The 1999 Atlanta JAZZ Party!

The country recently saw the passing of two great men, and I lost two personal heroes. Something in my nature causes me to withhold admiration from skilled and talented people who are not at the same time fine human beings. These two, of course, measured up to everything that is fine and decent. I refer to Bob Haggart and Joe DiMaggio. I became aware of the larger world around me at about eight or nine years of age. I can remember when Winnie Mae crashed, taking the lives of Will Rogers and Wiley Post; the conviction of Bruno Hauptmann for the killing of the Lindbergh baby and Jesse Owens winning four Olympic medals to the chagrin of Adolph Hitler. And I became aware of jazz music and baseball at the time that Bob and Joe burst upon the scene - Bob in 1935, and Joe in 1936. Either by coincidence, or because of the presence of Bob and Joe, the Bob Crosby Band and the New York Yankees were my favorite groups. The bands of Goodman, Dorsey, Shaw, Miller, James and others were favorites of mine, but the Bob Crosby Band was at the top of my list. Being a jazz fan, their brand of "Dixieland Swing" was, to me, the best of the big bands. They did not rank as high in the polls of the general public as some others, but they had a very strong following. Bob told me the story about "Big Noise from Winnetka." He said, "Bob Crosby gave us about five minutes to come up with a feature number for a radio broadcast. He started whistling through his teeth and Ray Bauduc joined in and they developed the now famous routine on the spot." The title is in honor of the kids from New Trier High School in Winnetka, IL, who flocked in to the Blackhawk Restaurant in Chicago where the band enjoyed a long stay, and reached the height of its popularity. "Big Noise" became an instant hit and propelled Bob Haggart to the top as a bass player, winning the Metronome poll in 1937 and 1939-1944, and the Downbeat poll in 1937-1942 and 1944. His peers said he never knew how good he was as a player, composer and arranger. Crosby said, "If Bob concentrated on composing, he could have been another Gershwin."

Bob was also a gifted artist in both watercolor and oil, and at one time ran a "jingle" firm. He married Helen Frey in 1938, and Bob and Windy, as she was called, celebrated 56 years together until she died in 1994.

At the depth of my illness in 1996, when my future was seriously in doubt, Bob, as he was leaving our party, gave me a hug and confidently stated, "I'll see you next year."

And happily, he did...and the next year, too.

Our intention this year was to celebrate Bob's 85th birthday, but it wasn't to be. He was recovering from successful lung cancer surgery, and as he said, "riding my stationary bike every day, swimming..walking, and even hitting a few golf balls." Still planning to be with us this year, his heart stopped beating on December 2, 1998. He will remain in my heart.

Joe D, Joltin' Joe, the Yankee Clipper, was the essence of grace and elegance, on and off the field. He became a star as soon as he put on the Yankee pinstripes. In 1941, he set a major league record by hitting in 56 straight games while striking out only 13 times in the entire season. This record, nearly 60 years old, is considered by many baseball men to be almost unbeatable. The same year, 1941, Joe was honored in song when Les Brown recorded "Joltin' Joe Dimaggio."

Joe, who was voted MVP of the American League three times, was a quiet man, but was a captain of the Yankees for most of his career, leading the team onto the field each inning. "There is no one I admire, respect and envy more than Joe DiMaggio," said Ted Williams. High praise indeed from the man many believe to be the best hitter the game has ever seen.

Joe married Marilyn Monroe in 1953 in his hometown, San Francisco. Even though they later divorced, the Yankee Clipper would not talk about her, even to his friends. In this day of tell-all books, Joe could have made millions by writing about their time together, but being the man he was, he chose, rather, to send roses to her grave regularly until his death.

Now we cherish the accomplishments and the memory of both these greats, Bob and Joe, who walked with us for 84 marvelous years.