Bob Sheble was a local Philadelphia drummer that died April 6, 1952 in an auto accident with his wife. My father Joe Techner was trumpet in his band 1946. His band had four trumpets, including Tommy Kaplan and Joe Techner who would split the solo work. Jimmy Padget had lead trumpet. Gerry Mulligan did the arrangments and pianist Gene Kutch wrote the majority of the book. Mike Sable did sax solos. Phil (Italian last name?) was baritone sax. Joe Borack had lead alto. Les Arnold and Phil DeLuca were also in the sax section. His wife was the singer in the band. This recording is from an obscure home recording disc made at the Hotel DuPont, Wilmington about 1946, transferred for TechnerVideo by George Blood, former Philadelphia Orchestra recording engineer. This is the only known photo of the band taken at the Marine Ballroom, Steel Pier, Atlantic City. TechnerVideo interviewed Phil DeLuca, Les Arnold and Joe Borock (now all deceased) for this story. Photo, story and recording copyright TechnerVideo.
Time Chronicle (Jenkintown), April 10, 1952, page 1: Services Held For Couple Who Died in Crash - Robert Sheble And Wife Of Accident in South - Robert Sheble, 29, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Howard Sheble, and his wife, Martha, were killed Sunday night in an automobile accident near Faison, North Carolina. Mr. Sheble, a popular band leader, and his 23-year-old bride were enroute in a station wagon for a Florida vacation. With them was Raymond Sharp, 22, society columnist for the Evening Bulletin. Mr. Sheble succumbed to head injuries and Mrs. Sheble died of internal injuries. Sharp was treated at a hospital for lacerations and abrasions. North Carolina State Police said the station wagon collided with a school bus containing forty Negro adults and one child. The bus was not a student vehicle but was used for school personnel. Ten passengers were treated at the hospital. The threesome left the Sheble residence at West Valley Green road, near Bethleham pike, Whitemarsh, Sunday morning. The accident occurred at about ten o'clock Sunday night. Whitemarsh Township police received word of the fatal accident and informed the elder Sheble, whose home is next to Robert's house, at 2:30 a.m. Monday. Mr. Sheble took a plane to the scene shortly afterwards. A native of Rydal, the youthful veteran of World War II is survived by his parents and two brothers, Richard of Plainfield, N.J.; and J. Howard, 3rd, of Alexandria, Va. The couple had been married only three years and recently moved into their new home, built adjacent to his father's. Young Sheble had been a member of the U.S. Army Band and recently was with the Howard Lanin Orchestra, Philadelphia. Mrs. Sheble, the former Martha Claflin, is survived by her mother, Mrs. William Claflin, Philadelphia. Funeral services were held yesterday afternoon at Bringhurst's Funeral Home, 2000 Walnut street, Philadelphia. Interment was private.
Philadelphia Inquirer, April 8, 1952, page 25: ROBERT SHEBLE, WIFE DIE IN CRASH Robert Sheble, 29 a Philadelphia orchestra leader and his wife, Martha Claflin Sheble, 23, of W. Valley rd.., Whitemarsh, were killed in a head-on collision of their station wagon and a bus near Faison, N.C. it was learned here yesterday. A companion, Jay R. Sharp, Jr., 22, of 30 Chestnut St., Cynwyd, was cut and bruised in the crash, which occurred on U.S. 117 as the three were en route to Palm Beach, Fla. Sheble, a veteran of the Second World War, was known professionally as Bob Shebley. Formerly a drummer with Benny Goodman and other leaders, he organized his own orchestra about a year ago and also was manager of the Howard Lanin organization in charge of society functions. His orchestra had played in Philadelphia Friday night at the Junior Bal Mosque at the Warwick and on Saturday night at the Agnes Irwin School dance in Wynewood. He was the son of J. Howard Sheble, a Jenkintown real estate broker.
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Thanks for posting. A splendid-sounding band!
buxombeautease 5 months ago