Leo Watson

Leo "Zoot" Watson (27 February 1898 – 2 May 1950) was an American jazz vocalise singer, drummer, trombonist, and tipleplayer born in Kansas City, Missouri. He is perhaps best known as a band member of The Spirits of Rhythm, which included guitarist Teddy Bunn. Watson also worked briefly with a variety of big bands, including those of Gene Krupa, Artie Shaw, and Jimmy Mundy.
Watson also provided the voice for Prince Chawmin' in the infamous Censored Eleven cartoon "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs" (directed by Bob Clampett, 1943). However, he went uncredited in that cartoon because of primary voice artist Mel Blanc's contract agreement for solo credit. In a 1969 Funnyworld interview conducted by Michael Barrier and Milton Gray, Bob Clampett recalled Watson's name erroneously as "Zoot" Watson, thus Leo Watson himself went uncredited for his work in the cartoon for almost forty more years. Finally, Australian voice artist and animation historian Keith Scott discovered his name correctly in the Warner Bros. Archives. 
 
Category:Real People
Category:Deceased
Category:Musicians
Category:1898 Births
Category:1950 Deaths
Category:Looney Tunes Voice-Actors
Category:African Americans
Category:Voice-actors