Jay Seals and the Starlighters Big Band
When I was growing up, my mother instilled in me a love of Big Band music and jazz. Little did I know that a distant cousin developed a greater love for the Big Bands, eventually forming his own band.
Jay Seals loved Big Band music since 1938 when he began playing saxophone. Later, he studied music arrangement and voice. During World War II, he served in North Africa and Italy as a member of the 3rd General Hospital band.
After the war, Jay moved to Chicago, where he played sax and wrote arrangements for the Mel Parker Orchestra and others. He wrote music with over 60 copyrighted songs to his credit.
In the 1960s, Jay returned to his hometown of Rossville, Illinois. Although public tastes had turned to rock ’n roll, Jay hungered to start his own band and perform only big band music. He realized his dream in 1991 when he formed the Starlighters. The band was comprised of between 12 to 16 members and played the music of Glenn Miller, Count Basie, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Les Brown, Harry James, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, Benny Goodman, and others. They performed the original arrangements of those Big Band greats as well as Jay’s own arrangements of their most popular songs.
I had the opportunity to meet Jay in 1997 while I was in Rossville. We sat on the porch of his home while he regaled me with stories and pictures of the band at various venues. If I didn’t know a particular song, he sang a portion of it a cappella until I recognized it. He had a fine, clear singing voice.
Jay Seals passed away in October of 2003.
