AN INTERVIEW WITH BOBBY MORRIS An Oral History Conducted by Cork Proctor Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project Oral History Research Center at UNLV University Libraries University of Nevada Las Vegas ©Southern Nevada Jewish Community Digital Heritage Project University of Nevada Las Vegas, 2014 Produced by: The Oral History Research Center at UNLV – University Libraries Director: Claytee D. White Project Manager: Barbara Tabach Transcriber: Kristin Hicks Interviewers: Barbara Tabach, Claytee D. White Editors and Project Assistants: Maggie Lopes ii The recorded interview and transcript have been made possible through the generosity of a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant. The Oral History Research Center enables students and staff to work together with community members to generate this selection of first- person narratives. The participants in this project thank University of Nevada Las Vegas for the support given that allowed an idea the opportunity to flourish. The transcript received minimal editing that includes the elimination of fragments, false starts, and repetitions in order to enhance the reader’s understanding of the material. All measures have been taken to preserve the style and language of the narrator. In several cases photographic sources accompany the individual interviews with permission of the narrator. The following interview is part of a series of interviews conducted under the auspices of the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project. Claytee D. White Director, Oral History Research Center University Libraries University of Nevada Las Vegas iii PREFACE When he was ten years old, Bobby Morris (born Boruch Moishe Stempelman) immigrated from Wilno, Poland to Brooklyn, New York in 1937. His passion for drumming was ignited soon after, and he began shining shoes to pay for drumming lessons from Henry Adler. At the age of thirteen, he Morris got his first gig playing at the Musicians Union in the Catskill Mountains during the summer. He soon develops a career playing jazz around town with different artists while simultaneously studying at the Manhattan School of Music. In 1950, Morris moved to Las Vegas to play in the orchestra at the Last Frontier Hotel and Casino, working with artists like Liberace and Ronald “Ronnie” Reagan. Over the next several years, he had an exciting and distinguished career as a jazz musician, playing in lounges, on studio albums and even at a presidential inauguration, with artists like Louis Prima and Keely Smith, Judy Garland, Eddie Fisher, and eventually with Elvis Presley as his musical director. In addition, Morris started his own agency – the Bobby Morris Agency – and managed acts like Robert Goulet and Keely Smith. This interview conducted by Cork Proctor and is part of the Arnold Shaw Collection at UNLV University Libraries Special Collections. It has been added to the Southern Nevada Jewish Heritage Project with Mr. Morris’s permission. In this conversation, Morris reflects upon his career, how he got started as a musician, and the wide range of influential artists he has worked with over the years, as a drummer, musical director and talent manager. Stories include playing with Louis Prima, live and on his albums; serving as Elvis’ musical director; filling in for Frank Sinatra’s drummer; entertaining Howard Hughes; and playing at President John F. Kennedy’s inauguration. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Interview with Bobby Morris September 7, 2004 by Cork Proctor in Las Vegas, Nevada Preface………………………………………………………………………………………..…..iv Mentions first Las Vegas gigs, at Last Frontier, Sahara, after hours at Black Magic; playing timbales, congas and bongos in New York City before moving to Las Vegas. Talks about getting recruited by Sam Butera to join Louis Prima’s band; playing his shuffle style for him; recording albums with him; playing shows around the country, including The Ed Sullivan Show……….1-7 Continues talking about working with Louis Prima; the demise of Louis Prima and Keely Smith as personal and musical duo; challenges to working with Louis Prima. Discusses going to work for Keely Smith as solo act. Shares memories of Buddy Rich; touring with him, and George Kawaguchi, in Japan. Joins Bobby Darwin’s show; leads to playing short gig with Sinatra…8-21 Reflects upon introduction to music as a child in New York City; shining shoes to pay for lessons with Henry Adler; joining union, Local 802. Remembers first paid gig in Catskill Mountains. More about working with Louis Prima. Talks about working for the relief band when in between gigs in Las Vegas. Shares story of playing with Danny Thomas. Discusses serving as entertainment director for Harvey’s in Lake Tahoe; success as booking agent..