{"id":1815,"date":"2020-07-03T01:26:08","date_gmt":"2020-07-02T19:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/?p=1815"},"modified":"2021-07-17T00:09:24","modified_gmt":"2021-07-16T18:09:24","slug":"tracing-linda-keene-part-1-the-florence-suttle-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/?p=1815","title":{"rendered":"TRACING LINDA KEENE, PART 1: THE FLORENCE SUTTLE YEARS"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Well, it’s the 2nd of July and I’ve just completed this second blahg on Linda Keene.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>If you haven’t read my blahg from last month Down A Rabbit Hole With Linda Keene<\/a>, then you should take the time to do it now.\u00a0 This blahg is a continuation of sorts.\u00a0 I couldn’t get Linda Keene off my mind.\u00a0 I’ve been working hard to track down the four tracks with Lennie Hayton that she recorded in December of 1939 and February of 1940.\u00a0 These were included on the CD \u2018The Velvet Voice of the Forgotten Linda Keene\u2019 produced by Prov. Eves I. Raja for Hunter Music in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.\u00a0 I finally found a copy of the CD to purchase and it’s on its way.\u00a0 The next blahg in this series should include samples of the Hayton\/Keene collaboration.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0My research into Linda Keene for my last blahg was very sparse but I referenced\u00a0a reprint of an article from \u201cDoctor Jazz Magazine\u201d out of Holland by Opal L. Nations titled “Unlucky Woman – The Story of Linda Keene.”\u00a0 At the time, that was the only article I had encountered but it did reference the CD put out by\u00a0Prov. Eves I. Raja.\u00a0 I was curious as to what there was still to learn about Linda Keene and my further research found another article about Linda Keene that predated the one published in Doctor Jazz Magazine.\u00a0 This first article was authored by none other than\u00a0Prof. Eves I. Raja.\u00a0 It was published in the IAJRC (International Association Of Jazz Record Collectors) journal in August of 2007.\u00a0 Below is the original article, “Linda Keene, Her Elusive Fame”.\u00a0 Give it a read and don’t forget to click on each page to get a larger image:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Linda<\/a><\/p>\n

————————–<\/span><\/strong><\/center>
\n\"Linda<\/a><\/p>\n

————————–<\/span><\/strong><\/center>\"Linda<\/a><\/p>\n

————————–<\/span><\/strong><\/center>
\"Linda<\/a><\/center>\u00a0 \u00a0If you’re like me, this article left me with more questions than answers.\u00a0 I compared this article written by\u00a0Prof. Eves I. Raja with the one written by Opal Nations in the Dr. Jazz Magazine.\u00a0 The one by Opal Nations gave her name at birth as Florence McCrary born December 1st, 1911 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.\u00a0 Prof Raja’s article has the correct name of Florence McCrory but notes she was born in Taylorsville, 35 miles north of Hattiesburg.\u00a0 But I’m getting ahead of myself.\u00a0 What I wanted to know was if there were more errors in the two articles and if I could trace Linda Keene from Florence McCrory to Florence Suttle to Linda Keene.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0The main problem with my research is I’m a nobody in Canada and most of the the people who knew Florence\/Linda have long since passed.\u00a0 I also don’t believe, outside of these two articles, there were any other scholarly articles or books about Linda Keene.\u00a0 That left me with newspapers or magazines published years ago that gave reference to Florence\/Linda.\u00a0 I decided that was where I would start my research and see if I could trace Florence McCrory over the years into Florence Suttle and on to Linda Keene.\u00a0 This is part one in a series and the focus here will be on Florence and a commentary on what I found as it relates to the two articles.\u00a0 In fact, the picture at the top, not being me this time around, is a young married Florence Suttle in 1936.\u00a0 What follows is my research of Florence McCrory but mostly her married and performing life as Florence Suttle.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 The earliest article I can find that even mentions Florence McCrory comes from the\u00a0Hattiesburg American, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on\u00a0April 19, 1929.\u00a0 She is part of the Honor Roll where she seemed to excel in English with an “85”.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>This places her at the Forrest County Agricultural High School in Brooklyn, Mississippi in April of 1929.\u00a0 In Professor Raja’s article he states that “the McCrory’s were living in Shreveport, Louisiana…Florence at the age of 16 left her father, younger brothers and her half sister never to return.”\u00a0 If she left at the age of 16 from Shreveport, which would have been 1927\/28 then why was she still in the Hattiesburg, Mississippi region in 1929?\u00a0 Brooklyn is in fact only 20 miles outside of Hattiesburg.\u00a0 Subsequent articles related to her marriage also place her in Mississippi in the early 1930’s.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Next up is Florence’s wedding notice \"Florence<\/a>from the Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi) Wednesday, September 16, 1931.\u00a0 The article alludes that\u00a0 the ceremony was held on the previous Saturday, September 12, 1931.\u00a0 It is clear however that Florence is still in Mississippi and it mentions that her parents “Mr. and Mrs. Lee McCrory are still in Hattiesburg.\u00a0 The article also mentions that both Florence and her husband attended Forrest County Agricultural High School.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 I’m going to side-step here a minute to offer what I’ve found on “Spurgeon Suttle.”\u00a0 \"Spurgeon<\/a>I found a mention of him in the graduating class\u00a0 of Forrest County Agricultural High School in 1930.\u00a0 The article to the right comes from the Hattiesburg American, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, May 10, 1930.\u00a0 This suggests that Spurgeon graduated a year later than Florence.\u00a0 Further research revealed a birth date for Spurgeon Suttle on May 13th, 1912; making him six months younger than Florence.\u00a0 He was also now living in Lucedale, Mississippi.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 It’s interesting to try and add some context for Spurgeon Suttle.\u00a0 Here’s what else I could find out.\u00a0 Spurgeon was an athelete.\u00a0 In fact he is mentioned not only in the Hattiesburg American on May 13, 1930 \"Spurgeon<\/a>but also in the Clarion Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi on May 19, 1930.\u00a0 \"Spurgeon<\/a>So was it Spurgeon’s athletic prowess that Florence fell in love with or did they share something else in common? <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Just about a year before Florence and Spurgeon were to marry, Spurgeon is referenced in an article from \"Suttle<\/a>the Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi), September 7, 1930 about his father Reverend G. H. Suttle.\u00a0 “The song services and special musical programs during the meeting will be under the direction of Mr. Spurgeon Suttle, son of the conductor.\u00a0 His voice has been heard in the past by many Jacksonians and as a musician he is said to possess those qualities so essential to the success of a revival meeting.”\u00a0<\/em> Was music and singing what drew Florence to Spurgeon?\u00a0 \"Suttle<\/a>In the spring of 1931, Spurgeon is again mentioned as a performer in the Clarion-Ledger on June 7, 1931.\u00a0 This time it’s “popular numbers by Robert McRainey and Spurgeon Suttle.”\u00a0<\/em> Robert McRainey’s name will factor in again later on.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Not much is known about the early married life of Florence and Spurgeon Suttle. I could find nothing to suggest what either was doing for a living.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>I did find though that they both were talented singers and performed together.\u00a0 Barely two weeks after they were married, the Hattiesburg American from September 25, 1931 publishes an article about the Hattiesburg Lions Club and in the last line mentions “the club had for a program today musical numbers presented by Robert McRainey, pianist, and Mr. and Mrs Spurgeon Suttle, who sang.”\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 We don’t hear about the young Suttle couple again for about 18 months when they are mentioned in the \"Spurgeon's<\/a>March 15, 1933 Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi) marriage notice for Spurgeon’s sister.\u00a0 In the notice Spurgeon is referenced as the bride’s youngest brother and that his full name is Virgil Spurgeon Suttle and that he and his wife are “wonderfully gifted and sing out of Memphis. Mrs. Suttle being known as Florence Suttle.\u00a0 I can find no reference to either Spurgeon or Florence in Memphis around that time.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Three months later on June 18, 1933 the Clarion-Ledger offers up an odd reference to an extra attraction at the Majestic Theatre in Jackson.\u00a0 \"Strut<\/a>We notice that they are presenting Robert McCrainey in an organ interlude and that he will be “assisted by “Strut” Suttle who will sing some of the latest and peppiest songs.\u00a0 “Strut Suttle” has to be Spurgeon because his partner “Robert McRainey” is also featured.\u00a0 A larger ad, below, gives a larger notice of the appearance of McRainey and Suttle.\u00a0 \"McRainey<\/a>We get another reference \"review<\/a>to “Strut” Suttle in a review in the Clarion-Ledger on June 21st, 1933.\u00a0 Apparently “Strut” Suttle has won fame as an interpreter of popular songs.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 There has been no reference in any of these articles to Florence Suttle.\u00a0 But finally on July 2, 1933 \"Florence<\/a>the Clarion- Ledger does mention Florence and this time she’s billed as a “Blues Singer.”\u00a0 Was this a label she gave herself or was it something the Clarion-Ledger tagged her?\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>She would be labelled as a “Blues Singer” throughout her career but here is the first reference.\u00a0 The Clarion-Ledger would run a similar article on July 3, 1933 referencing “Florence Suttle, Blues Singer” but the only difference in the articles is that they also mention the film playing at the Majestic which was “Cocktail Hour” with Bebe Daniels and Randolph Scott.\u00a0 Oh, and the performance would be on the eve of July 4th, the “Glorious Fourth.”\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 1933 finally concludes for Florence again at the Majestic in Jackson, Mississippi.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>The Clarion-Ledger on December 24th, 1933 ran an ad for their current film “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” with an on stage performance of the “Follies of ’34”.\u00a0 This was a “Musical Revue, Featuring”, among others, Florence and Strut Suttle.\u00a0 This time it’s the eve of another holiday, Christmas.\u00a0 For a year and half “Strut” Suttle and now Florence have been in or around Jackson and connected with stage shows at the Majestic.\u00a0 Would the “Follies of ’34” herald good things for them to come in 1934?\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 1934 was a slow news year for either of the Suttles.\u00a0 By the end of 1933, Florence was 22 years old and Spurgeon was only 21.\u00a0 They were still young.\u00a0 Was there a break ahead for them? We know that Florence would go on to be Linda Keene but what happened after the “Follies of ’34”?\u00a0 The first article for this year I could find about Florence and her husband was from the Clarion-Ledger from January 28, 1934.\u00a0 Again, Florence is performing with “Strut” Suttle and this time it’s at the Jackson Ball.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Performing<\/a>\"Florence<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 At this point, I want to jump out of chronological order to offer a section from an interview that Florence Suttle gave to the Birmingham News, (Birmingham, Alabama) in June of 1936.\u00a0 I will reprint the entire article later in this blahg but the essential part is the following:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“They were married the day they graduated from Forest County High School, down in Brooklyn, Miss., after a courtship which began when they were in the first grade, and went to Jackson, Miss, on their honeymoon to obtain a job singing over the Capital City radio station. Engagements following in Memphis, Dallas, New Orleans and Shreveport. But the real “break” for the young couple came when Jan Garber heard them in New Orleans and took them along with him to Chicago where Florence sang with Garber’s orchestra.”\u00a0 <\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

If their break came in New Orleans that might have been in 1934.\u00a0 Florence also references in the article possible work with Danny Rouseau, Ted Weems, Guy Lombardo, and other orchestras.\u00a0 The first reference I found for the couple with any orchestra was from the August 3, 1934 Detroit Times, below, where they were performing at the Oriole Terrace as part of a floor show including Bob Chester and His Music.\u00a0 \"In<\/a>From advertisements running that week, the Suttles began on August 3rd and ran through the 9th.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \"The<\/a> Florence Suttle’s claim that she appeared with Danny Rousseau, which should be Danny Russo, were probably correct.\u00a0 The article on the left is from the Chicago Daily News on October 30, 1934.\u00a0 It is possible that Florence was in the show or joined later but clearly her husband Frank is listed as being with Russo.\u00a0 This is the last reference for 1934 that I could find for either Frank or Florence.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0So let’s move on to April of 1935 and catch up with Florence and her husband, now in Cleveland.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>On April 16, 1935,\"Duffy<\/a> the Plain Dealer out of Cleveland ran the article to the right.\u00a0 It is an announcement that not only are Florence and Frank Suttle appearing at Freddie’s Cafe in Cleveland but more importantly that George Duffy has “engaged them to sing with his orchestra when it leaves the Mayfair.”\u00a0 \"Duffy<\/a>Duffy left the Mayfair on or around April 24th because he performed at the Summit Beach Park in Akron Ohio on April 25th, 1935.\u00a0 None of the articles or the ad announcing his appearance at Summit Beach Park mentioned Florence or Frank Suttle.\u00a0 This was Duffy’s first appearance after ending his engagement at the Mayfair but it may not have been the first one in which Florence and Frank were included.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0\"Suttle<\/a>The ad to the right ran in The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio), June 21, 1935 announcing the opening that evening of the George Duffy Orchestra at the Gibson Roof Garden.\u00a0 In itself it means nothing other than it begins a three month appearance of the George Duffy Orchestra in Cincinnati.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>It isn’t until almost a week later in the June 27th, 1935 Cincinnati Enquirer that we can connect the dots to Florence Suttle.\u00a0 Florence is listed as “Florence Suttler” but in other articles over the next three months her name would be corrected to Florence Suttle.\u00a0 \"First<\/a>When I factored in that her name might have been misspelled my search discovered an earlier appearance with George Duffy at\u00a0 the Crystal Beach Ballroom in Vermilion, Ohio on June 9, 1935.\u00a0 This is from the June 7th, 1935, Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, Ohio and Florence is called Frances in this article.\u00a0 Below is the ad that ran in the June 8th, 1935\u00a0 Sandusky Star Journal.\u00a0 Florence is still Frances and again she is appearing with her brother Frank.\u00a0 But who is this brother, Frank?\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Frances<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Throughout that three month run at the Gibson Roof Garden in summer of 1935 there would be several references to the brother and sister team of Florence and Frank Suttle.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>The article to the right from the Cincinnati Enquirer on June 30th of 1935 states that the two Suttles are “brother and sister”.\u00a0 Other articles would follow claiming Florence and Frank as siblings.\u00a0 It wasn’t until the interview that Florence gave to the Birmingham News, (Birmingham, Alabama) in June of 1936 before the mystery would be solved:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Yes, her husband! Frank and Florence are not “brother and sister”, as Danny Rouseau, Ted Weems, George Duffey, Jan Garber, Guy Lombardo and other orchestras have billed them.”<\/em>
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

First he’s Spurgeon then we learn his first name is Virgil and then he appears as “Strut” Suttle and now he’s just plain Frank.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Other articles like this one from the July 1st, 1935 Cincinnati Enquirer \"Florence<\/a>reference the two Suttles but do not mention their relationship to one another.\u00a0 A week later on July 7th, the Enquirer highlights the duo as brother and sister and even publishes a picture of the two.\u00a0 \"Photo<\/a>This is the earliest photo I can find of either Florence or Frank\/Spurgeon and the photo of Florence is of course the one I feature at the top of this blahg.\u00a0 \"Florece<\/a>Similar articles to this one from the July 7th, 1935 Cincinnati Enquirer appear in that same paper on July 11th and July 18, 1935.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>By the time the August 1st, 1935 edition of the Enquirer is published, Florence is the only Suttle getting the notices and the Roof Garden is now being referred to as the “Japanese Roof Garden”.\u00a0 Florence is billed as vocalist in the August 8th, August 12th, and August 19th, 1935 Enquirer editions with no reference to Frank.\u00a0 \"George<\/a>George Duffy and his Orchestra would conclude their run at the Rooftop Garden on Thursday, September 19th, 1935 as mentioned in the Enquirer on September 15, 1935 but there would be no mention of Florence.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Just because there was no mention of Florence during that last week at the Gibson Rooftop doesn’t mean she wasn’t working.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>In these articles on the left from the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio), September 8, 1935 and the one below on the right from September 13, 1935, we find Florence is still singing with George Duffy but this time they’re performing at the \"Suttle<\/a>Lakeside Amusement Park in Dayton Ohio.\u00a0 This would place Florence Suttle with Duffy’s Orchestra opening at the Lakeside on September 14th.\u00a0 This means the Orchestra was playing at both the Lakeside in Dayton and the Rooftop Garden at the same time \"Ad<\/a>because they did not close at the Rooftop Garden until September 19th.\u00a0 The Saturday September 14th appearance at the Lakeside might have been a one night only appearance.\u00a0 The only other ad or \"Florence<\/a>article related to their appearance was published in the Dayton Daily News (Dayton, Ohio), the day of the performance, September 14, 1935.\u00a0 One can assume if Florence was appearing with Duffy and his band at the Lakeside then she surely finished out the run with the band at the Rooftop Gardens.\u00a0 In fact, Florence wasn’t finished yet with George Duffy and his Orchestra.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Throughout Duffy’s three month run at the Rooftop Gardens in Cincinnati in 1935, I have found several radio listings for Ohio radio stations carrying remotes of <\/span><\/strong>George Duffy and His Orchestra.\u00a0 Perhaps some of these have survived and contain vocals with Florence Suttle.\u00a0 I have not been able to locate any.\u00a0 Duffy and his Orchestra with Florence Suttle stayed on in Ohio and next appeared at Perry’s Summit Beach Ballroom in Akron, Ohio.\u00a0 The advertisement below is from the The Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio) on September 26, 1935.
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Duffy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \"George<\/a>Duffy and his Orchestra kept busy at the end of September and were found at the formal opening of the Columbia Club in Indianapolis, Indiana.\u00a0The article to the left from the September 18, 1935 Indianapolis Star (Indianapolis, Indiana) announces the programs for the opening and at the bottom of the article we learn that “Florence Suttle and a harmony trio croon the tunes and provide distinctive entertainment.”\u00a0 \"George<\/a>Another smaller article was found in the September 23, 1935 Indianapolis Star highlighting the appearance of George Duffy and once again Florence is mentioned.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 The next night, September 29, 1935, after \"Duffy<\/a>Indianapolis, Duffy and his Orchestra with Florence Suttle are back again in Ohio. T<\/span><\/strong>his time they’re back at the Crystal Beach Ballroom in Vermilion, Ohio as referenced \"Duffy<\/a>in this article from
\nthe Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, Ohio, on September 13, 1935 and the article from September 26. <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Already, Florence Suttle’s series of appearances with George Duffy and His Orchestra in 1935 contradict the article in Doctor Jazz Magazine that stated that her first “advertised singing engagement under her married name – Florence Suttle – came about on May 9, 1936 at the Booker Cadillac Hotel in Detroit.”\u00a0 Both Opal Nation’s and Professor Raja’s articles have her separated from her husband.\u00a0 I could find no continued reference of Frank Suttle with George Duffy and his Orchestra in the later summer and fall of 1935 and \"Frank<\/a>a small article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer on September 8th, notes that he has left Duffy.\u00a0 This wasn’t the end of Frank Suttle with Florence because his name would soon appear in press again with Florence in 1936.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Let’s first finish with George Duffy.\u00a0 The first appearance I could find of Florence Suttle with Duffy’s orchestra was the one listed earlier in this blahg at the Crystal Beach Ballroom in Vermilion, Ohio on June 9, 1935 where Florence was listed as “Frances.”\u00a0 Then the three month run began at the Rooftop Garden in Cincinnati on June 21, 1935.\u00a0 Were there earlier appearances for Florence with George Duffy before June 9th or after the Crystal Beach Ballroom but before the Rooftop Garden?\u00a0 I haven’t found any.\u00a0 \"George<\/a>I did however find an article from the The Michigan Daily of the University of Michigan from April 26, 1935 mentioning an appearance on campus in Ann Arbor that evening featuring Marjorie Black as the the soloist with Duffy.\u00a0 So, sometime between April 26, 1935 and June 9th Florence and Frank were in and Marjorie Black was out. Obviously the Suttles were not with Duffy when he played Summit Beach Park in Akron Ohio on April 25th as speculated earlier.\u00a0 Marjorie Black probably appeared with Duffy in Akron because she was still with him in Ann Arbor the next night on the 26th.
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0The next stop for Florence Suttle after the September 29th 1935 Crystal Beach Ballroom that I could find wasn’t until December of 1935.\u00a0 Before I reference that article, I want to quote again from Florence’s interview in the\u00a0Birmingham News, (Birmingham, Alabama) from June of 1936:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Frank came down to Birmingham this Spring after a visit back home, decided to spend the summer and wrote his wife requesting that, following her appearance with George Burns and Gracie Allen at the Cleveland Auto Show in January…she join him down South.”<\/em>
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The reference to the Cleveland Auto Show in January of 1936 is an error.\u00a0 \"Duffy<\/a>The Cleveland Auto Show was actually in November of 1935.\u00a0 The article to the right states that the Cleveland Automobile Show ran for a week from November 23rd to November 30, 1935.\u00a0 The big attraction of course, other than the automobiles, were the appearance of George Burns and Gracie Allen in a stage show.\u00a0 George Duffy’s band was relegated to the arena for for the fashion show.\u00a0 Florence is not mentioned in the article or in anything I have found related to the Automobile Show.\u00a0 Burns and Allen did broadcast from the Cleveland Automobile Show but I haven’t found a radio transcription of the show.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Was Florence Suttle still with George Duffy when he appeared in late November in Cleveland at the Automobile Show?\u00a0 \"1935<\/a>I would think it is highly likely she was there because her next appearance that I traced was up in New York state in the Terrace Room of the Hotel Syracuse starting December 12, 1935.\u00a0 The article on the left from the Syracuse Herald, Syracuse, New York on December 9th, 1935 clearly shows that Florence Suttle was still with the Duffy Orchestra and was the featured soloist “Miss Florence Suttle.”\u00a0 Obviously Florence did not head back down south after the Cleveland Automobile Show.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0So, where was George Duffy and his Orchestra appearing before starting at the Hotel Syracuse on December 12, 1935?\u00a0 One clue comes from the article earlier in this blahg from the Sandusky Star Journal, Sandusky, Ohio, on September 13, 1935 talking about the Crystal Beach Ballroom performance on September 29th:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“This will be Duffy’s only appearance in this territory, before playing the opening night at Cleveland’s Mayfair Casino, after which he leaves immediately for the west coast.” <\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

We have to assume that the Mayfair Casino\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Billboard<\/a><\/p>\n

appearance had to occur before the Automobile Show at the end of November.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>One\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>review of that Mayfair Casino show\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0that I found was from Billboard Magazine on November 23, 1935.\u00a0 The article does not mention the start date of the engagement but I found an interesting radio listing from the\u00a0Santa Ana Register (Santa Ana, California) on November 8, 1935:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Duffy's<\/a><\/p>\n

“George Duffy’s Mayfair Casino Orchestra” suggests that Duffy was broadcasting from the Mayfair on November 8.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"George<\/a><\/p>\n

Another article from Variety on September 4, 1935 noted that Duffy would be at the Mayfair Casino around the beginning of November.\u00a0 And later in the same edition of Variety we find the following notice:\u00a0\"\"<\/a> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Again there’s the reference of going to the West Coast.\u00a0 Unfortunately the review doesn’t mention Florence Suttle but we do know that she was with George Duffy at Hotel Syracuse in December.\u00a0 When did Duffy get a chance to head to the west coast?\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Florence Suttle’s appearances with the George Duffy Orchestra appear to have ended some time in December 1935 during the run at the Hotel Syracuse.\u00a0 The following notice was in the Syracuse Herald on December 29, 1935:\u00a0 \"New<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0J<\/span><\/strong>ust as Marjorie Black was replaced by Florence Suttle earlier in 1935 with the George Duffy Orchestra, Florence was out and Terry Walker was in.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Moving into 1936, it appears that Florence was back in Cleveland because she is spotted at two establishments.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>\u00a0From the Cleveland Plain Dealer on January 25th, 1936 we learn that Florence is singing with \"Pinky<\/a>Pinky Hunter’s Lotus Orchestra.\u00a0 This is a reference to the Lotus Gardens in Cleveland where Pinkey (or is it Pinky) was appearing.\u00a0 I could not find a start or end date for Florence Suttle with Pinkey Hunter.\u00a0 The article from January 25th, mentions her being the “wife of the master of ceremonies”.\u00a0 Is this Frank?\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 On February 21st, the Cleveland Plains Dealer ran the advertisement below:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Florence<\/a><\/p>\n

This time Florence is at the Terrace Cocktail Lounge in Cleveland with the Johnny Joyce Orchestra, having moved on from the Pinkey Hunter Orchestra,\u00a0 performing as the “dainty songbird”.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0It wasn’t until, April 17, 1936 <\/span><\/strong>\u00a0that we find the next reference to Florence and it’s the reference alluded to by Professor Raja and Opal Nations.\u00a0 Finally, Florence was appearing at the Mayfair Room of the Book-Cadillac Hotel in Detroit beginning on April 17th.\u00a0 This time she was with the Sam Jack Kaufman Orchestra.\u00a0 \"Billboard<\/a>The May 9th, 1936 issue of Billboard Magazine carried the review, on the left which was favourable to Florence.\u00a0 Not only that but she had her \"Florence<\/a>picture in the Detroit Times on May 13th.\u00a0 This was her first picture since appearing a year earlier with Duffy.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong>The notice under her photo stated the Mayfair was closing for the season on the Saturday which would make it May 16, 1936; therefore ending her run at the Mayfair.\u00a0 I also found an interesting photo advertisement from the Detroit Press, also on May 13, 1936 (click on the photo below for a larger image): <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Mayfair<\/a><\/p>\n

Notice the girl singer in the upper left singing at the Mayfair Room.\u00a0 Unfortunately we don’t know who the mysterious singer is in this advertisement nor the orchestra.\u00a0 The Mayfair Room certainly would have been a step up from any of the dead end ‘blood and bucket bars’ that Professor Raja mentions.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0As I have said, Florence was billed at the Mayfair Room from mid-April to May 16th\u00a0<\/span><\/strong> of 1936. \u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>She was next spotted in Birmingham, Alabama on May 22, 1936 at the Club Rex where she was billed as Saturday’s Guest Artist.\u00a0 This time she was appearing with Coleman Sachs and his 14-Star Band.\u00a0 The advertisement also says she’s a “CBS and NBC Star Direct From Dan Russo’s Orchestra in Detroit.”\u00a0 Being billed as a CBS and NBC Star must have been from all of those remotes with George Duffy’s orchestra.\u00a0 Were there any radio broadcasts with other orchestras?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Article<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0What brought Florence Suttle back down south?\u00a0 I think the answer is, her husband Frank.\u00a0 In the article on the right from the Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama) from May 22, 1936, Frank Suttle’s name finally resurfaces.\u00a0 The appearance for Florence at the Club Rex was not just for the Saturday night.\u00a0 Her name and Frank’s appeared in ads and articles from May 29, and May 30th in The Birmingham News:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Florence<\/a>
\n\"Florence<\/a><\/p>\n

Florence and Frank appeared to pull double duty on May 30th \"Florence<\/a>because they not only performed in the evening at the Club Rex but they did an afternoon performance at the meeting of the Birmingham Civitan Club.\u00a0 The program was also broadcast over WSGN and Frank’s old pianist friend Robert McRainey was the accompaniment.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a> The performances at the Club Rex also continued into June as is evidenced from the advertisement and ad from The Birmingham News on June 6th, 1936.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>“Florence Suttle the radio and stage star has been retained for another week.”\u00a0 I’m not sure what the “stage star” reference refers to unless the article is referencing her 1933 stage appearances at the Majestic in both the “Zig Zags of 1933” and the “Follies of ’34.”\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Finally, on June 9th, 1936 we come to the first and only interview that Florence Suttle provided to a newspaper.\u00a0 This is the article I eluded to and quoted from earlier that appeared in The Birmingham News on June 9, 1936:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

This is the article where Florence talks about returning down south at the request of her husband Frank.\u00a0 Of course there are some inaccuracies.\u00a0 We know that she did not return immediately after the Cleveland Auto Show, which was in late November of 1935 and not January of 1936, and she did come “last week” because she had been advertised as having been at the Club Rex for at least two weeks.\u00a0 We also notice that Danny Russo is misspelled as “Rouseau” and George Duffy misspelled as “George Duffey”.\u00a0 But everything else is here, if it’s to be believed.\u00a0 She explains about attending the same school as Frank and marrying him after graduating.\u00a0 She talks about appearances in Memphis, Dallas, New Orleans, Shreveport, and her appearance with Jan Garber in Chicago.\u00a0 I have found nothing to dispute or substantiate these claims.\u00a0 We also get another beautiful photo of a young Florence Suttle.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 The engagement at the \"Florence<\/a>Club Rex in Birmingham continued into mid-July of 1936.\u00a0 Articles would appear in the Birmingham News on June 13th and a week later on June 20th.\u00a0 Florence’s name was still linked with Frank’s at Club Rex \"Florence<\/a>and that would continue into July with the last notice on July 18, 1936 in the Birmingham News.\u00a0 It’s not clear when the engagement ended at the Club Rex but Florence’s reunion with Frank provided them with what looked like an \"The<\/a>eight week engagement at the Club Rex.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0 I want to jump backwards a little bit to talk about where Frank was before Florence returned to Birmingham.\u00a0 Neither Frank nor Florence were from Birmingham but it soon became clear why Frank showed up in Birmingham in 1936:
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Frank's<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 That article was from the March 27, 1936 Birmingham News.\u00a0 Bob McRainey, his former schoolmate and piano accompaniment was the draw to Birmingham.\u00a0 The following article from the April 8, 1936 Birmingham News profiles both young men:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Frank<\/a>So, Bob McRainey was working at WSGN in Birmingham and helped get Frank a job on the radio and then with Coleman Sachs at the Rex.\u00a0\u00a0Before Birmingham, Frank was apparently up in Chicago with Danny Russo and his Orioles.\u00a0 Was this the same Danny Russo that Florence had been appearing with before coming to Birmingham?\u00a0 Frank would join Coleman Sachs at the Rex in late March or early April of 1936.\u00a0 This was a full six weeks before Florence Suttle would appear at the Rex.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 One can only speculate the real reason why Florence rejoined her husband in Birmingham in May of 1936.\u00a0 Was it one last chance at reconciliation?\u00a0 Was Florence trying to protect her interest?\u00a0 After all, the March 27, 1936 Birmingham News painted Frank as an eligible bachelor quoting him: “Mr. Suttle insisted that he is heartwhole and fancy free and that there are at least six girls in Birmingham who he already fancies freely and he hasn’t been here a week.”\u00a0 <\/em>I\"Frank<\/a>f Florence was at all still interested in her husband, she surely would have hurried fast to Birmingham.\u00a0 Maybe all of the articles about Frank and Florence were whims of fantasy to sell newspapers.\u00a0 One thing is clear, Frank’s name appeared much bigger in print at the Rex until Florence started appearing there.
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 The day after the last notice ran in the July 18, 1936 Birmingham News, featuring Florence’s name in connection with the Club Rex, we find that Florence is still down south but she’s now in Atlanta, Georgia.\u00a0\u00a0 From the Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia from July 19, 1936 we learn that she’s appearing at the Casa Loma starting July 22nd as part of the floor show:\"\"<\/a>Her billing is small and there’s no mention of Frank.\u00a0 (My apologies for the quality of the article scan but it was cut off on the left at the source.)\u00a0 An advertisement with Florence Suttle’s name in small print also ran on July 19th, 1936 in the Atlanta Constitution:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Ad<\/a>The last article regarding the show at the Casa Loma that featured Florence’s name ran in the July 26th, 1936 Atlanta Constitution. (Again the fault of the cropped image is from the source.)\"The<\/a> There would be a final advertisement as well in the July 26th, 1936 Atlanta Constitution:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"1936-07-26<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Notice that Florence has now been billed erroneously again as “Frances Sutttle.”\u00a0 This had of course happened a year earlier in June\u00a0 of 1935 at the Crystal Beach Ballroom back in Vermilion, Ohio.\u00a0 If getting the wrong billing wasn’t bad enough, Florence Suttle’s run at the Casa Loma was abruptly ended when the Casa Loma nightclub was raided and closed July 31st, 1936.\u00a0 The Casa Loma had only been open for six weeks.\u00a0 The following article from the August 1st, 1936 Atlanta Constitution explains why:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

Solicitor General Claude C. Smith was right, the Casa Loma did not reopen Saturday night August 1st, 1936.\u00a0 In fact there were several arrests and convictions for illegal gambling and the Club would never reopen.\u00a0 The Casa Loma mysteriously caught fire and burned to the ground on November 12, 1936.\u00a0 The final chapter in the Casa Loma saga appeared in the August 20, 1937 edition of the Atlanta Constitution; more than a year after the raid and eventual closure:\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 What did Florence do after the closure of the Casa Loma?\u00a0 I suspect she wanted to get as far away as possible from Atlanta and the scandal that had been associated with the Casa Loma.\u00a0 It’s been hard to trace her after the closure of the Casa Loma on July 31, 1936.\u00a0 She might have still been in Atlanta waiting for the Casa Loma to reopen as a legitimate night club as the owners had hoped.\u00a0 \"Florence<\/a>The trail goes cold after Atlanta for almost five months.\u00a0 It isn’t until December 12, 1936 that her name pops up in an article in the December 16, 1936 Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) about the program at the 20th Century Club and this time she’s receiving accompaniment from Barney Zeeman and his Orchestra.\u00a0 It must have been a short engagement at the 20th Century Club because Florence’s name is not mentioned in ads and articles for the Club late in December and early January of 1937.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Tracing Florence Suttle was easier sometimes in my research when I looked for Frank Suttle.\u00a0 Even Frank’s name is hard to locate for the second half of 1936.\u00a0 \"Frank<\/a>The next line I could find for Frank was from the Birmingham News on January 17, 1937.\u00a0 It states that Frank Suttle is now on the stage in New York and is being groomed for the movies.\u00a0 The last we heard from Frank, he was appearing with Florence at the Club Rex in Birmingham and according to the Birmingham News from March 27, 1936, “he joins at Club Rex where he will appear at the weekly dances until he joins Jack Hilton’s English band for a tour of the British Isles.”\u00a0 I could find no reference to the British Isles tour or how Frank ended up in New York.\u00a0 Needless to say, I could not connect Florence and Frank through the last half of 1936 or the first half of 1937.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Our story as it relates to tracing Florence Suttle \"Florence<\/a>through the media ends with a very small notice in the\u00a0 Birmingham News on December 4th, 1937.\u00a0 The article relates to Frank Suttle but there is a mention that his wife “Flo, is singing with the Nye Mayhew’s Band in Boston under the name of Linda Keene.”\u00a0 Florence Suttle had finally made the transition to Linda Keene.\u00a0 It had been a long road from\u00a0 Florence McCroy born in 1911 in Hattiesburg, Mississippi and through her married years as Florence Suttle.\u00a0 From 1931 through 1937 she appeared as Florence Suttle starting with the Hattiesburg Lions Club in September of 1931 in Jackson, Mississippi and performances at the Majestic in the same town in 1933 and throughout Ohio with George Duffy and his Orchestra in 1935 and then down to Birmingham at the Club Rex and over into Atlanta for an ill-fated run at the Casa Loma.\u00a0 Finally, ending up in Philadelphia and the 20th Century Club in late 1936.\u00a0 It had been a long road from Jackson and she had put in her time.\u00a0 In the next instalment, I will trace her beginnings as Linda Keene and focus on her recording years up to 1945.\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 But wait, what became of Spurgeon “Frank” Suttle?\u00a0 In Professor Raja’s article he claims “when her husband became a recluse, Florence took steps to reinvent her stage name.”\u00a0 Frank Suttle was hardly a recluse if he was working in New York in 1937 and was being groomed for the movies.\u00a0 Unfortunately I don’t believe the movies wanted Frank.\u00a0 I can find no reference that Frank Suttle had a Hollywood career.\u00a0 There was in fact a Frank Suttle who did work during the silent film era but he was was born on March 1, 1893 in Edwardsville, Illinois and made only a couple of shorts in 1913 and 1915.\u00a0 Spurgeon “Frank” Suttle never made it onto the silver screen. Frank and Florence, now Linda, separated in 1937 with the divorce coming in June of 1941.
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 Tracing Frank Suttle, I found this interesting advertisement that puts him back in Mississippi:\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Frankie<\/a><\/p>\n

The advertisement is from the The Delta Democrat-Times (Greenville, Mississippi) March 26, 1938 and Frank is now “Frankie King” appearing at the Club Casino with Duke Campbell and his Orchestra.\u00a0 He’s billing himself as an RKO Singing Star but I can find nothing for Frankie King in the listings for RKO.\u00a0 The advertisement was followed the next day, March 27, 1938 in The Delta Democrat-Time with the following photo: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Frankie<\/a><\/p>\n

Again, I believe that Frank aka Frankie never returned to Hollywood.\u00a0 I can find no reference to the “Campus Frolics of 1938.”\u00a0 The film and Frank’s movie career were probably shelved.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Oh, Frank’s name would pop again over the next couple of years but gone was “Frankie King”.\u00a0 In the Billboard from July 27, 1940 it is announced that Frank Suttle is the new vocalist with Alvino Rey’s band who are set to record for Bluebird.\u00a0 \"Frank<\/a>Unfortunately, although Alvino Rey did record with Bluebird, I cannot find any recordings that featured Frank Suttle.\u00a0 Even the comparison to Fred MacMurray probably did not help Frank.\u00a0 After that, the next major announcement for Frank Suttle, using his given name of “Spurgeon” was from the Monroe Morning World (Monroe, Louisiana), October 18, 1942: <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Spurgeon<\/a><\/p>\n

Spurgeon Sproule Suttle was a Private in Navigation School.\u00a0 Spurgeon Suttle did survive the war but not much is known of him after this last article.\u00a0 He relocated at some point to Little Rock, Arkansas where his name popped up in Obituaries for his brother, his father, and mother in the 1950s and 1960s.\u00a0 Spurgeon Suttle died on August 31, 1989 in Little Rock, Arkansas.\u00a0 He outlived Florence Suttle\/Linda Keene by eight years.\u00a0 I do not know if he ever remarried.\u00a0 I have not been able to locate his obituary.\u00a0 I hope he had a good life.
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Well, it’s the 2nd of July and I’ve just completed this second blahg on Linda Keene.\u00a0 If you haven’t read my blahg from last month Down A Rabbit Hole With Linda Keene, then you should take the time to do it now.\u00a0 This blahg is a continuation of sorts.\u00a0 I couldn’t get Linda Keene […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[126,127,123,31,128],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1815"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1815"}],"version-history":[{"count":275,"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1815\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4985,"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1815\/revisions\/4985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/falseducks.com\/theblahg\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}