Dude Skiles

Jazz musician born October 27, 1915 and died December 4, 1993. Skiles began his musical career as a child, playing drums with his parents in the band Bob Skiles and His Haywire Orchestra. He learned to play trumpet in 1930 and in 1939 moved to Los Angeles with his brother Jack Skiles where they joined Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians. Skiles later joined Johnny Green's orchestra on the Phillip Morris Show, and played with trumpet players Peewee Erwin and Charlie Teagarden. He formed the Band of the West while in the Army Air Corps in World War II. After moving to San Antonio, Texas around 1939, he managed the Shadow Land Night Club and opened the Dude Skiles Record Shop. He rejoined Fred Waring's band in the 1960s and played with various other bands in San Antonio. His son Robert Skiles is also a jazz musician and has used the name Dude Skiles (2) on occasion.