My Friend Paul Tanner

by Henry Holloway

I have been most fortunate in being invited to enter the charmed world of many music legends, and Dr. Paul Tanner, who played trombone in the Glenn Miller Civilian Band from mid-1938 to September 1942, and then went on to become Professor of Jazz at UCLA, is the one person who has "helped" me more than anyone else in this regard.

Henry Holloway, Paul Tanner, Tex Beneke, and Billy May
When I founded the Glenn Miller Appreciation Society of South Africa in November 1974, I started writing to Glenn Miller alumni, inviting them to become Honorary Life Members of my Society. Paul Tanner was one of the first to respond, and we continued corresponding. I, of course, sent him my "IN THE MOOD" newsletter every month, as I did with other ex-Glenn Miller associates/musicians/friends.

When I made my first trip to the USA in 1981, Paul Tanner was one of the first persons whom I visited. Paul and his most charming wife, Bunny, welcomed me most warmly into their Los Angeles apartment, and we spent a most wonderful couple of hours chatting about those marvellous Miller years, and then also about his years after Glenn had given up his civilian bandleading career to enter Uncle Sam's service.

While I was with Paul and Bunny, he called Tex Beneke and made an appointment for us to visit at Tex's Costa Mesa home the following day. Paul drove me there, and we spent another marvellous time with Tex, his mother, his aunt, and his fiance, Sandi, who later of course became his wife. Tex told me about a concert that he and his band were due to give in a few days' time, and invited me along as his guest.

The concert was, needless to say, outstanding, and so my friendship with Tex grew as well.

This "snowball effect" continued, because Tex called Billy May, and within a day or two, I was visiting Billy ay his Tarzana home. Billy told me, among many other things, that he had a standing arrangement with Frank Sinatra: "Frank set an open door for me to do arrangements for him of songs which he might like to sing and record, and over the years this good arrangement continued".





Billy May and Henry Holloway
Paul Tanner also called Johnny Best, and soon we were on our way to visit him and wife Mary Lou at their home in La Jolla. We started out early one morning, because on the way Paul had arranged for us to stop over at the lovely home of Paula Kelly and her husband, Dick Turner, on the sea slopes in Laguna Beach. Paula and Dick were so nice to me that I visited them a number of times at their home in the next few years.

May I for a moment backtrack to that initial visit to Paul and Bunny in Los Angeles?

Bunny expressed a desire to visit me in Johannesburg, where I was living at the time with my then-wife, the singer Eve Boswell. Well, sadly Bunny died not too long after my visit of 1981, and Paul wrote to me and said that he would like to fulfill the late Bunny's wish, and that he would like to visit me. I, of course, jumped at the opportunity to show Paul some of our typical South African hospitality.

Town Crier Paul Kendrick, Eve Boswell, Paul Tanner, and Mrs. Paul Kendrick

During his two week visit in January 1983, we really showered him with love and kindness, not only at our home, but also through my Glenn Miller Society. I organised a special recital, and it went on longer than any other meeting we had ever had before (and would ever have again!). Paul brought his private 16 mm movies of those Glenn Miller years (which Bunny had filmed, by the way) and together with his sparkling commentary, it had our members in raptures. In fact, that 30th day of January 1983 was so wonderful that I announced that henceforth, January 30th of every year would be "Paul Tanner Day", and so it continued to be.

I had Paul as my special guest on one of my "Back to the Big Bands" radio programs, a series which ran for six years, allowing the South African public to hear the charm of Paul Tanner flowing through the air.

The best is yet to come!!!! We told Paul that I would be leading a tour of swing/sing/jazz fans to the USA in August and September, so he said that he would arrange and be involved in various things for us in Southern California.

Well, what happened was unbelievable! We had hardly booked into our Los Angeles hotel when Paul was there to meet us! He had driven all the way up from San Diego, to where he had moved after Bunny's death, and he parked his Mercedes in a parking garage opposite our hotel. He soon said to me: "I've found a small bus in Venice, after many telephone calls, so you and I must go and fetch it." Little did I realise that I would not be permitted to drive the bus, so Paul said to me: "You drive my Mercedes back to the parking garage. Just follow me!" I was dead scared I would have an accident with Paul's car. Anyway, I drove to the parking garage safely.

Then Paul said to me: "Tomorrow, we'll go to Tex's house, and from there to Disneyland, where Louis Bellson's big band is playing. I'll introduce you to Louis. The next day we're going to visit your friend, George Montgomery, and then we're going to visit Sammy Cahn, whom you also know, of course". I was almost shaking!!!

Paul continued: "Then we're going to the NBC studios in Burbank to attend a recording of the famous "Tonight" TV show. Joan Rivers is the Guest Hostess, and Doc Severinson's big band is playing. Then, after dinner, we're going to Carmello's to listen to some good jazz". I was all a-quiver!

To settle my nerves, Paul said: "I'll drive the bus, so you all can relax". Thank the Lord!

It all happened exactly as Paul had planned and arranged it. And much more! You do get the picture?

I must just add that the time at Tex's house was thrilling for us, not only because Billy May was waiting with Tex (and you all know what a superb sense of humour Billy can bring to every gathering), but to have three former Glenn Miller alumni (who all became world famous in their own rights afterwards) at that get-together, especially for my little group's benefit. Well, it was just too too much for words! And all arranged by Paul Tanner!

Through the years, Paul telephoned us regularly, without fail, during our recital on "Paul Tanner Day", and THAT is also something very few human beings would ever do. Imagine getting up in the wee small hours of the morning (do remember the time difference between the American west coast and South Africa), to phone that group of Glenn Miller nuts! I told Paul more than once that he was my most favourite human being on this planet.

In 1986, I took my new wife, Marilyn, to introduce her to my American music legend friends, and when we arrived at San Diego airport, who was there waiting to welcome us? You guessed it...Paul Tanner! He took us to his home at Carlsbad, and introduced Marilyn to HIS charming new wife, Jan, whom I had met in 1984. Paul and Jan immediately invited us to laze around in their heated swimming pool, while sipping some of their best wine. I DO have a picture somewhere to prove it. We stayed with them for a day or two before Paul drove us to Los Angeles to continue our journey.

Up to this very day I have kept in touch with Paul, and in one of his books he mentions me at length (also Marilyn)

Paul Tanner -- What a fantastic human being! Long may he live, and go for his century!!!!

In great appreciation,


Henry Holloway
Caledon, Cape Province, South Africa
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