Some of the information is Boop-Oop-a-Dooping full of SPOILERS. Boop-Oop-a-Doop! Claude Reese
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Claude Reese |
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Claude Reese as Billy Boop: |
Claude Reese was a radio singer who was a member of The Elm City Four, which also featured Philip Keep, Darrel Woodyard and Hubie Hendry. The Elm City Four were a barbershop quartet, and appeared with Beatrice Kay on recordings and on her radio show, "The Gay Nineties Revue."
The Elm City Four were a barbershop quartet type group that were in Jacksonville, Illinois when they got the attention of the people at WHO in Des Moines, Iowa. They also toured with the WLS Roundup and were said to have made a number of phonograph records.
They came to WHO and the Iowa Barn Dance Frolic in 1934 and continued to entertain with their modernized 'barbershop' arrangements. Reese provided the vocals for Koko the Clown and Bimbo the dog[1] (replacing Billy Murray) in the animated cartoons from 1931-1933.
Trivia
- The group recorded two songs for Victor Records in 1924.
- Before joining the Elm City Four, Reese was a member of the National Cavaliers.
- The Elm City Four was founded by Woodyard.
- The voice he used for Koko was high-pitched, whereas the voice he used for Bimbo was deeper in tone.
- He provides the role of Billy Boop in Minding the Baby and Betty Boop's Birthday Party.
Links
- On the Air
- Elm City Four: I Had A Dear
- Claude Reese WEAF (1926)
- The Elm City Four - IDBD
- Beatrice Kay & the Elm City Four - The Naughty Nineties
- The Elm City Four - WHO Iowa Barn Dance Frolic
- The Elm City Four - Old Time Radio