Bobby Hackett, a one-of-a-kind original soft-performing trumpet-player, was born in Providence in 1915. His slow and romantic high-quality tone has never been properly imitated, though many performers have tried.
He became popular in the last part of the previous century after being recorded with seven labels, including his most important recordings with the Capital Studios.
Over the course of his spectacular career, he performed with Tony Bennett, Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, Ray McKinley, Jack Teagarden, Pee Wee Russell, Lee Wiley, Horace Heidt and his long association with the great Jackie Gleason. With Gleason, Bobby’s sweet and romantic sounds can be heard on 11 highly collectible albums, still being played today.
Among his favorite gigs were those with George Wein and the Newport All-Stars and performing on the Newport Jazz Festival stage, and jazz enthusiasts are quick to point out Bobby’s horn heard during Glenn Miller’s famous recording of “String-Of-Pearls.” Other notable performances include a stint in Louie Armstrong’s 1947 Town Hall Jazz Concert and a two-year tour with Tony Bennett (1965-67). In the 1970s he worked with Dizzy Gillespie and Teresa Brewer, among others.
Bobby passed away in 1976 at the age of 61 at his home in Chatham, Massachusetts, and in 2012 he was posthumously inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.
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