Claude R. Lakey, Date of Birth, Date of Death

Claude R. Lakey

Jazz saxophonist

Date of Birth: 21-Aug-1910

Date of Death: 13-Oct-1990

Profession: jazz musician

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Claude Roger Lakey (21 August 1910 Texas - 13 October 1990 Nacogdoches, Texas) was an American saxophonist, trumpeter, and arranger who performed with Joe Rivet (1933), Orrin Tucker (1934), Ben Young (1934), Glenn Miller (1936–1939), Harry James (1939–1947), Frankie Laine (1947), Bobby Sherwood (1947), and Gene Krupa.
During World War II, Lakey was a member of several U.S.
Army bands.
He also directed his own band (1946).
In 1947, Lakey enrolled at the University of North Texas during its inaugural year of first jazz degree program offered in the world.
In 1949, at the request of Gene Hall, the jazz program's founding director, Lakey, as student conductor, became the first conductor of the Laboratory Dance Band, the original name of the One O'Clock Lab Band.After various stints directing youth bands in the Los Angeles suburbs — San Fernando Valley Youth Band and Claudhoppers Youth Band — and running his own music retail store, Lakey founded (circa 1963) Claude Lakey Mouthpieces, Inc., maker of woodwind mouthpieces.
In 1990, he sold the company to Nicholas D.
Bogden (born 1947) who moved it from Nacogdoches, Texas, to Redmond, Washington and operates the company under its original name.
Bogden, in the 1980s, had been the general manager of Rumbo Recorders, a three studio audio recording facility located in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles.