Arranger-trombonist Billy VerPlanck's real first name was John. He called himself Billy after hearing Woody Herman's trombonist Bill Harris in the 1940s. VerPlanck was in Jimmy Dorsey's orchestra in 1952, and with Claude Thornhill from 1953 to 1955. Then he played with Charlie Spivak, where he met his future wife, Marlene, the band's singer. They both m…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to JazzWax to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.