ISLAND QUEEN/Photos of Clyde Trask Orchestra.

Dale: Dunno just what is wanted, but the J & R White's book ISLAND QUEEN, there is a picture of the dance floor (crowded) on page 35, another on pp 36 (empty) and a picture of the band on the roof on page 38 with his 'canary' in the middle.

Hi Dale & Gang. I think I can remember when the dance floor was on the starboard side of the Idlewild / Avelon / BL, many many years ago. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I'm sure Alan will remember.

Correction. I meant to say, the band stand, not dance floor. Just an old mans lapse of thought train I guess.

If the bandstand was anywhere other than all the way aft on the Idlewild/Avalon/Belle of Louisville I do not remember it.
The bandstand on the Island Queen was on the port side more or less in line with the paddlewheel shaft. George Mc Bride and I played in a band on her, but not with Clyde Trask. It may have been with Milborne Stone's band. We went up and visited with the Captains Doss during intermissions. Yes, there were potted plants on both sides of the bandstand. George once "sat in" with Jack Teagarten, but not on the Island Queen.
Locating the bandstand on the side at the paddlewheel was commonplace on sidewheelers. It was impossible to look outboard there. Frequently there was a bar opposite the bandstand, but not on the Island Queen. Unlike most bandstands, the one on the Island Queen was big enough. Trask's orchestra was big, maybe fifteen pieces, and needed the space.
During World War II I served in an army band with a fellow from Trask's band. His name was Carl Mueller, of whom there are probably no fewer than twenty who lived in Cincinnati. He was a very fine trumpeter, a sort of workingman's musician, but not a star.

Tom, Frank, Alan & steamboating colleagues:
Thanks for your prompt responses to Gail Goebert living out in Texas. We were E=Mailing back and forth last night. Gail forwarded a series of five professional black/white photos of the Clyde Trask orchestra taken on the last ISLAND QUEEN. Alan is right about the Trask orchestra being big. Pictured is a female vocalist with the big band on the IQ's top deck. Other shots are of the band stand and you clearly see the steel overhead of the boat. Other professional 'promo' shots have the band broken down into various ensembles with the baby grand piano hauled down on the dance floor. All of the musicians are spiffed up to the 'T' with hair cuts, bright faces, shirts/ties, polished shoes and trousers with creases like razor blades.

Unfortunately Gail's collection does not have the individual names on the back. I do identify Clyde Trask. Behind the orchestra stand is some kind of mural with painted notes. The orchestra stand was modernized over the years and the one pictured isn't the same as the high box-like affair in CONEY ISLAND's earlier press releases. The real 'kicker' to one photo is of the full orchestra and vocalist on deck. The margin is inked '1947' and I've an inkling it was snapped either in Cincinnati, on the way to Pittsburgh or while the boat was there just before the explosion and fire. Gail's quest for more photos may not bring forth pictures any better than these. Her father-in-law passed away in 1993 and now she's regretting not talking more and writing the names of the band members. I'll show these photos to mom, age 90, as she was a vocalist in the 1930s with old WLW and WKRC Radio when music and commercials were done live. She may know/remember a few in these photos but I doubt it. Band members would come and go over time.

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

You bet the band was spiffied up to a T. Every band, in those days, wore a uniform, of sorts, mostly tuxedos or business suits that matched, ties issued by the band leader and so on. Clyde Trask is easy to spot because he was something like six feet, 22 inches tall, but the entire band wore clothing to match his.
That little vest-pocket-sized singer may be Thelma Staton. She later became a comedienne and singer in a movie or two, if I am not mistaken.

Dale: Did you check Robert White's book about the ISLAND QUEEN? I think there is at least one photo of the orchestra among the many fine photographs contained therein.

