St. Louis Blues

Frank "Big Boy" Goudie

Frank "Big Boy" Goudie (September 13, 1899 – January 9, 1964) was an American jazz trumpeter, alto and tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Goudie was born in Youngsville, Louisiana, United States, 150 miles west of New Orleans in the area of the state known as Cajun country, where he lived until age of eight. (It is likely he learned to speak French while growing up there, which would be useful later in his life.) His family then moved to New Orleans, where he began playing cornet, possibly studying with Bunk Johnson. He became proficient enough to find work with local bands such as Papa Celestin's Original Tuxedo Band and the Magnolia Band - two top bands in New Orleans at that time. He began studying clarinet and tenor saxophone, which would eventually becom… more »