Columbus, Ohio, He appears to have been raised in a middle-class Afro-American family, his parents being Louise S. (nee Reid) and lawyer Chester Harrison Crumpler Sr. The father was appointed Assistant Prosecutor for Mahoney County in 1945; the appointment announcement said he was active in the NAACP and the Youngstown Interracial Committee. His obituary said he'd also been the assistant prosecutor in 1932.
• The April 1940 census shows Chester was the second of four children (2 sisters and a brother) and in his third year of high school. He is listed as an orchestra member in the Rayen High School yearbook and as one of that June's graduating "Colored students" in The Youngstown Daily Vindicator 1940 06 06 p.41.
• The Gazette 1940-09-28 p.1 announced Crumpler was a freshman in Youngstown College. The list of freshmen in the 1941 Youngstown College yearbook lists him on page 105 and the class photos show only one obviously Afro-American man - see the picture on page 107. He is not in class lists in the 1942 yearbook, so perhaps he did not return for a second year, whether or not he completed his first year.
• In mid-1942 Crumpler worked for the U.S. Post Office in Youngstown and that summer, he performed a concert in Pittsburgh.
• His 1942 06 30 draft registration card showed he was 5'11½" and 189 lbs.
• In announcing his September 1942 departure for Juilliard on a four year scholarship, Cleveland Call and Post said he had studied music for four years under a private tutor, had completed several radio programs on WFMJ, would perform a concert sponsored by Cleveland Music Association in October and be heard over WHK in Cleveland on October 19.
• Chester's studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. His army record says he enlisted November 20, 1942 and had had 4 years of college - clearly not true since he didn't start college until 1940.
• While he would have first been a private soldier, by mid-1943 Chester was a corporal and by that October was promoted to sergeant. In 1943 and possibly earlier, he served in the 9th Division at Fort Huachuca, Arizona.
• The Buffalo 1943-05-15 p.3, mentions Cpl. Chester Harrison Crumpler ("Ole basso-profundo") and on 1943-10-03 p.7 carried a photo of Sgt. Crumpler and another NCO singing into a radio microphone. Crumpler is mentioned many times in the two Fort Huachuca newspapers, and once was referred to as [Bing] Crosby-like.
• By January 1944 Crumpler was a T/4 (technician, fourth grade) at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, a rank equivalent to sergeant but without command authority. T/4 uniforms have three chevrons above the letter T.
• There are many mentions of Sgt. Crumpler's performances in the base newspaper, The Apache Sentinel, in 1944 and 1945. That paper's 1945-02-09 edition described the unit's mandate:

  A laughing soldier is a happy soldier, and it is the job of Special Service musicians and entertainers to keep Fort Huachuca GIs laughing. One way they have of doing that in this Post 50 miles from nowhere is to stage frequent entertainments for the men.

• Chester's portrait, smiling with a pipe between his teeth, appeared in The Apache Sentinel 1944-03-31 and The Afro-American 1944-05-06. The Sentinel said he transferred from the 96th Division to the Special Service group in January 1944 and compared his voice to that of Paul Robeson. It said he had completed two years of pre-law work at Youngstown college (unlikely since he was only there one year) and had done a great deal of commendable radio work, singing on a N.B.C. sustaining program from Youngstown and giving recitals in Cleveland, New Castle and Pittsburgh. He and his future bride acted in an all-soldier film, G-I Rhapsody.
• Crumpler married WAC Betty E. Joy 1944 09 08 after they finished playing a show with Fort Huachuca's Special Services Division at Marana Army Air Base, Arizona. Their wedding announcement in The Apache Sentinel, 1944-09-08 p.8, said Chester had completed two years [unlikely] of pre-law work at Youngstown College, appeared on NBC radio programs and appeared in recitals in Cleveland, New Castle and Pittsburgh.
• Betty, born in 1921, enlisted in August 1943. When this marriage ended is unknown.
• Cleveland Call and Post 1945-06-23 p.17 reported Chester was serving as a lifeguard at his U.S. Army camp in Arizona. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) database shows he was discharged January 12, 1946, having enlisted December 2, 1942 (not November 20 as above).
• Crumpler appears to have been worked in or near Washington, D.C. after leaving the army. Cleveland Call and Post 1946-05-04 p.6-B reported he thrilled all Washington while appearing at Club Bali and Club Caverns for 10 weeks and that Ellington and Jimmy Lunceford heard him and were well pleased.

