Speed Webb

Lawrence Arthur “Speed” Webb (b. Peru, July 18, 1906 – d. November 4, 1994). Bandleader, drummer, and vocalist. Trained as a child on violin, mellophone, and drums, Webb formed a dance band at about age seventeen and then studied music at the University of Illinois. Although his parents wanted him to become an undertaker, he left school in 1925 to join and eventually led the Hoosier Melody Lads, a newly-formed eight-piece band in Muncie. In addition to a regular booking at Forest Park in Toledo, the Speed Webb Orchestra traveled extensively and made it to California, where MGM hired them to appear in films. After three seasons in Hollywood, Webb rebuilt his group into a full-size big band in Fort Wayne and picked up some new players, including trumpeter Roy Eldridge and pianist Teddy Wilson. At this time, he gave up his drumming duties and conducted with a baton. Replete with great soloists and arrangers, his new band got jobs easily and faired well in playoffs against touring groups. Affected by the Stock Market crash in 1929, Webb’s band continued to travel widely but experienced financial woes. Later called the Hollywood Blue Devils, the band hung on until 1938, when Webb decided it was time to hang it up and return to school, where he finished a degree in Sanitary Science, Anatomy and Embalming. After completing his education, he worked in his new profession in South Bend. Although largely forgotten, Webb’s band had a good reputation, and he met many legends along the way including Ethel Waters, Jelly-Roll Morton, and King Oliver. Possibly, Webb’s band would have joined the ranks of the top bands of the day if he had secured a lucrative recording contract.