American alto saxophonist and bandleader, born February 13, 1903 in DeQuoin, Illinois, died February 6, 1962 in Santa Monica, California.
Played with bands in Los Angeles in the 1920s, including those of Mutt Carey and Curtis Mosby. Assumed leadership of Paul Howard’s Quality Serenaders in 1930. It recorded as Louis Armstrong And His Sebastian New Cotton Orchestra in 1930-1932 and as Les Hite And His Orchestra. The orchestra disbanded in 1945, when Hite retired from bandleading.