American jazz guitarist, trumpeter, singer, composer and bandleader.
Born May 30, 1914 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Died January 23, 1981 in Auburn, Massachusetts.
His father was a singer and trombone player and his mother was a pianist. They had a vaudeville act called Bob-Gayle Sherwood & Co. Bobby joined the act when he was ten singing , dancing, and playing the banjo.
Husband of PHYLLIS DORNE, and father of Michael Sherwood and Billy Sherwood. He was previously married to Virginia Gumm (aka Jimmie Garland) (older sister of Judy Garland). He and his wife Phyllis had a successful Las Vegas lounge act in the 1970s. They later divorced. Uncle of Carl Saunders.
In 1954, Bobby Sherwood had a recording session set up with other musicians at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Hackensack, NJ but Hurricane Edna hit on the day of the session and only Sherwood made it to the studio, having arrived 20 minutes before the storm. Instead of wasting the expensive studio time, he went ahead and recorded two songs entirely by himself: Yes Indeed and Brown Eyes, Why Are You Blue? On the picture sleeve for the single featuring those two songs, he’s credited for first trumpet, second trumpet, third trumpet, french horn, trombone, piano, guitar, bass, drums, vibraphone, four vocal parts and arrangements. The 45 shows Vocal by Bobby Sherwood, Bobby Sherwood, Bobby Sherwood, and Bobby Sherwood.
After vaudeville folded, Bobby played in clubs around Los Angeles, and became Bing Crosby’s accompanist on records, in the band, in movies, and on radio.