Gene Genius Rides Again (Big Time)

Before you begin this latest episode you may want to read (revisit) the earlier posts on Gene, The Gene Genius and Gene Genius Returns.

Recently I stumbled across another newspaper article on the kid, which also led to further discoveries and thus this hotchpotch of a post.

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“When he was four I bought him a plastic harmonica, but he wanted one of those real expensive chromatic models. I thought I was ‘passing the buck,’ when I promised one if he learned Begin the Beguine with its sharps and flats within two weeks on the plastic model. Gene managed it by working his throat to get the effect.” (Jimmy Jimae)

Wow! I knew he was talented, but to play this tune on a ten hole plastic harmonica (maybe a Magnus) with bends and perhaps even an overblow at the age of four! This definitely classifies the kid as a child prodigy. Perhaps he should’ve kept performing on a diatonic. What a skill, and he would’ve saved some dough! Not that I think that was a problem. Sadly Gene never managed to achieve his father’s ambition in obtaining a law degree, passing tragically at the tender age of eighteen.

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Tivoli – Big Time (1953)

Gene billed alongside Betty Driver, who would become famous for her long standing role on the BBC television production Coronation Street as Betty Williams.

Darrell Simmons from The Sun News-Pictorial Melbourne was impressed big time with the kid.

The musicianship of Gene Jimae, 10-year old American boy who plays the harmonica, is unexpected and at times startling from a youngster whose stage manners are pleasantly unaffected. Each note arrives with the clarity and ring of a bell, his tempo is precise and he even manages, with his extraordinary technique, the crashing chords of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.  (The Sun News-Pictorial Melbourne, Thursday 12 Nov 1953)

Gene, with oversized harmonica was photographed at Spencer Street railway station on his arrival in Melbourne for his starring role in Big Time at the Tivoli theatre. (The Sun News-Pictorial, Melbourne, Tue 10 Nov 1953)

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Sock Results

Previously, in an article titled Moppetry Hogwash, I solicited readers to help me with the meaning of the term ‘sock results’. Silence was the stern reply. But in researching this blog, I can inform you it was used back then to describe a very successful show and I imagine he socked it to them. 

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Hot Ice

I’ve discovered a live tune from Gene recorded in 1953 from St. James theatre in Auckland New Zealand. Gene had a twenty two week tour of New Zealand and was on the bill of Armand Perren’s ‘Hot Ice’. The world premiere was staged in Auckland. Do yourself a service and hear here at Gene Live On Stage in New Zealand. It begins with about 2:18 to go.

As a side note (Ab) Barry Sandford (Mr Versatility) took over the harmonica duties from Gene on the Australian leg of the production.

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Aussie Aussie

A year before his trip down under Gene appeared at Linden House in Greenwood Lake, New York on the same card as Tommy Hanlon Jr. Tommy headed down to the Antipodes in 1959 when the television first appeared (along with myself) at our family home. Tommy won a gold Logie in 1962, a trophy recognising the country’s top television personality. Before he came to Australia, Tommy had been a magician like Gene’s dad appearing on the vaudeville circuit and for two years was a member of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre in Los Angeles.

He hit the big time here as a comedic host on a program titled ‘It Could Be You’. Tommy had also featured on Graham Kennedy’s ‘In Melbourne Tonight (IMT)’ and he even hosted the show in Graham’s absence. This was a particular favourite of Mum’s. In 1967 he bought into his major passion Ashton’s Circus becoming the first person outside the family to hold an interest. I best remember Tommy as the host of Channel 10’s talent show ‘Pot Of Gold’ in the late seventies. Tommy died in Melbourne in 2003. He had become an adopted Aussie – one of us. He might have even been a Royboy.

