Coon-Sanders Orchestra

The Coon Sanders Nighthawks Orchestra was formed in 1919 and was at its peak between 1926 and 1932. The Orchestra was assembled by Carleton Coon and Joe Sanders in Kansas City. Coon was born in Rochester, Minnesota in 1893 and his family moved to Missouri shortly after his birth and eventually moved to Kansas City while he was an infant. Sanders was born in Kansas in 1896. Sanders was known as "The Old Left Hander" because of his skills at baseball. He gave the game up in the early '20s to make dance music his career.

The Orchestra was a pioneer in broadcasting their music over WDAF Radio from the Muehlbach Hotel at 1213 Wyandotte Street in Kansas City, Missouri. The broadcasts were in the early morning and the Nighthawks Club was formed for fans of the great music being broadcast. Fans were encouraged to send in requests for songs by letter, telephone or telegram. That move became so popular that Western Union set up a ticker tape between Sanders' piano and Coon's drums so the telegrams could be acknowledged during the broadcasts.

The group left Kansas City for the first time in 1924 for a three month engagement in a roadhouse in Chicago. They moved into the Blackhawk Hotel (139 North Wabash) in Chicago in 1926. The members of the Orchestra at that time were Joe Richolson and Bob Pope, trumpets; Rex Downing, trombone; Harold Thiell, Joe Thiell and Floyd Estep, saxophones; Joe Sanders, piano; Russ Stout, banjo and guitar; "Pop" Estep, tuba; Carelton Coon, drums. In the following years, the Nighthawks performed at the Blackhawk every winter, broadcasting over the powerful WGN Radio station. Their reputation spread from coast to coast through the broadcasts and the many records they made for Victor. They undertook very successful road tours.

At their peak, each member of the Orchestra owned identical Cord Automobiles, each in a different color with the name of the Orchestra and the owner embossed on the rear. The Orchestra's popularity showed no signs of abating and their contract with MCA had another 15 years to run in the spring of 1932 when disaster struck. Carelton Coon came down with a jaw infection and, on May 4, 1932, at 38 years of age, he passed away.