Jesse Stafford (2)

American trombone player, band leader, and composer (born June 7, 1892 in Charles City, Floyd, Iowa – died April 8, 1947 in Berkeley, Alameda, California) Stafford served as a musician in the Navy for 5 years, stationed on Yerba Buena Island. By 1917, he was employed as a musician in the St. Francis Hotel on San Francisco's Union Square. By 1921, he had moved to Los Angeles, where he joined Herb Wiedoeft's Cinderella Roof Orchestra, which later became Herb Wiedoeft And His Orchestra. After Wiedhoeft's untimely death in a car accident in May 1928, Stafford took over the band; soon it became Jesse Stafford And His Orchestra. By 1930, Stafford had moved to Berkeley, California, where he continued to work as an orchestra leader. By 1940, he had become a tire salesman in Oakland, CA. Stafford co-wrote the 1924 hit "Oh, Peter!" (with fellow band members Herb Wiedoeft and Gene Rose). Another song that he co-wrote with them was "Hot Stuff" (1924). In addition, Stafford wrote or co-wrote "Chimes Blues" (1924, with Gene Rose), "Why Was It You?" and "Roamin' Around" (both 1925, with Herb Wiedoeft and Sonny Clay).