Pete Fountain

Pete Fountain
Name	Pete Fountain
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth name	Pierre Dewey Fountain
Birth date	August 3, 1930
Birth place	New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Death date	August 6, 2016
Death place	New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, Dixieland, Swing
Occupations	Clarinetist, Bandleader
Instruments	Clarinet
Years active	1945–2016
Labels	Coral, RCA Victor, Capitol, Reprise

Pete Fountain Pierre Dewey Fountain (August 3, 1930 – August 6, 2016) was an American clarinetist and bandleader noted for a warm, lyrical tone rooted in New Orleans jazz and Dixieland traditions. He achieved national prominence through radio, television, nightclub residencies, Las Vegas appearances, and prolific studio recording, becoming one of the most recognizable clarinet voices of the 20th century.

Early life and education

Born in New Orleans to a Creole-influenced family, Fountain grew up amid the musical environments of the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny. He was exposed to performers from Preservation Hall, Fats Domino, and touring bands at venues like the Poydras Street ballrooms and local dance halls. Fountain studied clarinet techniques popularized by players associated with King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, and Sidney Bechet while attending schools in the Greater New Orleans area. His formative instruction combined local mentorships, community band participation, and self-directed practice influenced by recordings from the Victor Talking Machine Company, Bluebird Records, and Decca Records catalogs.

Musical career

Fountain began performing professionally in his teens with territory bands and in New Orleans Jazz Festival precursor events, quickly moving into radio work on stations serving the Gulf Coast region. A residency at the Arlington Hotel and club dates led to engagements in Mobile, Alabama, Biloxi, Mississippi, and the U.S. Gulf Coast circuit. He formed the Pete Fountain Band and developed a repertoire bridging Dixieland ensembles, swing standards associated with leaders like Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, and the ballad tradition linked to artists on the Capitol Records roster. Fountain’s career expanded with appearances on national broadcasts such as the Ed Sullivan Show and recurring work in Las Vegas showroom scenes at venues connected to producers from Caesar’s Palace and Sands Hotel.

Major recordings and performances

Fountain’s discography includes sessions for Coral Records, RCA Victor, and Reprise Records featuring interpretations of repertoire tied to the Great American Songbook. Notable albums and singles charted on listings compiled by the Billboard magazine and were distributed through networks associated with Capitol-EMI and Warner Music Group affiliates. He headlined concerts at cultural sites like Carnegie Hall, appeared at festivals including the Newport Jazz Festival and Monterey Jazz Festival, and maintained seasonal performances at Dixieland Jazz Festivals around the United States and Europe. Fountain’s live radio and television work included collaborations with orchestras linked to the NBC and CBS networks and appearances on programs produced by executives from Universal Television and Desilu Productions.

Collaborations and influences

Throughout his career Fountain collaborated with a wide range of musicians and entertainers, sharing stages or studio time with figures such as Louis Armstrong-era alumni, swing-era veterans tied to Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller repertoires, and contemporary pop and jazz artists on tours sponsored by promoters associated with William Morris Agency. He recorded with arrangers connected to Nelson Riddle, session rhythm sections from studios used by Capitol Records and RCA Victor, and vocalists who had appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Ed Sullivan Show. Fountain cited influences from clarinetists and reed players connected to the legacies of Benny Goodman, Sidney Bechet, and Johnny Dodds, and his style informed younger reed musicians emerging from conservatory programs at institutions such as Loyola University New Orleans and Tulane University.

Personal life and public persona

Fountain maintained a public persona as an emblematic New Orleans musician, often associated with the social and cultural milieu of the French Quarter and the seasonal traditions of Mardi Gras and local parades organized by krewes such as Krewe of Rex. He owned residences and operated clubs in the New Orleans area, interacted with civic leaders from New Orleans City Hall, and engaged with tourism initiatives promoted by organizations including the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. Fountain’s private life intersected with public appearances alongside entertainers and personalities from Las Vegas entertainment circles and charitable events supported by organizations like United Way-affiliated campaigns and local arts foundations.

Awards and honors

Over his long career Fountain received honors and recognitions from municipal and cultural institutions in Louisiana and nationally. He was celebrated in proclamations from the offices of the Mayor of New Orleans and recognized during cultural preservation efforts by groups linked to Preservation Hall Foundation. Industry acknowledgments came from entities associated with the Recording Academy and festival organizers that historically honored lifetime contributions, in events attended by peers from ensembles tied to Duke Ellington-era orchestras and Count Basie alumni.

Legacy and impact

Pete Fountain’s lyrical clarinet tone and dedication to New Orleans-style jazz contributed to the preservation and popularization of Dixieland and traditional jazz throughout the 20th century, influencing performers in local scenes connected to Preservation Hall and university programs at Loyola University New Orleans and University of New Orleans. His recordings circulate in archives curated by institutions like the Library of Congress and collections managed by museums such as the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Fountain’s public profile intersected with the histories of Las Vegas showrooms, national broadcasting networks like NBC and CBS, and festival circuits including the Newport Jazz Festival, ensuring his role in the broader narratives of American popular music and cultural tourism in Louisiana.

Category:American jazz clarinetists Category:Musicians from New Orleans Category:1930 births Category:2016 deaths