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Tommy Loy and his trumpet

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Clint McLauglin

Tommy Loy
Born: May 10, 1930 in Denison, Texas
Died: October 17, 2002 in Plano, Texas

During Tommy's 72 year long life he had many wonderful experiences.While in High School he was a radio personality at KRRV.

Tommy Loy served in the Air Force enlisting in 1951 and was assistant to the conductor of the military bands with the 49th Armored Division Band. He also recorded and produced Public Information Radio Series for them in San Marcos, TX.

When Tommy Loy was discharged from the Air Force he finished his education in 1955 at SMU, majoring in music education.

While in college at SMU, Tommy began playing with a dixieland band called the Cell Block 7 that was booked on the old Ed Sullivan Show. It was with the Cell Block band in 1953 that Loy met Jack Ruby while playing at Ruby's Vegas Club in Dallas. Ruby would later gain notoriety as the assassin of Lee Harvey Oswald.

Tom played at the Levee jazz nightclub in Dallas from 1961 to 1974. He also led the Upper Dallas Jazz Band, a 6-piece "original traditional" jazz group and played with other groups around Dallas: The Dallas Christian Brass, The Razzmajazz Dixieland Band,and the Richland College Evening Jazz Ensemble.

Tommy was a frequent guest artist at the Landing Jazz Club in San Antonio, leading the Tommy Loy All-Stars and the Landing Quintet on weekend nights whenever the JCJB was out on tour.

Tommy Loy was best known as the National Anthem trumpet soloist for the Dallas Cowboys for 22 years, from Thanksgiving Day 1966 until 1989. He played the National Anthem for Super Bowl V in Miami on January 17, 1971.
He recieved the BMI Music In Sports Award in 1982.

Tommy worked as a musician and recording engineer for about 35 years both writing and producing musical commercials.

Tommy loved music and often would say "I would rather play than eat."

In 2002 Tommy learned that he had pancreatic cancer. However; he didn't let it slow him down. Tommy went to Scotland with Bob Romans, Cell Block 7 Jazz Band; where he played 11 gigs in 13 days on a whirlwind trip through the Scottish countryside. ...he passed away just two months later.

I had the pleasure of knowing Tommy for the last 6 years of his life and I also had the pleasure of working with him as his teacher. Tommy was a hardworker, quick student and even contributed a section to my book "The Pros Talk Embouchure". Tommy loved Dixieland and he made the cornet talk and sing when he was playing.

Tommy had a radio show every Monday night at 7pm on KEZY radio at http://www.KXEZ.com It is our hope that they continue to play some of Tommy's old recordings.

The following clips are from a CD with Tommy Loy on Cornet and Jon Stutler on Clarinet. The CD Razzmajazz is available at http://www.razzmajazz.com

Pops

China Boy – clip

Audio Player