Dean Hudson (Feb. 7, 1913 - Dec. 5, 1991) was an American trumpeter, singer, and big band swing leader.
Born Marion Elsworth Brown in Lake Worth, Florida, his father was a trumpeter and symphonic band director and his mother was a pianist. Marion became a trumpeter and singer whose band originated at the University of Florida, where he and some fellow musicians had performed as the "Clubmen," first under the leadership of Eli Katz, who used a made-up name, "Dean Hudson," which had been selected in a contest. When Katz graduated (he went on to become a lawyer in Miami), another leader had to be chosen - one who, to help perpetuate the band, was willing to retain the fictitious moniker "Dean Hudson." Brown, who later remarked that he majored in "ambition" at the University, was picked, and the Clubmen stayed together after graduation in 1936.
Their very first professional job was at the Dempsey Hotel in Macon, GA. On January 29, 1938, billed as "Dean Hudson and Florida Clubmen," they made six sides for Bluebird, including Miami Dreams, which Brown sang. The Clubmen name was dropped after a couple years, and they continued as Dean Hudson "and His Orchestra." Brown ("Hudson") forged ahead, leading bands under that alias for the rest of his life, and, perhaps to commemorate the vicinity of his birthplace and the band's Florida heritage, he adopted Moon Over Miami as his theme song.
Hudson and his orchestra recorded a total of eight selections in March and August 1941 for Okeh, such as Holly Hop (Hot Chestnuts) and You're Gone, a vocal by Hudson and the Dixie Debs. He served in the U.S. Army, late 1941-43. Between 1944 and 1950, Hudson and his orchestra made many transcriptions for Lang-Worth. They also recorded for Musicraft and a number of smaller labels.
He and his band became an annual attraction at the Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach, VA for 15 years, and also played during the 1940s and '50s at many of the nation's other top spots, including the Paramount Theatre in New York City; the Earle Theatre in Philadelphia, PA; the Trianon Ballroom in Chicago; the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, NJ; Copley Plaza in Boston, MA; and the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, LA. Instrumentalists in the Hudson band included, at various times, Ray Linn, trumpet; Mahlon Clark, clarinet and alto saxophone; and Lennie Love, piano.
As Dean once said: “I've played in famous hotels, ballrooms, tobacco warehouses, theatres, colleges, country clubs, between the guns of the battle ship Missouri, on skis from Cypress Gardens, shopping centers, in films, gyms, armories, from a C-47, riverboats, you name it and Dean has played there."
“Whenever Dorsey or any other big name leader lost a man when he was on the road, he would call his manager and say, 'Call Dean Hudson's third sax or first trumpet. He has a good one and we can beat his salary.' That's the way it was, but Dorsey was a true friend also. Our band guested on 'Tommy Dorsey's Fame and Fortune Show' and in the late 40s, Dorsey put over $15,000 into my band, but the days of building a big band were over."
"We were rolling along fine until 1955 when we played opposite Chubby Checker. I knew then that rock was in and the big-band sound was on the way out."
In later years, Hudson ran a booking agency in Atlanta, then Decatur, GA, and continued to occasionally front bands at college proms, private balls, or conventions. At an appearance at the Columbia Inn in Columbia, SC on September 28, 1981, Hudson played quite a few medleys, including ones in tribute to fellow bandleaders Russ Morgan and Guy Lombardo. Hudson's final recordings were done on January 29, 1982 for George H. Buck's Circle label, and included former Glen Gray musician Billy Rauch on trombone. The ambition never left him.
Dean Hudson died in a hospital in his hometown of cancer, Dec. 5, 1991.
(Edited from Big Band library.com) (one source gives Norwood, Ohio as birthplace)
Little known fact: Dean Hudson was the model for the Ken doll, which debuted in the 1960's. (info from BigBand Phil blog)