THE ORIGINAL (FORGOTTEN?) TENOR OF THE INK SPOTS
According to Marv Goldberg, Jerry Daniels joined Charlie Fuqua and Bernie Mackey to form an unnamed coffee pot band sometime in 1929. Charlie had a shoe shine stand across the road from the Stutz Bearcat automobile factory in Indianapolis. This group would sing, dance and play instruments with Jerry playing guitar and ukulele.
In February 1931, while still in high school, Jerry was a member of a band. The Indianapolis Recorder (February 28) reported: "Another new orchestra organized among the younger set is the one called the Ten Rhythm Boys. The orchestra is made up of high school boys under the direction of Donald Bundle. They are Herman Twines, cornetist; Roger Jones, banjoist; Scoba Rhodes, Beryl Steiner, Bertram Gardner, David Clark, saxophonists; John Overton, trombonist; Jerry Daniels, drums; Stanley Overton, pianist. These boys someday will be the best in the city among jazz orchestras."
Sometime prior to June of 1931, Charlie Fuqua and Jerry decided to try the big time. Leaving Bernie Mackey behind, they began to appear in vaudeville (we have never found a note or advertisement mentioning an appearance by this group) as Jerry and Charlie. This group had some success and they made over 100 radio broadcasts on WKBF, Indianapolis beginning on 19Jun/31. In the fall of 1933, Deek Watson joined Jerry and Charlie to form a new group, perhaps called the Gates Bros. at first, the King, Jack and Jester. Jerry was one of the four original Ink Spots whose first known performance was at the Apollo Theater in New York City the week of 3-9 August, 1934. He stayed with the Ink Spots only until early 1936. According to Marv Goldberg, Deek Watson said Jerry was "...to ill to continue..." but when he interviewed Jerry Daniels he states Jerry said that, "...the only thing he was 'sick' of was making so little money [More Than Words Can Say, Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1998, p.29.]
After returning to Indianapolis, Jerry formed other groups. Although little information is available, Marv Goldberg indicates they were:
The Deep Swingin' Brothers in 1936
Jerry Daniels & His Hot Shots in October 1940
The Three Spades (originally called the King, Jack and Ace) who performed on radio in Indianapolis and later WLW and WSAI, Cincinnati in 1937 before going to WHN in New York where they broke up because they couldn't make a living. The other two members were brothers Al and William Jennings. In October 1938, they'd renamed themselves "Duke & The Jennings Brothers".
Mr. Words, Mr. Music and Mr. Strings performed in Indianapolis until the end of 1942. Besides Jerry, they were Wendell McMillan (bass) and Donald Overby (piano).
Mr. Words, Mr. Music and Mr. Strings (second group in the later 1940s). Besides Jerry, they were John Watson (bass) and Andrade Amorez (piano).
The Three Spades were Jerry Daniels, Bill Jennings (six-string guitar), and his brother Al Jennings (on four-string guitar).
Daniels was drafted into the army in 1943, attended the University
of Indiana after the war, taught piano and guitar at the MacArthur Conservatory
of Music in Indianapolis and wrote a music column for the Indiana Herald.
He was proclaimed a Sagamore of the Wabash in 1988 by the governor of
Indiana for distinguished service to the State and was awarded a key to
the City of Indianapolis in 1992. [More Than Words Can Say, p. 35-36]
Jerry at the United in Group Harmony Association(UGHA) 2nd Hall
of Fame induction in April, 1992 when the Ink Spots were honored. The
others are Harold Winley ( some Jim Nabbie Ink Spots groups), far left,
Herb Kenny, far right, and Ronnie Italiano who was the founder of the
UGHA, top.
Photo from Charles Horner via Bill Proctor.
The Three Spades, Vocalion masters, all were recorded in 1937 and unissued. Vocalion was a subsidiary of Columbia Records. (All except Rusty Hinge can be heard on the vocal group harmony web site.)
Pan-Pan (master 21932)
Fu Manchu (master 21933)
Rusty Hinge (master 21934)
Yeah Man (master 21935)
Ordinary (composed by Daniels)
And Then Some