Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1954-04-09

she was wont to do in the days
of big name bands, she isn't above
making the rounds of local hos
pitfalls, orphanages, prisons, etc.,
in the name of charity and at the
expense if necessary of kissing
paying jobs goodbye to do so.
She's certainly the backbone
of our little musical gang said
one of the gentlemen with whom
she plays in a local melody out
fit, which turns up at Library
Fairs, benefit shows and Village
Green celebrations. Never once
in all our charity deals has she
not come through. She's endlessly
jumping on the 'alms for the
poor bandwagon and does hun
dreds of free stints that people
never even know about
Born on an island in Lake Erie
which makes her a native daugh-
ter of Ohio, Clem Nessell, fresh
out of school, came East for a two
weeks visit-and stayed for good.
The texture of New York was
good enough to convince her to
pull up her Middle Western stakes
and stay on in Manhattan for the
next eight years in search of her
oxua ,oart io,.1o, 1ro;I
''For a fresh green kid from
the fresh green plains of Ohio
she did alright. Not even bother
ing to work her way up the lad
der of success from the bottom
rung, she started out at the top
doubling at the piano and accord
ion with Meyer Davis orchestra at
the Westchester Country Club.
''For the next five years, she
stuck as close to Ben Bernie as a
pebble in a shoe. During this per-
iod of wonderful events in the
life of Clem Nessell, she found
herself shutting BACK and forth
to Europe on the ritzy liner Levia-
than. Playing with her for the en-
tertainment and edification of the
upper crust customers were such
greats as Fats Waller, Ray McKin-
ley and Joe Sullivan.
GAS the first girl to play with
an all-male orchestra in New York,
twas small wonder indeed that
Phil Spitalny with whom she had
trod the boards for two or three
years, should call on her 70 help
with the organization and rehear-
sal of his first all girl orchestra.
She Clipped in with gusto and
helped them get On the stage of
the Capitol for their grand open
ing-but backed but herself lat
curtain time Matter of fact, in
all the work she's ever done, she
says, she's always been the only
woman in a mans band whether
it's been composed of four mem
bers or 49,"
Among Clem's memories, the
article continues, is a hookup as
Mildred Bailey's accompanist; a
stint with Rubinoff; radio work
galore; Vanderbilt weddings;
playing at a Franklin Roosevelt
inaugural ball; debutante coming
out pasties; appearances before
the crowned heads Of Europe; and
one mad night of performing on
the squeeze box on a stage be.
decked with $4,000 worth of
flowers.
''There was a period when as
the only gal member of the famous
Saints and Sinners Club, she sat
down regularly for luncheon al
Sardi's with Frank Buck, Lowell
Thomas, and Bobby Sherwood
The longest trip she ever took was
for her shortest engagement
Hustling abroad a plane, she flew
to the West Coast to play for one
short half hour"
| "The pace started to slow Is
years ago, the story said, when
she wandered up to Lake George
to play for a pharmaceutical con
vention. Attending the session was
a fellow named We're Nessell who
before dipping into the why's and
wherefores of the drug business
had done quite bit of gallivant
ing himself. That is to say we
wouldn't call man who spent
several years chasing Pancho Vii