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{{Short description|American bandleader (1897–1984)}}
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{{Infobox musical artist
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'''Henry Halstead''' (November 16, 1897 – March 19, 1984) was an American bandleader. His orchestra began in early 1922<ref name="Coffin2012"/> and over the next twenty years had regular engagements at hotels in New York and California.
[[File:Henry Halstead 1927.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Henry Halstead Orchestra]]Henry Halstead's Orchestra began in early 1922 and over the next 20 years Halstead's band engagements extended from coast to coast, including the Blossom Room at Hotel Roosevelt, [[New York City]]; the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in [[Beverly Hills, California]]; the St. Francis Hotel in [[San Francisco]]; the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago; and a season at "Fatty" Arbuckle's "Plantation" in Culver City where such entertainers as [[Al Jolson]], [[Sophie Tucker]], [[Gus Edwards (songwriter)|Gus Edwards]], and [[Leatrice Joy]] were headliners on his shows. Henry Halstead had from 15 to 20 bandmembers at any given time. Halstead's orchestra appeared in numerous short subjects on the screen and has made over 100 phonograph records, mainly with [[Victor Records]]. In addition, Halstead appeared in short films released by [[RKO Radio]]. ▼
Halstead had from 15 to 20 band members at any given time. His orchestra appeared in numerous short subjects on the screen and made over 100 records, mainly with [[Victor Records]]. He appeared in short films released by [[RKO Radio]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Henry Halstead and his Orchestra|url=https://syncopatedtimes.com/henry-halstead-and-his-orchestra/ |website=Red Hot Jazz Archive |date=7 April 2020 |accessdate=7 April 2020 }}</ref>
Following their rise to national fame over the air and in the grill rooms on the West Coast, Henry Halstead and his band gained the reputation as being the "Favorite Band of Movieland". During his career as the West Coast's premier dance orchestra Hank Halstead's boys played for nearly all the movie people at their private entertainments. Among the names of those who became Halstead fans were [[Sylvia Sidney]], [[Frederic March]], [[Claudette Colbert]], [[Kay Francis]], [[Rudolph Valentino]], [[Roscoe Arbuckle]], [[Maurice Chevalier]], [[Clark Gable]], [[Norma Shearer]], [[Greta Garbo]], [[Clive Brook]], [[Gary Cooper]], [[Marian Nixon]], [[Jack Oakie]], [[Charles Rogers (actor)|Buddy Rogers]], and [[Ruth Chatterton]].▼
▲
Hollywood actor [[Lew Ayres]] was discovered in the Henry Halstead band in 1927. Ayres said "I was a member of Henry Halstead's orchestra in 1927 at the Mission Beach Ballroom, San Diego, Calif....summer. My instruments were tenor banjo, long-neck banjo and guitar. After a hiatus, I rejoined Mr. Halstead with a new group, including Phil Harris, on New Years Eve the same year for the opening night of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel... a memorable occasion." Henry Halstead is given credit for making the first [[Hollywood]] [[Vitaphone]] movie short with Warner Brothers in 1927 called ''Carnival Night in Paris'' where [[Lew Ayres]] was discovered playing banjo. The three music selections for the Vitaphone production where listed as follows: 1. Volga Boatman, 2. At Sundown, 3. Rosy Cheeks.▼
==Career==
Halstead was on the cover of ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]'' issue of July 27, 1935 at that time known as Henry "Hank" Halstead and His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra playing at the Hotel-Park Central, New York.▼
Henry Halstead was born November 16, 1897, in
In 1923 Halstead, then director of the Palais Royal Orchestra,
[[Phil Harris]] played drums and [[Red Nichols]] played trumpet as they were members of Henry Halstead's band in the 1920s. ▼
The early Henry Halstead Orchestra during the early 1920s was enormously successful at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco for about three years.
[[Cliff Arquette]] an actor, comedian, was also a night club pianist, and joined the Henry Halstead Orchestra in 1923.▼
This band broke up in the late summer of 1925.
Halstead recorded for Victor Records, and broadcast on all major radio networks, such as Columbia, National, and Mutual Broadcasting Companies. Halstead led his band and played violin. The original Halstead violin still exists and has dozens of band member signatures on the violin. Henry was considered one of the best young band leaders and gave his dance patrons plenty of entertainment. His music maintained excellent rhythm and a crowded floor throughout the night stood testimony that he was playing good dance music. ▼
While Halstead and his family were living in San Bernardino, California, he and his band were playing at some of the local night spots in town. He needed to live close due to his ailing parents. In March 1944 he was making visits to one of the local mountain communities by the name of Big Bear. He enjoyed the area and was losing many of his band members to the draft. He himself was beyond the draft age and did not serve in World War II. It was a time for change and he moved his family to Big Bear Lake where he bought into a partnership on one of the local night spots known as Navajo Ballroom.<ref>The Grizzly 26 May 1944 page 3</ref>
▲Henry Halstead was born November 16, 1897 in [[El Paso, Texas]] and died on March 19, 1984 in [[California]]. As a young boy, Halstead learned to play violin. After studying the violin for 10 years, Hank Halstead turned professional when 19 playing clubs and hotels at the tables. In 1919, Henry Halstead played violin with 2 other men that went on to become famous Big Band Leaders, [[Abe Lyman]] and [[Gus Arnheim]]. The 3 young men played in a band together at the Sunset Inn in Santa Monica, California. Abe Lyman played drums and Gus Arnheim played piano. Roy Fox, not well known in America but later a ranking bandmaster in England, played the trumpet on occasion with them. Even early on Halstead dressed the part, a tuxedo was a must and he must have worn out a few of them over the next 20 years.
