Representative Albums: "The Most Versatile Band in the Land", "Featuring the Arrangements and Compositions of Eddie Sauter", "Class Of '49
Biography
A top drummer during the swing era and a likable and personable singer who always displayed good humor, Ray McKinley was most significant in the 1940s in several settings. He played at the start of his career in territory bands, with Smith Ballew and then the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, staying with Jimmy after the battling Dorseys went their separate ways. In 1939, McKinley became the co-leader (in reality, if not in its name) of the new Will Bradley Orchestra. His vocals and the boogie-woogie piano playing of Freddie Slack made the band a hit with such numbers as "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" and "Celery Stalks at Midnight." By 1942, trombonist Bradley had gotten sick of the repertoire (which also included "Rock-A-Bye the Boogie," "Scrub Me Mama With a Boogie Beat," "I Boogied When I Should Have Woogied," "Boogie Woogie Conga," "Bounce Me Brother With a Solid Four," "Booglie Wooglie Piggy," and "Fry Me Cookie With a Can of Lard") and the group broke up. McKinley led a short-lived big band and then went in the military, playing in Europe with Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Orchestra and a small group also including Peanuts Hucko and Mel Powell. After Miller's death, McKinley was one of the band's co-leaders. In 1946, he put together his own orchestra, which used some very modern arrangements by Eddie Sauter, was open to the influence of bop, and yet had a Dixieland flavor at times. Not too surprisingly, it failed to catch on (although a Savoy LP shows how strong the band could be). Ray McKinley led the Glenn Miller ghost band during 1956-1966 and freelanced with small groups and headed another Glenn Miller-type orchestra until drifting into semi-retirement. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Bandleader, singer, and musician, Ray McKinley was a member of the United States Army Air Force Orchestra when its leader Glenn Miller disappeared forever while on a foggy flight between England and France. When the news broke, it was McKinley who took over the band until the end of the war. Born and raised in Fort Worth, TX, McKinley started out playing with local groups during the 1930s. Between 1934 and 1939, he was a singer with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. In the early '40s, before his induction into the Army, McKinley sang with the McKinley-Bradley Band. After his military experience, he led his own band. They appeared in the movie Make Believe Ballroom (1949). In 1956, McKinley took over the direction of the reunited Glenn Miller Orchestra and remained in that capacity until 1965. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
lead saxophonists Ray Beller (1940s) and Lenny Hambro ('50s and '60s), tenor saxist Bobby Jones, baritone saxophonist-arranger Deane Kincaide, trumpeter Bobby Nichols, arranger Eddie Sauter
McKinley got his start working with local bands in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, before joining Smith Ballew in 1929, when he met Glenn Miller. The two formed a friendship which lasted from 1929 until Miller's death in 1944. McKinley and Miller joined the Dorsey Brothers in 1934. Miller left for Ray Noble in December 1934, while McKinley remained. The Dorsey Brothers band became Jimmy's after Tommy left and formed his own band in 1935.
McKinley remained with Jimmy until 1939, when he joined Will Bradley, becoming co-leader. His biggest hit with Bradley, as a singer, was "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar," which he recorded early in the year 1940, (and for which McKinley got partial songwriting credit under his wife's maiden name Eleanore Sheehy). McKinley and Bradley split in 1942 and McKinley formed his own band, which recorded for Capitol Records. The McKinley band was short-lived. When McKinley broke up the band, he joined Glenn Miller's Army Air Force band, which he co-led with arranger Jerry Gray after Miller's disappearance in December 1944. Upon being discharged at the end of the following year, McKinley formed an excellent, remarkably modern big band that featured a book of original material by legendary arranger Eddie Sauter (along with a helping of novelty vocals by the leader). But with the business in decline, by 1950 that band was history and McKinley began evolving into a part-time leader and sometime radio and TV personality. In 1956, capitalizing on the popularity of the Glenn Miller Story movie with James Stewart, McKinley was chosen to be the leader of the revived Glenn Miller band, which he led until 1966. He co-hosted (with former Air Force band vocalist Johnny Desmond) a 13-week CBS-TV summer series with the band on CBS-TV in 1961. Surviving kinescopes of the program, which was broadcast live, show another side of McKinley's talent: On that "Glenn Miller Time" series he was a more than adept song and dance man as well. He died in Largo, Florida.
He is referred to as "Eight Beat Mack" in the lyrics to the song "Down the Road a Piece," which he recorded as a trio with Will Bradley and Freddie Slack in 1940. This was the earliest recording of the song, which was written specifically for Bradley's band by Don Raye. McKinley recorded the song at least five times, with his own band or in other bands.
The National Museum of American History, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution, has collections of Ray McKinley photographs. Currently some are available online. [1]
