Life and Times of Gene Krupa.

Essay by Kimmiann831University, Bachelor'sA+, December 2004

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Gene Krupa was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 15, 1909. He was the youngest son of Bartley and Ann Krupa's nine children. His father died when Gene was very young and his mother worked as a milliner to support the family. All of the children had to start working while still young, Gene was only eleven. His brother Pete worked at Brown's Music Company, and secured Gene a job there as a chore boy. Gene started out playing the sax in grade school but took up drums at age 11 since they were the cheapest item in the music store where he and his brother worked. "I used to look in their wholesale catalog for a musical instrument - piano, trombone, cornet - I didn't care what it was as long as it was an instrument. The cheapest item was the drums, 16 beans, I think, for a set of Japanese drums; a great high, wide bass drum, with a brass cymbal on it, a wood block and a snare drum" ( Klauber, 86 ).

His parents were very religious and had groomed Gene for the priesthood. He spent his grammar school days at various parochial schools and upon graduation went to St. Joseph's College for a brief while. Gene's drive to drum was too strong and before long he gave up the idea of ever becoming a priest. In 1921, while still in grammar school, Gene joined his first band "The Frivolians." He obtained the position of drummer for the band as a fluke when the regular drummer was sick. The band played during summers in Madison, Wisconsin. Upon entering high school in 1923, Gene became buddies with the "Austin High Gang", which included many musicians who would eventually be on Gene's first recording session; Jimmy McPartland, Jimmy...