Ludwig Drummer's Throne, used by Ray McKinley
date: label: date made
content: ca 1969
name: label: user
content: McKinley, Ray
label: maker
content: Ludwig Drum Company
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>This stool was made by Ludwig Drum Company in Chicago, Illinois, about 1969. It is a Drummer’s Throne, with a wood ply shell with a Black Diamond Pearl finish, red leatherette covered padded seat, and a metal hasp and handle. Ludwig sold this as a “seat-case,” with storage. There is a metal badge on the shell:</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>LUDWIG DRUM CO.<br>CHICAGO, U.S.A.</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>(branded on the shell):</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>RMcK</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>This drummer’s throne is from a drumset used by American jazz drummer, singer, and bandleader Ray McKinley around 1969-1980. Ray McKinley (1910-1995) made his first recordings with Red Nichols, where he worked with Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey, in 1931. McKinley continued to work mostly with Miller and the Dorsey Brothers (Jimmy and Tommy) through 1939. He then was a member of Will Bradley’s band through 1942. After enlisting in the Army in 1942, McKinley joined Glenn Miller’s American Band of The Allied Expeditionary Forces (AEF). After Miller’s disappearance in 1944, McKinley co-led the band with Jerry Gray.</p>
label: Description (Brief)
content: <p>After the war, McKinley formed his own band and worked as a freelance musician. In 1956 he was commissioned by the widow of Glenn Miller to organize a new band under Miller’s name using the original library and style. This band made a successful tour of Iron Curtain countries in 1957 and continued to tour the United States until 1966. McKinley played drums while Buddy DeFranco fronted the band from 1966-1974. McKinley continued to perform through the 1980s.</p>
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Illinois, Chicago
setName: label: See more items in
content: Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Music & Musical Instruments
label: See more items in
content: Percussion
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Gretchen H. McKinley and Jawn McKinley Neville
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1998.0075.09
label: accession number
content: 1998.0075
label: catalog number
content: 1998.0075.09
objectType: label: Object Name
content: throne
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: leatherette (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 62 cm x 31 cm; 24 7/16 in x 12 3/16 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 24 11/16 in x 13 in x 14 in; 62.70625 cm x 33.02 cm x 35.56 cm