Musician, Entertainer. Known as "Brother Bones," he was an American whistling and bone playing recording artist from Montgomery, Alabama. Born Freeman Davis, as a young boy he shined shoes at local barber shops where he would whistle, snap his shoeshine rag, and pop his brushes in time to records being played. He would also tap dance and play "bones" (carved ivory and ebony hand percussion instruments also called rhythm bones), using a technique which utilized four bones in each hand, rather than just two, like most bones players. According to Rhythm Bones Player (2002 vol 4, no 3), Tempo Records' President discovered Brother Bones while he was playing in a Chinese restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. The late 1940s recording of the 1925 standard "Sweet Georgia Brown," by Brother Bones and His Shadows on the Tempo label, became internationally famous after being adopted as the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team in 1952. "Sweet Georgia Brown," as recorded by Brother Bones, is said to be in the top ten most listened to recordings in history. He died at the age of 71, in Long Beach, California, where he lived most of his years. Although never achieving great monetary fame, Brother Bones was a gifted entertainer who recorded over a dozen songs, regularly appeared on radio stations, and performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and The Ed Sullivan Show. He was also known for his charitable work for hospitals, churches, and the military. Brother Bones served as a consultant to Bing Crosby in Frank Capra's movie "Riding High" (1950) where Bing plays dinner knives—bones style. He appeared in two movies, "Yes Sir, Mr. Bones" (1951) with Scatman Crothers, and "Pot O' Gold" (1941) as a jail chef playing traditional spoons, starring James Stewart.
Musician, Entertainer. Known as "Brother Bones," he was an American whistling and bone playing recording artist from Montgomery, Alabama. Born Freeman Davis, as a young boy he shined shoes at local barber shops where he would whistle, snap his shoeshine rag, and pop his brushes in time to records being played. He would also tap dance and play "bones" (carved ivory and ebony hand percussion instruments also called rhythm bones), using a technique which utilized four bones in each hand, rather than just two, like most bones players. According to Rhythm Bones Player (2002 vol 4, no 3), Tempo Records' President discovered Brother Bones while he was playing in a Chinese restaurant in downtown Los Angeles. The late 1940s recording of the 1925 standard "Sweet Georgia Brown," by Brother Bones and His Shadows on the Tempo label, became internationally famous after being adopted as the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team in 1952. "Sweet Georgia Brown," as recorded by Brother Bones, is said to be in the top ten most listened to recordings in history. He died at the age of 71, in Long Beach, California, where he lived most of his years. Although never achieving great monetary fame, Brother Bones was a gifted entertainer who recorded over a dozen songs, regularly appeared on radio stations, and performed at venues including Carnegie Hall and The Ed Sullivan Show. He was also known for his charitable work for hospitals, churches, and the military. Brother Bones served as a consultant to Bing Crosby in Frank Capra's movie "Riding High" (1950) where Bing plays dinner knives—bones style. He appeared in two movies, "Yes Sir, Mr. Bones" (1951) with Scatman Crothers, and "Pot O' Gold" (1941) as a jail chef playing traditional spoons, starring James Stewart.
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