…22-30 Recounts experience of playing for Howard Hughes. Mentions Stan Levy; Dick Foster; working with entertainment directors Mo Lewis, Herbie Victors, Bill DeAngelis; Jack Entratter. Discusses booking agency business. Mentions playing for Eddie Fisher; playing on The Ed Sullivan Show, and one show where parents were in audience….…………………………..31-37 Reflects on playing in the Latin Quarter, for people like Peter Lawford, John F. Kennedy; playing at President Kennedy’s inauguration. Discusses how became Elvis Presley’s musical director at the International Hotel and Casino, and, at length, about serving in that role. Stories also include Sammy Shore, Art Vasquez, Sonny West, Colonel Parker……………………..38-49 v Shares stories involving Mafia, including one about Chick Keeney and Buddy Rich; another with Eddie Fisher and Sam Giancana in Mexico; receiving gift from Tony Accardo’s son Jerry. More stories involving friend Jackie Gayle, at Hugh Hefner’s house; Ben Slutsky; Liberace. Talks about how Garwood Van recruited him to Las Vegas and their first gigs, including with Ted Fio Rito…………………………………………………………………………………………...50-56 Talks about early work in New York City, working with lots of name jazz players; getting job with Sammy Kaye. Tells story about becoming involved in representing a man falsely representing himself as Elvis Presley Jr. Talks about representing Elvis impersonator Johnny Harra; Joe Julian. Discuss interviewer Cork Proctor’s career. Mentions more about relationship with Buddy Rich; Jim McDonald; Georgie Carr. Comments on Abracadabra show, working to bring show to Las Vegas……………………………………………………………………..57-69 Mentions current gigs with jazz group; booking Louis Prima in Reno at the Resorts International; beef between Sam Butera and Frank Sinatra. More about John F. Kennedy, Elvis…………70-77 Index.........................................................................................................................................78-80 vi vii Here we are with Bobby Morris in his building on East Sahara. Today is Tuesday and it's voting day in Vegas. It's Cork Proctor about to interview Elvis' conductor, Elvis' drummer, Elvis' everything and a guy with a hell of a background and also a hell of a drummer. We're going to cut up some stories over the last forty-five years. When I first met Bobby, I think he was at the Sahara with Louis and I was the lifeguard. Does that ring a bell, 1955? Nineteen fifty-five. Was Harvey on the gig then? Did you replace Harvey or he replaced you? He replaced me, and then I replaced him again. I left to go with the Jodimars. Right. Joey, Dick and Marshall. That's right. I was there for about five or six years with Louis and Keely, and then the Jodimars offered me the job because it paid more money. So I left. Then the Jodimars broke up because they were all chiefs and no Indians. Did you work Harold's Club with them? I worked Harold's Club. That's probably where we met. [Pause in recording] We're talking about the Jodimars and Harold's Club. I remember that stripper. I had a wonderful time with her. Her name was Elenita Patia. Do you remember her? She was going with Marshall Page. Several things have crossed my mind on the way over here to interview you. Among them was that your reputation came far before we met. Andy Thomas used to tell me you were probably one of the best timbale and Latin players in New York City in the late forties, 1 early fifties, which is high marks. Yes. I used to play timbales and congas and bongos at the Latin Casino in New York. I would see them with (Freaky Campos). In fact, (Tito Cante) would come in, and there was Chia Pozo and Chano Pozo and we would have a session, all rhythm; I would play timbales and everybody would take off like a certain...until then they got tired. Then it would be my turn; I would take off and they would play kind of for me. I came to Las Vegas, and Ted Fio Rito was looking for a drummer and I didn't have a card. [It was] October 2, 1950. I came with Garwood Van. You must have been eight, nine years old at least. That's right. I was eleven. Yeah, right. I came with Garwood Van at the Last Frontier. We played for all the shows. It was a show and it was an eighteen-week engagement. Ted Fio Rito, at the end of eighteen weeks, was looking for a drummer, but I needed to have a card. He auditioned every drummer and they were unacceptable. But being that I did play Latin, they had me audition in front of the union board. They would come down to make sure that I wouldn't take somebody else's gig. He hired me and I stayed on with them for a couple of years and did all these shows at that time—Sophie Tucker, Ted Lewis, Harry Richman, Liberace and Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was doing a stand-up with song and dance. Then I stayed on in Las Vegas and started doing jazz things at the Black Magic. Paradise and Tropicana.