Benton E. "Benny" Peyton (c. 1890 – January 24, 1965) was an American jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

 drummer.

Peyton went with Will Marion Cook

Will Marion Cook

William Mercer Cook , better known as Will Marion Cook, was an African American composer and violinist from the United States. Cook was a student of Antonín Dvořák and performed for King George V among others...

's Southern Syncopated Orchestra to Europe in 1919 and remained there, forming his own group in London, the Jazz Kings, out of members of Cook's orchestra. The group recorded two sides for Columbia Records

Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

 in 1920 which were never issued; they also held a residence at the Hammersmith Palais

Hammersmith Palais

The Hammersmith Palais de Danse, later simply the Hammersmith Palais, was a ballroom and entertainment venue in London that operated from 1919 until 2007...

 in 1921. Peyton led his own band across Europe well into the 1930s, with June Cole

June Cole

June Lawrence Cole was an American jazz bassist, tubist, and singer.Cole's first major employment in music was with the Synco Jazz Band in Ohio; this group later became McKinney's Cotton Pickers while Cole was still a member...

, Big Boy Goudie

Big Boy Goudie

Frank "Big Boy" Goudie was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist.Goudie was born in Youngsville, Louisiana, but raised in New Orleans, where he played cornet in Papa Celestin's Original Tuxedo Band and other groups. As a young man, his great height earned him the nickname "Tree"...

 and Tommy Ladnier

Tommy Ladnier

Thomas J. "Tommy" Ladnier was an American jazz trumpeter. Clarinetist/writer Mezz Mezzrow rated him second only to Louis Armstrong....

 among his sidemen. He toured the USSR with Sidney Bechet

Sidney Bechet

Sidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He was one of the first important soloists in jazz , and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist...

 and Frank Withers, and in 1935 played with Joe Turner

Joe Turner

Joe Turner is the name of:* Big Joe Turner , blues singer* Joe Turner , jazz/stride pianist* Joe Lynn Turner , rock musician* Joe Turner , English footballer...

 and Adelaide Hall

Adelaide Hall

Adelaide Hall was an American-born U.K.-based jazz singer and entertainer.Hall was born in Brooklyn, New York and was taught to sing by her father...

 in Zurich

Zürich

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...

.

Peyton moved back to New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 in 1939, where he became active as an AFM

AFM

- Organizations :* Africa Fighting Malaria, a health campaign in Africa* Alex von Falkenhausen Motorenbau, a German racing car constructor* American Federation of Motorcyclists, a road racing club in the United States...

union member. He continued playing professionally into the 1950s.