Clarence Leonard Hayes (November 14, 1908 – March 13, 1972)[1] was an American jazz vocalist and banjo player. His regular banjo was a six string one, which is tuned as a guitar.

Early life

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Hayes was born in Caney, Kansas, on November 14, 1908.[2] As a child, he learned the drums, then switched to guitar and banjo.[2]

Later life and career

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Hayes was part of a vaudeville troupe in the Midwest after 1923, and lived in San Francisco from 1927.[2] He became more popular in the 1930s through radio and club performances.[2] From 1938 to 1940 he played in a big band led by Lu Watters, after which he spent a decade with the Yerba Buena Jazz Band, playing rhythm banjo and, on occasion, drums.[3] He spent almost all of the 1950s singing with Bob Scobey's band.[3]

In the 1960s he led his own bands, which also recorded for various labels.[3] He also played with the Firehouse Five Plus Two, Turk Murphy, and a group that evolved into the World's Greatest Jazz Band.[3] As a vocalist, "Hayes was noted for his straightforward singing of ballads and his flamboyant delivery of livelier songs."[2] He died in San Francisco on March 13, 1972.[2]

Discography

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  • Clancy Hayes and His Washboard Five (Down Home, 1951)
  • Cakewalk to Lindy Hop (Columbia, 1956)
  • Clancy Hayes Sings (Verve, 1957)
  • Clancy Hayes' Dixieland Band (Audio Fidelity, 1960)
  • Swingin' Minstrel (Good Time Jazz, 1963)
  • Oh! By Jingo (Delmark, 1964)
  • Happy Melodies (ABC-Paramount, 1965)
  • Live at Earthquake McGoon's (ABC-Paramount, 1966)
  • More of Manassas (Fat Cat Jazz, 1969)
  • Mr. Hayes Goes to Washington (Clanco, 1972)
  • Satchel of Song (San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation, 2001)

With Bob Scobey

  • The San Francisco Jazz of Bob Scobey (Verve, 1957)
  • Between 18th and 19th on Any Street (RCA Victor, 1957)
  • Beauty and the Beat (RCA Victor, 1957)
  • Direct from San Francisco! (Good Time Jazz, 1957)
  • Scobey & Clancy Raid the Juke Box (California, 1958)
  • College Classics (RCA Victor, 1958)

References

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  1. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1110. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Koch, Lawrence (2003). "Hayes, Clancy [Clarence Leonard]". Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.J194600.
  3. ^ a b c d Yanow, Scott. "Clancy Hayes". AllMusic. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
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