This Southern musician's early start helped him get a foot in the door of many of the most innovative and most popular jazz combos of the day, where he emerged as a member well-respected by his fellow players but largely forgotten by the listening public. He was self-taught on the clarinet and began wailing with local bands less than a year after he started playing at 14. He headed for New York City in 1923 after a few years of knocking around the local scene.