Buddy DeFranco
He mastered the bebop language on the clarinet, proving the instrument could swing with the fiery complexity of Charlie Parker's saxophone.
1923–2014 (age 91)·American jazz clarinetist·Birthday: February 17·The Greatest Generation
Biography
In an era when the clarinet was being sidelined by the saxophone in modern jazz, Buddy DeFranco emerged as its defiant champion. Born in Philadelphia in 1923, he was a child prodigy who won a national Tommy Dorsey contest at 14. But his true calling was bebop. With dazzling technique and a fluid, harmonically advanced style, he translated the innovations of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to his own instrument, becoming the first major clarinetist of the bop movement. His career was a balancing act between artistic ambition and commercial necessity; he led small groups that burned with intensity and, for nearly a decade, helmed the Glenn Miller Orchestra, bringing a modern edge to its classic swing library. DeFranco's lifelong dedication kept the clarinet relevant in modern jazz, inspiring every serious player who followed.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Buddy was born in 1923, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Buddy Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Buddy's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2014Died at 91
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- He won the DownBeat magazine readers' poll for clarinet virtually every year from 1950 to 1964.
- He served as the bandleader for the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 1966 to 1974.
- He recorded a series of acclaimed albums with pianist Art Blakey and the Oscar Peterson Trio.
- He was awarded the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship in 2006.
Did You Know?
His first major professional job was in the big band of Gene Krupa.
He was an early advocate for the use of the clarinet in jazz education, authoring instructional books.
He performed a clarinet concerto written specifically for him by composer Don Banks.
Despite his bebop fame, he cited the swing-era playing of Artie Shaw as a primary influence.
“The clarinet is a very difficult instrument. It's like a woman you can't quite figure out.”
