George Tunnell facts for kids
George "Bon Bon" Tunnell (June 29, 1912 – May 20, 1975) was an American jazz vocalist.
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States, he was one of the first African American vocalists to perform with a white band, that of Jan Savitt and his band, The Top Hatters. In the early 1930s, Tunnell fronted a vocal quartet, the Three Keys. They had a hit with "Fit as a Fiddle". Tunnell then joined Jan Savitt's Band and recorded a number of tracks with them including "Moonlight Masquerade", "The Gypsy in My Soul", "A Kiss for Consolation", plus their two best selling numbers, "Hi-Yo Silver" and "Make Believe Island". Tunnell left Savitt in 1941 and recorded solo tracks including "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire", "Blow, Gabriel Blow" and "Most Emphatically, Yes!" He joined Spirits of Rhythm jazz ensemble briefly before, in the 1950s, spending some time fronting the Tommy Reynolds Band. After that time, Tunnell's career ground to a halt and he returned to live in Pennsylvania.
He died in May 1975, in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, at the age of 62.
