Friday, November 24, 2023

Don Lanphere

Donald Gale Lanphere (1928 –2003) was an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist, known for his 1940s and 1950s work, and recordings with Fats Navarro (in 1948), Woody Herman (1949), Claude Thornhill, Sonny Dunham, Billy May, and Charlie Barnet.

He was born in Wenatchee, Washington. Lanphere moved to New York City as a member of Johnny Bothwell's group to become part of the bebop jazz scene. In New York, Lanphere was in a relationship with Chan Richardson, who later married Charlie Parker.

In 1951, Lanphere was arrested and charged with heroin possession in New York City. After his release from jail, he worked in his family's music store in Wenatchee. He began performing in the Seattle area after becoming a born again Christian in 1969, at which time he also stopped using drugs and alcohol.

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