There is no specific system that I have followed in researching the children of Ambrose E. Cully and Nora Ann Gilliam. I have spent hundreds of hours over the past seven years researching the children of my Great Grandparents. Eventually, I will have separate pages for the thirteen children that I have been able to document and have a narrative of each one.
Raymond Mansfield Cully was the eleventh child born to my Great Grandparents, and he was the youngest of the boys. Raymond was born October 20, 1907 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Ray along with his youngest sister Nora were raised by their Grand Uncle and Aunt, Joseph A. & Jane B. Collins after the untimely death of their mother from giving birth to Nora (who by the way, was named after her mother).
It was told to me by my mother and the children of Raymond that he had been a drummer and singer. Ray often played along side his brother Wendell in local bands of Worcester, MA. Raymond's brother Wendell became a well known trumpet player in various jazz bands in New York such as Sissle Noble, Cab Calloway, and Count Basie. It was told to me by Raymond's children that they believed he played with some well known musicians.
This is not a complete extensive search to link Ray to jazz bands outside of Worcester, but did spend many hours searching. My search did bare some fruit, as I did find one article that proved Raymond played in Cab Calloway's band on May 25, 1935. It is still to be determined the time period and the length of his membership.
Raymond Mansfield Cully was the eleventh child born to my Great Grandparents, and he was the youngest of the boys. Raymond was born October 20, 1907 in Worcester, Massachusetts. Ray along with his youngest sister Nora were raised by their Grand Uncle and Aunt, Joseph A. & Jane B. Collins after the untimely death of their mother from giving birth to Nora (who by the way, was named after her mother).
It was told to me by my mother and the children of Raymond that he had been a drummer and singer. Ray often played along side his brother Wendell in local bands of Worcester, MA. Raymond's brother Wendell became a well known trumpet player in various jazz bands in New York such as Sissle Noble, Cab Calloway, and Count Basie. It was told to me by Raymond's children that they believed he played with some well known musicians.
This is not a complete extensive search to link Ray to jazz bands outside of Worcester, but did spend many hours searching. My search did bare some fruit, as I did find one article that proved Raymond played in Cab Calloway's band on May 25, 1935. It is still to be determined the time period and the length of his membership.
 |
| Raymond M. & Jeanette Agnes (Arnold) Cully Courtesy of Gail Cully Middleton |
 |
| The New York Age May 25, 1935 |
Copyright by Yvette Porter Moore (2011)
That is so cool he played with Cab Calloway! Great find.
ReplyDeleteYou could imagine my excitement of actually finding something..
ReplyDelete