By May 1946 Halstead sold his interest in the Navajo Ballroom and entered into a partnership with Etienne Noir in the local airport.<ref>The Grizzly 24 May 1946 pg 1</ref> While at the airport he met an old Hollywood acquaintance by the name of Andy Devine who was active in making western films and TV shows. Devine had a partnership in a pilot school with a Hollywood stunt pilot by the name of Dick Probert. The three of them entered into a partnership in the airport and a local restaurant by the name of the Sportsman's Tavern.<ref>The Grizzly 28 Mar 1947 pg 1</ref><ref>The Grizzly 23 May 1947 pg 3</ref>
▲In 1923 Halstead, then director of the Palais Royal Orchestra, predicts for the coming year that even though dance steps may change, the music as far as tempo and rhythm will remain about the same as in 1922. And jazz, minus the shrieking and wailing, toned down with even a touch more of the classical than the case in the year now coming to a close, will continue to reign supreme in the popularity of dance fans. "Balance of harmony is the secret." Mr. Halstead said. "Careful selection of instruments and musicians are next in importance, but unless harmony is perfectly balanced that soft, dreamy effect so necessary in the modern fox trot is lost." The Buescher phone, an unusual instrument for a dance orchestra, is featured in the Palais Royal Orchestra.
Upon leaving the Big Bear area, Halstead and his family moved to San Francisco, where he booked talent at the St. Francis Hotel for a couple of years. For a short time they were in Los Angeles and then by 1953 he was working at the Westward Ho Talent Booking in Phoenix, Arizona. From February 1955 to November 1958 he was owner and operating broker of a real estate company in the Phoenix area. The sign for his real estate office was a yellow sign of a music note. Hasltead was color blind and the only color he could easily see was yellow.
==Personal life and death==
▲The early Henry Halstead Orchestra during the early 1920s was enormously successful at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco for about three years. This was the early days of radio, and he had the good fortune to broadcast over the very powerful (for those days) KGO in San Francisco. He was "on" for about an hour a night, six nights a week. As a consequence, his band became the best known organization in the western United States and Hawaii.
Halstead was married to blues vocalist Marjorie Whitney Halter, who sang with the [[King's Jesters]]. She was born on April 5, 1917. Henry and Marjorie had two children. While they were living in San Bernardino, California, Joan Susan Halstead was born in 1943. Hank Jr. was born on April 8, 1946, while the family was living in Big Bear, California.<ref>The Grizzly 12 Apr 1946 page 2</ref> Marjorie and Henry divorced in the 1960s. Marjorie died on December 26, 1996.<ref>Nevada Death Index</ref> After the divorce, Henry married Mary Larson on June 20, 1980.
After Halstead and Marjorie were divorced, Halstead continued in the real estate business. He worked with Del Webb in creating the Deer Valley section of Phoenix. He was honored by having one of the streets named after him: West Halstead Drive. In the late 1960s Henry moved to California. He lived in San Diego for a short time, and died in Hemet, California. He is buried in San Diego.<ref>Conversation with Joan Halstead 21 July 2014</ref>
▲This band broke up in the late summer of 1925. Hank decided that he would go out on his own - form a new band, literally "hire a hall" and run his own enterprise.. The band consisted of: Ted Schilling, Glenn Hopkins, Ross Dugat, Ernie Reed, Chuck Moll, Abe Maule, Hal Chanslor, Zebe Mann, Phil Harris and Craig Leach. When they joined Halstead in Seattle the band was a huge success. In the spring of 1926, the Halstead band came to Los Angeles to play Miller's Lafayette. Red Nichols joined the band for this opening.
Many vocalists and entertainers performed with the Henry Halstead Orchestra.
▲
{{Commons category|Henry Halstead}}▼
▲Hollywood actor [[Lew Ayres]] was discovered in the Henry Halstead band in 1927. Ayres said "I was a member of Henry Halstead's orchestra in 1927 at the Mission Beach Ballroom, San Diego,
▲Halstead was on the cover of ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' issue of July 27, 1935 at that time known as Henry "Hank" Halstead and His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra playing at the Hotel-Park Central, New York.
▲
▲[[Cliff Arquette]] an actor, comedian, was also a night club pianist, and joined the Henry Halstead Orchestra in 1923.
▲Halstead recorded for Victor Records, and broadcast on all major radio networks, such as Columbia, National, and Mutual Broadcasting Companies. Halstead led his band and played violin. The original Halstead violin still exists and has dozens of band member signatures on the violin.
==References==
▲{{Commons category|Henry Halstead}}
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Coffin2012">{{cite book|author=Lesley L. Coffin|title=Lew Ayres: Hollywood's Conscientious Objector|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rukaBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA9|date=18 October 2012|publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi|isbn=978-1-61703-638-5|pages=9–}}</ref>
}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halstead, Henry}}
[[Category:1897 births]]
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[[Category:American bandleaders]]
[[Category:American jazz bandleaders]]
[[Category:Big band bandleaders]]
[[Category:20th-century American conductors (music)]]
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