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- Active: '20s, '30s, '40s
- Genres: Jazz
- Instrument: Trombone, Trumpet
Biography
A member of one of the Baltimore area's more notable musical families, trombonist John "Shorty" Haughton had serious competition from his brother Chauncey Haughton in terms of amassing the type of discography that strains record collectors' wallets. Apparently there was not much competition in terms of height, however, if the nickname of the former artist is to be taken as an indicator. Chauncey Haughton was also the family's most proficient instrumentalist, handling reeds as well as keyboards. John Haughton did sometimes pull off thedifficult doubling of trumpet with trombone. Another brother, Clifton Haughton, stuck to the trumpet.
The boys had more in common than just the family background. Jumping, jiving bandleader Cab Calloway had both John Haughton and Chauncey Haughton in his band during the '40s. At other times there were incidents where one Haughton subbed for the other, never considering himself too haughty for the job. Sometimes one would replace another in a band like a factory shift change. John Haughton played in somewhat expanded Fats Waller line-ups beginning in the late '20s--one of these ensembles recorded under the name of Fats Waller and His Orchestra. In the '30s the trombonist replaced Nat Story in the Ella Fitzgerald band. He also performed with other major figures during that decade including reedman and arranger Benny Carter and the brilliant Duke Ellington clarinetist Barney Bigard. The Haughton dynasty appears to have ended prior to the '50s, the Calloway assignnments appearing to be the last notable gigs for any of the brothers. Their subsequent exodus from the music business was so total that no information is available concerning any of the Haughton's deaths. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
