Biography
During the 1920s Wells pursued music studies at Fisk University and the Cincinnati Conservatory, launching his professional playing career in 1926. At Fisk he encountered Jimmie Lunceford, who led the student group the Chickasaw Syncopators. Wells became part of Lunceford’s outfit once it went professional in 1929 and stayed through 1935. In that same span he also performed under Claude Hopkins and Cab Calloway. Between 1936 and 1946 his association with Andy Kirk was intermittent, though he additionally worked at intervals with Gene Krupa, Teddy Hill, and his own big band. While with Kirk, Wells frequently served as the ensemble’s lead vocalist. He suspended his career to fulfill Army service during the war years. In the late 1940s he collaborated with Rex Stewart and Sy Oliver. Wells remained musically active in California into the 1960s.
Singles
