Nationality American Role Singer Name Skinnay Ennis | Children 1 son, Christopher Occupation Bandleader Movies Latitude 55° | |
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Full Name Edgar Clyde Ennis, Jr. Born August 13, 1907 Salisbury, North Carolina Alma mater University of North Carolina Spouse(s) Carmine Calhoun (1939-1959, divorce) Died June 3, 1963, Beverly Hills, California, United States Albums The Uncollected: Hal Kemp And His Orchestra Similar People Hal Kemp, Smith Ballew, Tommy Dorsey, John Juliani, Wendy Partridge | ||
Skinnay Ennis and His Orchestra (1941)
Edgar Clyde "Skinnay" Ennis, Jr. (August 13, 1907 - June 3, 1963) was an American jazz and pop music bandleader and singer.
Contents
- Skinnay Ennis and His Orchestra 1941
- Hal kemp orch skinnay ennis got a date with an angel 1937
- Early years
- Orchestras
- Film
- Radio
- Military service
- Personal life
- Death
- References
Hal kemp orch skinnay ennis got a date with an angel 1937
Early years
The son of Mr. and Ms. E.C. Ennis, he was born Edgar Clyde Ennis Jr. in Salisbury, North Carolina and had a brother, James W. Ennis. He met Hal Kemp while attending the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. The two were members of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity there.
Orchestras
An obituary reported about Ennis and his orchestra, "His band had performed in every major dance palace in the nation."
Ennis joined Kemp's orchestra as a drummer and vocalist in the late 1920s, playing with him through 1937 including one tour of Europe in 1930.
In 1938, Ennis put together his own band, which became a popular ensemble in Hollywood films. "Got a Date With an Angel" was his theme song. During this time Gil Evans was one of his arrangers.
Toward the end of the 1950s Ennis's career had faded, and he worked mostly in hotels in the Los Angeles area.
Film
Ennis appeared in the film College Swing.
Radio
Ennis began performing comedy routines, and in 1938 he landed a job on Bob Hope's radio program, appearing as a regular until he entered the Army.
He returned to Hollywood bandleading at the war's end and joined the Abbott and Costello radio program during the 1946-47 season.
Military service
Ennis joined the Army in 1943, serving as a "warrant officer in charge of a 28-piece band" during World War II.
Personal life
Ennis was married to the former Carmene Calhoun for 20 years, and they had one son, Christopher. The couple divorced in 1959.
Ennis, whose nickname originally was "Skinny," changed it to "Skinnay" after it was misspelled that way on the label of a record early in his career.
Death
Two months before he could have turned 56, Ennis choked to death on a bone while eating dinner at a restaurant in Beverly Hills in 1963. He was survived by his ex-wife, Carmene, and a son, Christopher.