Red Perkins

Red Perkins
Red Perkins
Birth name	Frank Shelton Perkins
Born	December 26, 1890; Muchakinock, Iowa United States
Died	September 27, 1976 (aged 85); Minneapolis, Minnesota United States
Genres	Jazz music; Big band
Occupation(s)	Bandleader; Musician
Instrument(s)	Trumpet
Labels	Gennett Records

Frank Shelton "Red" Perkins (December 26, 1890 – September 27, 1976)^[1]^[2] was an American jazz trumpet player, singer, and bandleader. Perkins led of one of the oldest Omaha, Nebraska-based jazz territory bands, The Dixie Ramblers,^[3] and saw his greatest period of success in the 1920s and 1930s.

Early life[edit]

Perkins, who was African-American, was born in Muchakinock, Iowa, a coal mining camp near Oskaloosa, Iowa. As an adult, Perkins moved from Oskaloosa to Fort Dodge, Iowa.

In 1917, Perkins moved with his wife and child to Omaha, Nebraska. He got a job as a porter at a barber shop and worked there from 1917 to 1925.^[3]

Career[edit]

In 1923, Perkins took over the Omaha Night Owls jazz band and renamed them the Dixie Ramblers. Perkins based his band in Omaha's Near North Side. It was a small band with six players but several of the musicians doubled on different instruments. The Dixie Ramblers quickly grew into a medium-sized jazz territory band.^[4]

The National Orchestra Service booked the band from 1923 into the 1940s. In 1932, he joined with harmonica player O.P. Alexander and they performed on radio station WFAA until 1934. Perkins and his band were signed by RCA Victor in 1936 and later released music on Gennett Records. The band cut more than 250 sides of records. The band played in ballrooms, theaters, and hotels in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota.^[3]

One of the Dixie Rambler's most famous songs was "Hard Times Stomp."^[5] The jazz band was known for its variety acts and floor shows.^[6]

Perkins' bookings were handled by National Orchestra Service of Omaha, Nebraska.^[7]

Personal life[edit]

Towards the end of the big band era in the late 1940s, Perkins moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and became a professional photographer. He died September 27, 1976, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[4]

Selected discography[edit]

During the 1920s and 1930s, the Dixie Ramblers recorded for Gennett Records.

Red Perkins and His Dixie Ramblers

Frank "Red" Perkins (t, as, ss, v) dir. Joe Drake (t, cl, ts, arr), Andre C. Oglesby (tb), Jesse Simmons (cl, as ,ts), Howard Fields (p), Charles “Goodie” Watkins (bjo, gtr), Eugene Freels (t, bb), Harry Rooks (d-x), trio (v).

Richmond, Indiana, May 5, 1931

17727-A: "Hard Times Stomp" (Perkins) Ch 40044
17728-A: "My Baby Knows How" (Davis-Akst-Richman) - vFP Ch 16661

Richmond, Indiana, May 6, 1931

17729-A: "Old Man Blues" (Paul, Ellington, Mills) - v3 Ch 40044
17730: "Minor Blues" (Perkins) Ch 16288

Members of The Dixie Ramblers[edit]

Anna Mae Winburn, singer
Bill Osboen
Charlie "Big" Green, trombone
Charlie Watkins
Harry Fooks
Jabbo Smith, trumpet
Jay Green
Jim Alexander

References[edit]

^ "Frank S. Perkins - Minnesota Death Index". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
^ "Frank Perkins - United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Breaux, Richard M. (2012). "The New Negro Renaissance in Omaha and Lincoln, 1910-1940". In Glasrud, Bruce A.; Wintz, Cary D. (eds.). The Harlem Renaissance in the American West: The New Negro's Western Experience. New York: Routledge. pp. 125–126. ISBN 978-1-136-64911-0. OCLC 784953356. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
^ ^a ^b Walker, Leo (1989). The Big Band Almanac (Revised ed.). New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. pp. 340–341. ISBN 978-0-306-80345-1. OCLC 18873553. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
^ Schuller, Gunther (1986). "The Territory Bands". The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 787. ISBN 978-0-195-07140-5. OCLC 25637133. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016. Alt URL Archived 2023-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
^ "The Dixie Ramblers". History Harvest: Great Plains Black History Museum. University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
^ Lee, William F. (2005). American Big Bands (1st ed.). Milwaukee, Wis.: Leonard. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-634-08054-8. OCLC 62090862. Retrieved 20 February 2016.

External links[edit]

Red Perkins discography at Discogs

[FamilySearch-MN-DeathIndex-1976-1] "Frank S. Perkins - Minnesota Death Index". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.

[FamilySearch-US-SSDI-1976-2] "Frank Perkins - United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.

[HarlemRenaissanceWest-2012-3] Breaux, Richard M. (2012). "The New Negro Renaissance in Omaha and Lincoln, 1910-1940". In Glasrud, Bruce A.; Wintz, Cary D. (eds.). The Harlem Renaissance in the American West: The New Negro's Western Experience. New York: Routledge. pp. 125–126. ISBN 978-1-136-64911-0. OCLC 784953356. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2016.

[BigBandAlmanac-RedPerkinsEntry-1989-4] Walker, Leo (1989). The Big Band Almanac (Revised ed.). New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. pp. 340–341. ISBN 978-0-306-80345-1. OCLC 18873553. Retrieved 20 February 2016.

[SwingEra-TerritoryBands-1986-5] Schuller, Gunther (1986). "The Territory Bands". The Swing Era: The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 787. ISBN 978-0-195-07140-5. OCLC 25637133. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016. Alt URL Archived 2023-03-11 at the Wayback Machine

[GreatPlainsBlackHistoryMuseum-DixieRamblers-6] "The Dixie Ramblers". History Harvest: Great Plains Black History Museum. University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.

[AmericanBigBands-Entry-2005-7] Lee, William F. (2005). American Big Bands (1st ed.). Milwaukee, Wis.: Leonard. p. 93. ISBN 978-0-634-08054-8. OCLC 62090862. Retrieved 20 February 2016.

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