Doc Cheatham Papers
name: label: Creator
content: Cheatham, Doc, 1905-1997
label: Creator
content: Cheatham, Amanda
topic: label: Topic
content: Jazz musicians -- United States
label: Topic
content: Trumpet players -- 20th century
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated to the Archives Center by Amanda N. Cheatham, widow of Doc Cheatham,  June, 2002.
creator: label: Creator
content: Cheatham, Doc, 1905-1997
label: Creator
content: Cheatham, Amanda
setName: label: See more items in
content: Doc Cheatham Papers
abstract: label: Summary
content: Papers documenting Cheatham's career as a jazz trumpeter. The papers include passports, appointment and address books; photographs, both personal and professional; a transcript of an interview of Cheatham; sheet music, including parts for various instruments; home movies from Cheatham's travels; awards and certificates; printed material including posters, programs, clippings.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham (1905-1997) was born in Nashville, Tennessee.  He grew up playing trumpet and saxophone in the pit orchestra of the Bijou Theater where he accompanied such blues artists as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith.  His first professional break was with Marion Hardy's band for the Sunshine Sammy Revue. 

After touring with Hardy's band in 1924, Cheatham taught himself to read music and moved to Chicago, where he became acquainted with Louis Armstrong.  Under the influence of Armstrong, Cheatham decided to play trumpet exclusively and eventually subbed for Armstrong.  While in Chicago, Cheatham also worked with Wilbur De Paris and Chick Webb.  Between 1927 and 1930 he toured Europe as the lead trumpet player for Sam Wooding. 

When Cheatham returned to the United States in 1930, he joined Marion Hardy's Alabamians, but eventually took a position in McKinney's Cotton Pickers.  In 1933 he joined Cab Calloway's Orchestra and toured with him for nine years, including a tour of South America.  Cheatham took a few months off in 1933 but soon found himself in recording studios with such jazz legends as Count Basie and Billie Holiday. During recording sessions and performances throughout the 1940s Cheatham continued to develop his skills as a trumpet soloist in big bands and smaller ensembles.    

The eventual decline of big bands in the 1950s led Cheatham to explore Latin music.  As a result, he performed with Marcelino Guerra, Perez Prado, and Machitos Band.  Cheatham reunited with Wilbur De Paris in 1957 for a tour of Africa and in the following year he toured Europe with Sammy Price.  In 1960 he returned to Africa with Herbie Mann and later moved to New York where he led his own band. 

During the 1960s Cheatham decided to build on his past music influences to improve himself as a soloist and improviser.  Consequently, he gained an international reputation as a trumpet soloist.  It was at this time that he also began singing on his recordings.  Throughout the rest of his career he remained in high demand on the concert and festival circuit. 

Cheatham continued performing and recording into the 1990s.  Every Sunday for the last years of his life he played at Sweet Basil, his "hangout" club in New York.  In 1996 he recorded an album with then newcomer Nicholas Payton.  However, the morning after a 1997 concert with Payton in Washington, D.C. Cheatham suffered a fatal stroke.  He did not live to see his collaboration with Payton receive a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance in 1998.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 11 Cubic feet (23 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1939-1998
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0814
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Home movies
label: Type
content: Interviews
label: Type
content: Parts (musical)
label: Type
content: Passports
label: Type
content: Photographs
label: Type
content: Posters
label: Type
content: Programs
label: Type
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
label: Type
content: Sheet music
label: Type
content: Appointment books
label: Type
content: Address books
label: Type
content: Clippings
label: Type
content: Awards
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into five series. 

Series 1: Publications, circa 1950s-1990s

Series 2: Photographs and Artwork, 1930s-1990s

Series 3: Personal Papers and Memorabilia, circa 1930s-1990s

Series 4: Music and Awards, circa 1940s-1990s
'
Series 5: Audiovisual Materials, circa 1930s-1990s
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Timothy Anne Burnside and Scott Schwartz, June 2003.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Home movies
label: Genre/Form
content: Interviews
label: Genre/Form
content: Parts (musical)
label: Genre/Form
content: Passports
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Posters -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Programs -- Concerts
label: Genre/Form
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
label: Genre/Form
content: Sheet music
label: Genre/Form
content: Appointment books
label: Genre/Form
content: Address books
label: Genre/Form
content: Clippings -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Awards
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham Papers contain publications, photographs, correspondence, memorabilia, autobiographical materials, music, awards, and audio and visual recordings documenting his life and career as a big band and jazz trumpeter.

The collection is 11 cubic feet and is organized into five series: Series 1: Publications, Series 2: Photographs and Artwork, Series 3: Personal Papers and Memorabilia, Series 4: Music and Awards, and Series 5: Audioviusal Materials.  The majority of the material dates from the mid-1930s to the late 1990s.
separatedmaterial: label: Separated Materials
content: The Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds related artifacts: a trumpet, trumpet mutes, bowtie, and pair of glasses.