Biography

His theme song was "Blue Sentimental Mood".

One of Powell's vocalists was future TV star Gene Barry.

Powell dodged the military draft during World War II by bribing a clerk to delay his induction. He consequently served five months of a 15-months jail sentence for "conspiracy to evade military service".

American composer, guitarist, banjoist, violinist, arranger, singer and bandleader. Wrote many popular songs, including "Take Me Back to My Boots and Saddles" (ASCAP Award 1935), "March Winds and April Showers", "Unsuspecting Heart", "Bewildered", "If My Heart Could Only Talk" and "I Couldn't Believe My Eyes". Trained at the San Francisco Music Conservatory and Heald's Business College in Oakland, California. Member of ASCAP from 1935.

Worked for eleven years (1927-38) for band leader Abe Lyman as guitarist, violinist, banjoist, vocalist and arranger. Formed his own big band in New York in 1940, recording for Victor, Bluebird and Decca, appearing in ballrooms, theatres and nightclubs across the U.S.. Residencies at Arcadia, Famous Door and Rustic Cabin, New Jersey, where all of the band's instruments were lost in a fire in October 1941 (though, fortunately not the original scores for his arrangements). Powell reorganised and led several more orchestras, until 1953, when he quit the big band scene and worked in music publishing for his own company, Tee Pee Music Inc..