Clarence Leonard Hayes (November 14, 1908 – March 13, 1972) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

vocalist and banjo player.

Early life

Hayes was born in

Caney, Kansas Caney is a city in Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,788. History Caney was founded in 1869. It was named from the Caney River. The first post office in Caney was established in ...

, on November 14, 1908. As a child, he learned the drums, then switched to guitar and banjo.

Later life and career

Hayes was part of a vaudeville troupe in the Midwest after 1923, and lived in San Francisco from 1927. He became more popular in the 1930s through radio and club performances. From 1938 to 1940 he played in a big band led by

Lu Watters Lucius Carl Watters (December 19, 1911 – November 5, 1989) was a trumpeter and bandleader of the Yerba Buena Jazz Band. Jazz critic Leonard Feather said, “The Yerba Buena band was perhaps the most vital factor in the reawakening of public i ...

, after which he spent a decade with the Yerba Buena Jazz Band, playing rhythm banjo and, on occasion, drums. He spent almost all of the 1950s singing with

Bob Scobey Robert Alexander Scobey Jr. (December 9, 1916 – June 12, 1963) was an American jazz trumpet player of traditional or Dixieland music based originally in the San Francisco area and later in Chicago, Illinois. He was born in Tucumcari, New Mex ...

's band. In the 1960s he led his own bands, which also recorded for various labels. He also played with the

Firehouse Five Plus Two The Firehouse Five Plus Two was a Dixieland jazz band, popular in the 1950s, consisting of members of the Disney animation department. Leader and trombonist Ward Kimball was inspired to form the band after spending time with members of the Disn ...

Turk Murphy Melvin Edward Alton "Turk" Murphy (December 16, 1915 – May 30, 1987) was an American trombonist and bandleader, who played traditional and Dixieland jazz. Biography He was born in Palermo, California, United States. Murphy served in the Nav ...

, and a group that evolved into the

World's Greatest Jazz Band The World's Greatest Jazz Band was an all-star jazz ensemble active from 1968 to 1978. Dick Gibson founded the group at his sixth Jazz Party, an annual event. The group performed mostly Dixieland jazz and recorded extensively. It was co-led by ...

. As a vocalist, "Hayes was noted for his straightforward singing of ballads and his flamboyant delivery of livelier songs." He died in San Francisco on March 13, 1972.

Discography

* ''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

* ''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

External links

Lu Watters and His World Famous Yerba Buena Jazz Band
featuring a live performance by Clancy Hayes.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hayes, Clancy 1908 births 1972 deaths People from Parsons, Kansas People from Caney, Kansas American jazz singers American jazz banjoists American jazz guitarists Singers from Kansas 20th-century American singers 20th-century American guitarists Guitarists from Kansas American male guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians World's Greatest Jazz Band members Yerba Buena Jazz Band members