Lee Young

The brother of tenor saxophonist Lester Adolescent, Lee Adolescent had a recognized career of his own, using such luminaries as Benny Goodman, Buck Clayton, Nat Cole, and Excess fat Waller. Created in New Orleans to some musical family members (besides Lester, sister Irma and dad Willis Handy Youthful were also music artists), the Youngs shifted to Minneapolis in 1920, where Lee discovered several tools before buying drums. Lee performed the TOBA circuit using the family members band before shifting to LA. From 1934, Youthful used Clayton, Waller, Eddie Barefield, and Mutt Carey, amongst others. He also worked well at MGM like a studio room musician, and used Lionel Hampton for a limited period. In 1941, he documented with Cole for the very first time. That yr he also co-led a music group with sibling Lester; another year the music group performed the Café Culture in NY. Through the ’40s, Adolescent accompanied the performers Dinah Washington and Ivie Anderson; he also used pianist Mel Powell, in addition to Goodman and Hampton. Adolescent participated in impresario Norman Granz’s Jazz in the Philharmonic trips in 1944 and 1946. He became a member of Cole’s trio full-time in 1953 and remained until 1962. In 1964, Adolescent moved to the business enterprise side, working like a maker and professional for Vee-Jay Information. In 1979, he got an identical post at Motown Information. Acting was a sideline for Youthful; he made an appearance in three films in the past due ’50s, the best-known becoming the W.C. Handy biopic St. Louis Blues.