Jewell Douglas

American high school band director, band leader, trombonist and saxophonist, best known as the leader of Jewell And The Rubies. Douglas was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, but lived most of his childhood in Gary, Indiana. After serving in Europe during World War II he enrolled in Xavier College, New Orleans in 1946, and then attended Southern University in Baton Rouge from 1949-1952. After a brief stint at home Indiana, Douglas became a school band director in Oakdale, Louisiana, in September 1952. From there he moved to James Stephens High School in Ville Platte, where he was from 1955 to 1965. It was there where he started Jewell And The Rubies in the early 1960s, and recorded "Kidnapper" in 1963. After The Rubies disbanded, Douglas played with the Otis Smith Orchestra at the Evangeline Club in Ville Platte from 1966 to 1969. Eventually he returned to Gary, Indiana, and played jazz with Horace Smith and the Notebenders. Born: 27 December 1924 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA Died: 2000