Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus' career ran from the big band era well into the period of rock and roll. Starting as a drummer in small bands, he started his own band in the 1930s and headed it for almost two decades, playing various venues including the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. From 1947 to 1952, he played with Louis Jourdan; in the 60s, he played with various assemblages including those of Wild Bill Davis and, briefly, Duke Ellington. Columbus played well into his nineties; he died soon after his one hundredth birthday. He was the father of drummer Sylvester "Sonny" Payne.