TV 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

BERNARD JEFFREY McCULLOUGH “BERNIE MAC” (1957-2008) – CRYPT

Bernie Mac -> IMDb.com
Bernie Mac -> Wikipedia

Stand-up Comedian, Actor, Film Producer
Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, or as we all knew him as Bernie Mac, was a Comedian and Actor. He started out with stand up comedy, but soon started landing Television roles until he had his popular “The Bernie Mac Show”. He died unexpectedly at the age of 50.

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