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Wedding Photos (Sydney 1938) – Gene’s Folks

I believe baritone singer Albert Chappell (23), the best man, is on George’s (James’) immediate right in the group photo. Previously I had stated Albert was Australian, well he was, and he wasn’t. Albert Chappell(e), (he may have had a ‘e’ on the end of his name), was born in New Zealand (we don’t mind adopting them). After winning a singing contest, he won a free trip over the ditch to represent New Zealand in the Sun Opera Aria competition held at the Melbourne Town Hall. After finishing runner-up, a director of J.C. Williamson Ltd. offered him a contract to play leads in musical comedies. After the war, Albert would marry a Perth girl and take up residence there.

Joan’s parents Arthur and Kathleen, hailing from Matraville NSW, on her far right (I presume and maybe sister Melba was the bridesmaid).

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JiMae The Mystifier – The Old Man

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Genies out of the bottle!

NEW YORK, April 23. Eleven year old Gene Jimae, the youngest member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, is now the owner of his own record company, Genie Records. The youngster, who joined ASCAP at the age of nine, has about 30 tunes to his credit and is an accomplished  harmonica soloist. The diskery’s first release features him in a multi-track harmonica tour de force. Besides Master Jimae, the label has inked additional talent including the singers Gail Sunday and Tony Drake, banjo and mandolin artist Senor Cortez, and, in the hillbilly category, the Lone Jack Boys of Lone Jack, Mo. Jimae’s father, Jim Jimae, a magician currently appearing at the Palace here, is handling artists and repertoire for the label, while Chuck Darwin is handling promotion. Young Jimae formerly made records for Columbia in Australia and is financing his own company out of proceeds from a recent European concert tour. (Unknown source)

The Lone Jack Boys single’s ‘A’ side That Ugly Girl Of Mine (Jimae arrangement), featured the Lone Jack Boy himself, Charles Clifford Shepard Berry alongside Henry Williams. Charles, better known as Chuck, starred as a member of the Flying Berrys’ skating act and also as a professional juggler and unicyclist. The Flying Berrys appeared on the same bill as the Jimaes at the Palace Theatre in Hollywood and that connection presented Chuck with the opportunity to fulfil his desire to be a recorded musician. Chuck, a hillbilly guitar vocalist, was one of the first signed to the Genie label.

Gene Jimae, a family harmonica act, comprising a couple and a teenage son, are expert at the reed and perform with a good measure of showmanship. They get off to an appreciative mitt. (Variety, 15 May, 1957)

Interestingly, the ‘B’ side Australian Ho-Down’s performing artist is named as Crazy Homer (Senor Cortez, Dave Doucette and Lone Jack Boys) and also a Jimae instrumental arrangement. Dave Doucette (ex Johnny Puleo gang member) played the Chromatic Harmonica and not Gene for some reason.

Tony Drake’s first and maybe only recording on the Genie label I Need You, had been penned by James, Gene and Louis Orifice with the arrangement by James and Dave Doucette. Canadian born Dave had also been a member of the Don Henry Trio, the Harmonica Harlequins, Johnny O’Brien’s Harmonica Hi-Hats, and Borrah Minnevitch’s Harmonica Rascals. His nickname ‘The Pencil’, was a result of his ability to pen over 350 arrangements in 1937 for the Hi-Hats.

Perhaps James and Dave’s association came about, like so many, through performing on the vaudeville circuit. I wonder if Dave had given Gene any lessons? I have information that was sourced from Danny Wilson, that Pete Pederson and Fuzzy Feldman (both Rascals), were the two people most instrumental in placing Gene on the Ed Sullivan show.

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Riding High

Gene’s version of Riders In The Sky appears on a compilation album (thirty artists) of the said song on Jasmine records in 2019.

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Charming

A couple of other little titbits, firstly from the Dance Magazine 1955-07: Vol 29 Issue 7,

“Charming Ballerina” a song by ll-year old harmonica star Gene Jimae was introduced on the Ed Sullivan show recently; now Gene wants a choreographer to adapt the tune into a ballet. He’s at 50 Riverside Drive.

and secondly from the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series. Part 5B: Unpublished Music Jan-Dec 1954.

