Ray McKinley

Ray McKinley stood out as one of the swing era’s leading drummers while also building a following as an engaging vocalist whose warm personality and steady wit came through in every performance. His most notable contributions unfolded across multiple 1940s contexts. Early on he worked in territory bands before joining Smith Ballew and then the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, remaining with Jimmy once the siblings parted ways. In 1939 he became the de facto co-leader of the newly formed Will Bradley Orchestra, where his singing combined with Freddie Slack’s boogie-woogie piano to popularize “Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar” and “Celery Stalks at Midnight.” By 1942 trombonist Bradley had grown weary of the band’s repertoire, which also featured “Rock-A-Bye the Boogie,” “Scrub Me Mama With a Boogie Beat,” “I Boogied When I Should Have Woogied,” “Boogie Woogie Conga,” “Bounce Me Brother With a Solid Four,” “Booglie Wooglie Piggy,” and “Fry Me Cookie With a Can of Lard,” prompting the ensemble’s dissolution. McKinley briefly fronted his own big band before entering military service, during which he performed in Europe with Glenn Miller’s Army Air Force Orchestra as well as a smaller unit that included Peanuts Hucko and Mel Powell. Following Miller’s death he served as one of the orchestra’s co-leaders. In 1946 he assembled a new orchestra that employed forward-looking charts by Eddie Sauter, embraced bebop influences, and occasionally incorporated Dixieland elements; the group never gained wide popularity, though a Savoy LP later documented its considerable power. From 1956 to 1966 McKinley directed the Glenn Miller ghost band, after which he worked with small combos and led another orchestra modeled on the Miller sound before gradually moving into semi-retirement.