Frank Coughlan

Australian trombonist, trumpeter, songwriter/arranger, singer & bandleader. Born September 10, 1904 in Emmaville, Australia. Died April 6 or 7, 1979 in Sydney, Australia (age of 74). He's been called the father of "Australian Jazz". From 1922, he worked in Sydney and Melbourne; in 1928-1929 he was in England, working with Jack Hylton, Al Starita and others. Established a reputation as swing bandleader during a residency at the Sydney Trocadero in 1936-1939; continued to play at the same club after World War II until 1970, when he gradually left music. He successfully combined a career as a dance band leader in the commercial world of dance, with that of a dedicated jazzman. His career spanned fifty years--from 1922 to 1971, a period of tremendous diversity in popular music.