BOB COOPER

[June joined Kenton during April '45, 'Tampico' was recorded 4 May '45 - Cooper was not present at this session. On 30 July 'It's been a long,long time' was recorded, and Coop was in that line-up, and that was probably his first appearance with the Kenton band.]

June was fulfilling an engagement with the Kenton band in Pittsburgh when their tenor sax man was taken ill. Someone in the band recommended a local friend Bob Cooper. "The tall,lanky one arrived with horn under arm",says, June, "and that was it! He got the job and by the time we hit Washington D.C., I got a husband. June claims credit for the pursuit, Coop claims credit for the same. They were married on 14th January after the last show in Washington.

• An interview with June in Lillian Arganian's book, Stan Kenton: The Man and His Music.

  L.A.: Did your association with him affect your musical style and career to any great degree?

  CHRISTY: Yes.I was only eighteen(19years 5months) when I joined the band. And that was my growing up--I grew up with the band ...

  L.A.: What about the direction of your life?

  CHRISTY: I met the man that I love on the band - that's Bob Cooper of course - and we married. And are still married. So the direction of my life was altered by my association with the band too ...