With Duke

• "Billy Rowe's Notebook" (The Pittsburgh Courier 1947-02-01 p.21:

  Chester Crumpler, who was a musical sender around Washington, has been signed by Duke Ellington to put his "Beggar's Holiday" music to wax. The former geeye [sic] favorite has the voice and could do wonders with the tunes if they're arranged to his style.

  Columnist Bill Chase in New York Amsterdam News, 1947-02-01 p.6 also announced Crumpler had been signed by Ellington.
• Ellington recorded some demo acetates of Beggar's Holiday songs in June 1946 and the show opened at the end of the year. Richmond Times-Dispatch 1946-12-29) reported Ellington was planning an album of Beggar's Holiday hit tunes and this may be what Rowe was writing about. While the album was not made a medley of tunes from the show was sung by Al Hibbler in the Chicago February 1947 concert. These events predate Crumpler's involvement with Ellington.
• Exactly when Crumpler replaced Al Hibbler in Ellington's band isn't known. Hibbler left to sing with Mercer Ellington's band shortly after being left alone on stage during a shooting at a dance in late March 1947. Hibbler worked with Mercer Ellington's band that spring and summer, but there is some overlap with Crumpler. Chester may have been bumped when Al returned to the fold.
• Hibbler's name is in the printed concert programmes for March 15 (A&T College), August 24 (Portland) and August 31 (Hollywood Bowl). Hibbler sang in the Cornell University concert April 19.
• Neither Hibbler nor Crumpler are named on the marquee, ads or local plugs for the April 23, 1947 Paramount theatre engagement, but Crumpler is named in Variety's review of the April 28 afternoon show. The Chicago Defender 1947-05-03 carried a review of the Paramount Theatre residency and reported Crumpler had replaced Hibbler.
• 
  War Memorial Opera House concert programme
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  Crumpler was first recorded with Ellington June 3, in New Hampshire and was named in Ralph Gleason's review of the July 22 San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, but Gleason may have been mistaken. The copy of the printed programme held in the Smithsonian archives (Duke Ellington collection SI-NMAH DEC301) has Crumpler's name crossed out, with "Al Hibbler" handwritten beside it.
• It may be that Duke carried both singers or used Hibbler from time to time that summer while still employing Crumpler. It appears Hibbler was back with the senior Ellington's orchestra by May 14 - see the contract for the June 15 engagement in The Duke - Where and When, Part 2 at 1947 06 15.
• Crumpler is named in the announcement in The Pittsburgh Press 1947-06-11 of a June 14 Syria Mosque concert and in its 1947-06-16 review.
• Hibbler is named in the Oklahoma City Advertiser 1947-06-12 announcement of June 24 and 25 dances in that city and in publicity in The Indianapolis Recorder 1947-06-15 for that night's Tomlinson Hall concert and dance, with star billing in the ad in that edition.
• While Crumpler is named in the August 28 publicity for the September 2 Tucson concert, the copywriter may have been relying on publicity material sent much earlier.
• Hibbler's name is in a June 17 ad for the Orpheum in Springfield, the ads and publicity for June 21 (Hub), and a July 4 ad for Lakeside. On the other hand, Hibbler (as Hibler), is named in the June 25 Atlantic City Press ad in for Mercer's appearance at Waltz Dream Arena, and he is also named in the July 19 and 26 ads in The Richmond Afro-American for Mercer's July 27 gig at Sparrow's Beach, Annapolis, Md. (The normal time lag in advertising may mean the ad was based on publicity materials sent to the paper some weeks earlier.)
• Chester's last documented recording with Duke is August 14, 1947, Hibbler was with the senior Ellington's band in Canada August 22, and the Los Angeles Tribune 1947-09-27 said Hibbler had replaced Crump.
• Crump's obituary said he was with Duke form May 1946 [sic] to Sept. 1947. Cleveland Call and Post 1950-02-11 p.4-A said he was forced to leave because of ill health.
• A report in The Capitol News, Hollywood, Cal. 1947-10-00 p.11 seems to confirm Chester left Ellington in September 1947:

  Al Hibbler Rejoins Ellington; Band Now At Meadowbrook
     Duke Ellington, who is currently playing weekends at the Meadowbrook in Culver City, has called back his former vocalist, Al Hibbler, to rejoin the Ellington band for the Meadowbrook engagement. Hibbler had been touring in the east with Mercer Ellington's fledgling combo. He replaced Chester Crumpler in the Duke's band...

After Duke

• New York Amsterdam News 1947-02-01 p.20 carried an ad for Bowman's Cocktail Lounge in New York which included "Chester Crumpler, Vocalist" as a feature.
• While Crumpler's post-Ellington activities are not well documented, his name comes up from time to time in the late 1940s and early 1950s as singing at weddings or special events in the mid-west. He appears to have gone back to school to study law. Cleveland Call and Post 1948-12-11:

  Chester (Sonny) Crumpler, glamma boy from Youngstown and former singer with Duke, is now studying law at John Carroll.

  A superficial search of the available yearbooks and campus newspapers in John Carroll Univesity's website failed to turn up any mention of him. If he did enroll, he may have dropped out.
• By late 1949 he was a bellhop at the Deshler Wallick Hotel in Columbus, apparently through November 1950 when he became a policeman.

The Singing Bellman, 1950
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• 
  Crumpler in 1950
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  On February , 1950, he appeared on the Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout Show television and radio show, winning first prize (The Columbus Dispatch 1950-02-05 p.12-A; The Cleveland Press 1950-02-08 [p.16); Cleveland Call and Post, 1950-02-11 pp.1, 4-A;). The Cleveland Press story said he had worked as a guard at the Warrensville Workhouse, his first appearance in Cleveland was at an anti-cancer drive in April 1949, and he appeared on the Godfrey radio show the morning of February 7. The Columbus Dispatch:

  ...Not only does he give out with a song or two during his regular working hours, but at the end of the day Crumpler's likely to be seen in the Ionian Room, pinch-hitting as vocalist with the band of the day...

• In Novermber 1950, 300 Rotary Club members from Portsmouth, Ohio, had dinner and saw a floor show at the Deshler Wallick Hotel after a football game. Crumpler performed in the show and "was induced to accompany the party to the station and sang in the train for a half hour before it pulled out." (The Portsmouth Times, 1950-11-13 p.10)
• Crumpler was sworn in as a Columbus police officer on November 11, 1950, (Columbus Dispatch: 1950-11-14 p.18-A; 1950-11-16 p.A-3) completing his training in January 1951 (Columbus Evening Dispatch: 1951-01-10 p.8).
• After retiring from the police force in 1977, he worked as a bailiff for three years (obituaries).
• On May 25, 1951 Chester married Eula Mae Robinson (1920-1985) in Detroit. Their names appear together on the plaque on their crypt. Eula's Columbus Dispatch 1985-04-07 obituary says she was survived by four daughters. The first two were twins, one of whom died in 1991 (The Columbus Dispatch, 1991-04-21).
• Chester died young, either Monday night, March 2 (Columbus Dispatch 1981-03-03 p.B-5) or March 3, 1981 (ibid. 1981-03-04 and 1981-03-05) at age 59. The earlier report said he was survived by Eula and three daughters, but his obituaries named four. The obituaries also say he was survived by his mother, two sisters and a brother.
• Eula's obituary (Columbus Dispatch, 1985-04-07 p.7B) says she was survived by four daughters. One died in 1991, and her obituary (Columbus Dispatch, 1991-04-21 p.6B) names three surviving sisters, two of whom held the rank of Colonel.