George Tunnell
American singer
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Biography
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, United States,[3] Tunnell was one of the first African American vocalists to perform with a white band, that of Jan Savitt and his band,[4] The Top Hatters.
Tunnell's nickname originated when he and singer Mervyn Schaeffer performed on a program sponsored by a confectionary company on radio station WCAU. The two were called "The Candy Kids", with Tunnell nicknamed "Bon Bon" and Schaeffer nicknamed "Lollipop".[5]
In the early 1930s, he fronted a vocal quartet, the Three Keys,[6] which had a hit with "Fit as a Fiddle".[6]
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 two best-selling numbers, "Hi-Yo Silver" and "Make Believe Island".[6]
In 1941, Tunnell left Savitt and began recording solo tracks including "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire", "Blow, Gabriel Blow" and "Most Emphatically, Yes!"[6]
He then joined Spirits of Rhythm jazz ensemble briefly before spending time fronting the Tommy Reynolds Band during the 1950s.[6]
When Tunnell's career slowed, he returned to live in Pennsylvania.[2]
He died in May 1975, in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, at the age of 62.[3]