- Snoozer Quinn
Ed "Snoozer" Quinn (1907? – 1949) was a
jazz guitarist very highly regarded by his fellow musicians, but who left few recordings.Quinn was born Edward Quinn in
Pike County, Mississippi in 1906 or 1907. He and his family moved toBogalusa, Louisiana when he was a toddler. In his teens and early twenties he was a member of the Paul English Traveling Shows, Mart Britt's Sylvan Beach Orchestra andPeck Kelley 's band, Peck's Bad Boys. For a brief period Snoozer also led the Louisiana Ramblers. Documentation shows he performed in and aroundGalveston, Texas andSan Antonio, Texas andShreveport, Louisiana .Perhaps most notably, Snoozer joined the
Paul Whiteman Orchestra after Whiteman heard him backstage at the St. Charles Theatre inNew Orleans, Louisiana on October 28, 1928. Snoozer was inNew York City for a brief period of time, approximately from January-May 1929.Quinn had a series of recording sessions in the 1920s, including solos and records with
Bix Beiderbecke andFrankie Trumbauer , that were inexplicably lost and never issued. His only commercially issued sides in this era are some with the Whiteman's full orchestra, where he is mostly inaudible, and a few rare cuts backing singersBee Palmer and possiblyBing Crosby . In 1931, Quinn recorded some accompaniments for country singerJimmie Davis .Quinn contracted
tuberculosis . In 1948, musician and educatorJohnny Wiggs brought a home recording machine and some blank discs to the sanatorium where Quinn was bedridden and persuaded Quinn to record. These amateur recordings were later issued and are Quinn's best known.Quinn died on April 21, 1949 at
Charity Hospital inNew Orleans . He is buried in Ponemah Cemetery inBogalusa, Louisiana .(Details of Quinn's life have been obscure. His death date is listed as 1952 in many places, but this is incorrect. Also, he is listed in many places as being born in 1906 but according to his passport and death certificate, he was born in 1907. 1910 census records from Pike County indicate Quinn was about three years old in 1910. Official birth certificates were not kept in
Mississippi until beginning in 1912.)External links
* [http://www.booze-bros.com/snoozer.html The Legendary Snoozer Quinn] Biography with audio examples of his recordings
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/ed-snoozer-quinn All Media Guide biography]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
