Movie Actors & Others Tour

JAMES A. “JIMMY” BERTRAND (1900-1960)

Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery
6001 W. 111th Street
Alsip, IL 60803

_{Sec. 9, Blk. 8, Lot 38, Grave 1 (unmarked per cemetery staff)}

Jazz & Blues Drummer

Jimmy Bertrand was an influential jazz and blues percussionist whose career was closely tied to the development of the Chicago jazz scene during the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, he moved to Chicago in 1913, where he studied percussion and began performing in theater orchestras before joining Erskine Tate’s Vendome Orchestra in 1918. Over the following decade, he established himself as one of the city’s leading drummers and washboard players, performing and recording with many of the era’s most important musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dodds, Blind Blake, Ma Rainey, Tiny Parham, and Eddie South.

In addition to his work as a sideman, Bertrand led his own ensemble, Jimmy Bertrand’s Washboard Wizards, which featured notable collaborators such as Louis Armstrong and Jimmy Dodds. His recordings showcased not only his drumming but also his skill on the washboard, xylophone, and other percussion instruments, reflecting the versatility that made him a sought-after performer in both jazz and blues sessions.

Bertrand was equally significant as a teacher. He trained several future jazz greats, including Lionel Hampton, Big Sid Catlett, and Wallace Bishop. Hampton later referred to Bertrand as his “original idol,” highlighting the lasting influence Bertrand had on the next generation of percussionists. Although he continued leading bands into the early 1940s, he left professional music around 1944 to work in a Chicago meat-packing plant, making only occasional musical appearances thereafter. While he never achieved the fame of many of his contemporaries, Bertrand’s recordings, performances, and teaching established him as a foundational figure in early Chicago jazz and blues.

James A. “Jimmy” Bertrand -> Wikipedia

JOHN HUGHES (1950-2009) – GRAVE

John Hughes -> IMDb.com
John Hughes -> Wikipedia

Director, Producer and Screenwriter
John Hughes directed some classic movies from the 1980’s such as Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Home Alone to name a few.
_{[Lake Forest Cemetery, Lake Forest – 42°16’02.3″N 87°49’51.0″W]}

HAROLD RAMIS (1944-2014) – GRAVE

Harold Ramis -> IMDb.com
Harold Ramis -> Wikipedia

Actor, Comedian and Filmaker
Harold Ramis starred in Stripes and Ghostbusters I & II. He also directed Caddyshack, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Groundhog Day and Analyze This. He co-wrote National Lampoon’s Animal House.
_{[Shalom Memorial Park, Arlington Heights – 42°07’55.1″N 87°59’43.2″W]}