- Born
- Died
- Birth nameRudolph Clement Pompilii
- Rudy Pompilli started his career in jazz bands, playing tenor and bass saxophone, among other instruments. It was as a member of Ralph Marterie's Orchestra in 1955 that he caught the attention of Bill Haley. Haley hired Pompilli to play sax after original sax man, Joey Ambrose, quit. Pompilli played tenor sax, flute and clarinet for the Comets and was a featured vocalist. He stayed with Haley longer than any other musician -- from 1955 until his death from cancer in 1976.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anon.
- Playing sax lying on his back
- Most sources say he was the cousin of bass player Al Pompilli, but Bill Haley said they were brothers.
- Many sources give Pompilli's birth year as 1926, however new research undertaken in 2006 for an article on the 30th anniversary of his death revealed that Pompilli was actually born two years earlier.
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