McMURPHEY and his ORCHESTRA, GEORGE

Homebase: Eugene, OR.
Stats: 1924-1929
MISC NOTES: George McMurphey moved to Portland, Oregon, from Kansas City in 1922. While there he worked the vaudeville circuit, and by 1924 had formed his own dance band, which was hired that year to entertain passengers on a cruise ship from Portland to China. At some point McMurphey was back in Chicago where he contributed to Brunswick label recordings including "Chili Blues" (No. 3744) by Rodney Rogers' Red Peppers. McMurphey also made some hot jazz recordings for Gennett (including "12th Street Rag") -- some under the name of King, Queen & Jack. McMurphey's band played around Eugene in '26 & '27, and then went to LA (along with Cole McElroy's Spanish Ballroom Orchestra of Portland) and recorded "Trumpet Sobs" on June 18th, 1928. The next few months found them with several engagements around Southern California. The band was also billed as George McMurphey's Kollege Knights and George McMurphey's Winter Garden Blue Boys. They were broadcasting on KOIN radio in Portland during the summer of '29, then after Great Depression arrived in October they apparently disbanded, and McMurphey got married and went into business in Portland in 1930.  NOTE: There was another Columbia label 78 rpm disc issued with that credits  McMurphey but the actual artists were Cole McElroy's band. Info and photo provided by Brody Hunt.]

Seattle Post-Intelligencer, display ad, 10.12.28 p.10

search by ARTIST