MY TEENAGE HEART; w & m Gene Jimae & others. © Tri-Eastern Music Co.; 26Dec56; EP104969.

Sadly I couldn’t locate any recording of Charming Ballerina or My Teenage Heart.

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“Juve A Natural”

Here’s Jess review in VARIETY November 3, 1954 of Gene’s spot at the Palace Theatre New York.

GENE JIMAE (Harmonica – 8 Mins)

Gene Jimae is the 11-year-old Columbia recording disker just returned from a tour of Australia. Kid, decked out in short pants, makes a nice appearance, with his harmonica savvy apparent in top-draw execution of pops. and classics. Juve keeps gab down to a minimum and only intros one of four or five numbers played. Tune that got the advance spiel was “Peg O’ My Heart.” which kid delivered neatly via use of two mouth organs, one large and the other regular size. Lad is a natural for spottings on video varieties.

Palace, N. Y.

Jess.

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Hot Dot

In 1956 Gene is signed by the prestigious Dot Records. From the back cover we’re informed, “Resisting all offers to sign up with a record label, Jimmy Jimae decided to record and release Gene’s records on his own label, but gave up the idea when a contract floated in from Randy Wood and his “hot” Dot label.”

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Set Sail

The New York Times reported (January 23, 1957) that magician James Jimae paid $8500 at an auction for a 21 year old 72 foot gaff – rigged schooner named the Shoal Water. The Jimae’s lived in St. Clair Shores outside Detroit and James had an apartment at 50 Riverside Drive New York. His plans were to traverse the yacht from her winter berth in the Bronx to Michigan and live aboard during the summer. A cruise to the Caribbean was a possibility as to was a trip around the world. I’m not sure the latter was ventured.

The vessel would be renamed the Genie (of course it was) aligning with Gene’s record label. James didn’t hold on to the boat for too long selling the Genie to a radio producer in 1959.

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Gene Jimae & Co.

Appearing at the Palace, New York in 1957 as Gene Jimae & Co.

Does this imply that Mum and Dad played harmonicas? This combo also performed on television in October 1956.

GARRY MOORE SHOW CBS 10am 10/19 – Milt Kamen (C), Gene Jimae and Company (harmonica band)

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Gene Jimae (1943 – 1961)

Maternal Grandparents Arthur and Kathleen’s death notice in The Sydney Morning Herald (Saturday 15 April 1961). Both grandparents passed two years later just months apart.

Jimae, Gene. Motor U.S.A. accident, beloved of Miami Florida, grandson of Mr and Mrs A. Haswell. Harold Street. Matraville, nephew of Melba Haswell, Mr and Mrs B. McCarthy and Mr and Mrs Mervyn Haswell

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The Missing Years

The missing teenage years?? Does anyone know??

We know from the back cover of Gene’s 1956 Dot record, that he was tutored daily at the prestigious Professional Children’s School of New York. At some stage he would be a student at the Miami Senior High when living in Opa-locka.

A couple of interesting snippets from the Crawford County Avalanche.

Friends of Mr. and Mrs. Jimae former summer residents of the county at Camp Romeo, on the AuSable, will be sorry to learn of the death of their son, Gene, 18, who was killed in a car accident Saturday night in Miami, Florida. Further information was not available. Mr. and Mrs. Jimae are making their home at 1221 Rutland, in Opalocka, Fla. He is in the entertainment field, and both he and his son had appeared, on TV at the time they lived here. (Crawford County Avalanche, Michigan April 6, 1961)

Mr, and Mrs. Jimae of Miami, Fla., who used to own the property known as Camp Romeo not far below Wakeley Bridge, are spending three weeks camping at the Jim Wakeley property at the bridge. The Jimae’s daughter and family of Boulder, Colo, spent some time with them here last week. (Crawford County Avalanche, Michigan July 2, 1970)

He wasn’t an only child he had a sister. Pete in the comments on my original article outlines he is a descendant – Gene was his great uncle, his grandmother was Gene’s Big Sister.

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Life’s Breath Immortalised.

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