Alphas
Jazz Saxophonist Cannonball Adderley Was A Member of Alpha Phi Alpha
Did you know that Jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha? Adderley pledged the Beta Nu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at Florida A&M University.
Julian Edwin “Cannonball” Adderley, jazz saxophonist of the hard bop era was born in Tampa, Florida in 1928. His nickname came from “cannibal”. This name was given to him by his classmates because of how much he enjoyed eating food. In the early 1940s, Cannonball and his brother Nat played with Ray Charles.
Cannonball graduated from FAMU in in 1948 and moved to New York in the 1950s. He generated a fanbase in Queens after sitting in with Oscar Pettiford in place of one of his band’s saxophonists. In 1957 he formed a group with his brother and signed to the Savoy Jazz Label in 1957. Adderley is best known for his soul-jazz single “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.
Cannonball Adderley Quintet – “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” (1966)
Share this article with your network and let them know about this interesting fact about Alpha Phi Alpha.
-
Back In The Day1 week agoThe First Black Sesame Street Character Was Voiced and Created by a Member of Omega Psi Phi
-
Kappas5 days agoPro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed is a Fall 2024 Initiate of Kappa Alpha Psi
-
Colleges3 days agoCommunity Responds to the Tragic Death of La’Tavion Johnson at Tuskegee Homecoming by Raising Money for His Family