Hi, Keith:
Yes, Jack & Bob White's great book on the ISLAND QUEEN is most valuable. Gail lives in Texas and I'll mention it to her. I 'think' she is eager for any additional photos that people know about with names of the Trask orchestra written on the back. The professional 'promo' photos she forwarded last night are stellar and, except for missing names, I don't know if she could do much better. The photos were taken when the boat empty and there are no dancers jitter buggin' on the wood in front of the band stand. Anyway, I'll keep plugging here for her when I get a chance. Interesting the people we are put in touch with via Internet/E=Mail. I'll ask Gail if there is any marking of the CONEY ISLAND company, photographer name or copyright on the backs of these great shots.

Gail mentioned that she had pulled some ISLAND QUEEN photos from Internet sites and I sent her a few I have here that Franz kindly posted within the last couple of years.

Cheers,
R. Dale Flick

Both the PRESIDENT and ADMIRAL had their bandstands on the starboard side, near the paddlewheel too.

Photos of bands/bandstands

I am sending some pix to Franz illustrating some of the comments about the bands and bandstands. Unfortunately once again I tried to post these myself and failed miserably.. Also regarding the IDLEWILD/AVALON bandstand location: I have a picture of the IDLEWILD's ballroom looking aft and the bandstand is where it is today. Her ballroom was narrower, with outside walkways. They moved the bulkheads out and widened the AVALON's ballroom, but the bandstand stayed the same. I had previously sent these pix to Franz and hopefully he can find them, because they are temporarily 'lost' in my pilefiling system...grrrrrrrrrrrr.

Dale: I have some very tattered old scrapbooks kept by the late Harry Stocksdale, a New Albany music instructor who also played the calliope on various boats including the ISLAND QUEEN, relieving Homer Denney. Mr. Stocksdale was my grandmother's piano teacher! Our families attended the same church and, after Harry's death, his daughter gave me the old scrapbooks. I'll dig them out and check for orchestra photos. The most chilling thing in one of the books is the September, 1947 itinerary sheet for the ISLAND QUEEN's tramping trip. About halfway down the page is a large black line with the notation BOAT EXPLODED AT PITTSBURGH!

the IDLEWILD Ballroom

Here is that old IDLEWILD postcard, I hope.

the IDLEWILD ballroom

a bit bigger, I hope............................

Bandstands and Ballrooms

This is the Clarence "Heavy" Elder Dreamland Delux Band on the WASHINGTON 1923. Clarence Elder, from Rock Island, began his river career as a band member on banjo. He then became band leader, Purser, and finally Captain of the WASHINGTON. Band members in their tuxedos are: Paul Kenestrick or Claude Thornhill, Ed Culligan, Karl VandeWalle, C.W. Elder, Unknown, Byron Smart, Unknown, Roscoe Kerschner, Wendell Gus Mayhew. I wanted to post 2 more pix, but don't have that figured out yet, so it will be a series of postings, I'm afraid...

Band/Ballroom #2 CAPITOL

This is the CAPITOL's ballroom, looking forward, so the bandstand was on the port side. Note the band members checking out the crowd on the levee waiting to board. I'm not sure whose band this is.

Bands/Ballrooms #3

Here is the PRESIDENT' s bandstand. I don't know which band this is, but Tony Catalano's played on her a lot. Note the Art Deco work above the bandstand.

Bands/Ballrooms #4 ADMIRAL

Here is the ADMIRAL's bandstand. Like the PREZ', it was on the starboard side. The thing I remember most about my first trip on the ADMIRAL in 1956 was how freezing it was in there in July! Mom and Dad wanted to dance; I wanted to be on deck. They won.

The AVALON's ballroom

and finally, the glass-enclosed marine deck ballroom of the AVALON. Note how it was widened from the IDLEWILD days.

Great photos, Judy. Thanks for posting. The first shot of the Idlewilde interior is one that I have never seen before. The last one looks like the enhanced version where the photographer spliced into the photo to make the dance floor look longer. I think Alan commented on that once.

Yes, its a longitudinal 'fish-eye'! You'd have to have a 50 foot extension on the 'marine deck' to accomodate that length - kind of like the DQ brochures of the staterooms...