James Melvin "Jimmie" Lunceford was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Lunceford was born in Fulton, Mississippi. Little is known about his parents, though his father was a choirmaster in Warren, Ohio, before the family moved to Denver. Lunceford went to high school in Denver and studied music under Wilberforce J. Whiteman, father of Paul Whiteman, whose band was soon to acquire a national reputation. After high school he continued his studies at Fisk University. In 1922, he played alto saxophone in a local band led by George Morrison which included Andy Kirk,... another musician destined for fame as a bandleader. In 1927, while teaching at Manassas High School in Memphis, Tennessee, he organized a student band, the Chickasaw Syncopators, whose name was changed to the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra when it began touring. Lunceford was the first high school band director in Memphis. This band recorded in 1927 and 1930. After a period of touring, the band accepted a booking at the Harlem nightclub The Cotton Club in 1934.
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| Birthdate: | June 6, 1902 |
| Birthplace: | Fulton, Missouri |
| Date of death: | July 12, 1947 |
| Education: | Fisk University |
| Also known as: | Jimmy Lunceford, Jimmie Lunceford, Jimmie Lunceford |