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3 unusual facts about Sonny Clay


Sonny Clay

In 1928 Clay took his band on a tour of Australia, with Ivie Anderson (later a vocalist with Duke Ellington) as one of the singers accompanying the orchestra.

William Rogers Campbell "Sonny" Clay (May 15, 1899, Chapel Hill, Texas - April 13, 1973, Los Angeles) was an American jazz pianist, drummer, and bandleader, who had an unusual impact on the development of Australian jazz.

The group played in Sydney and Melbourne to great success, but problems with unions and with venue changes (their initial bookings were on vaudeville stages, but additional dates in dance halls led them into race-related trouble with local authorities) resulted in their gaining some notoriety.



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