Father Tom Vaughn
Encyclopedia
Father Tom Vaughn is an American
Jazz
pianist
and Episcopalian priest
.
, Kentucky
, young Tom Vaughn began his music study on the piano around the age of five under the tutelage of his mother, Elizabeth. The piano was the instrument of choice for their family. Robert Wade, an uncle, was employed as a pianist by the New York and San Francisco ballet companies.
At age 10, his family, which also included four girls, relocated to Pontiac, Michigan
, near Detroit
. During his adolescence, he studied classical music with Harold Deremier. At age 12, Vaughn experienced the genius of Art Tatum
, who was visiting Deremier. Vaughn stated, "I hadn't been exposed to music like that before." "That was amazing" and shifted his focus to jazz.
In his mid-teens he was jamming in Detroit with other young musicians including Kenny Burrell
, Paul Chambers
, and Elvin Jones
.
Vaughn graduated from Eureka College
in Illinois with a degree in history while playing piano in area clubs. He and his sweetheart Beverle Jean were married, and the couple started a family when Sheila Denise was born in 1961. Two other children followed: Tom, Jr. in 1963; and Angela Suzanne in 1965.
A strong interest in religion led him to enroll in Yale Divinity School
, where he earned a doctorate in theology.
He entered the Episcopal priesthood, and in 1964 his first position was assistant to the rector at St. John's Episcopal Church in Midland, Michigan
, two hours north of Detroit. Vaughn still played concerts at colleges and clubs sporadically, but the 8am Sunday service limited his travel. That same year Father Tom sat in with Gene Krupa's
quartet in Detroit, where he caught the attention of producer George Wein
.
where he recorded Jazz In Concert At The Village Gate with Art Davis
on Double bass
and Elvin Jones
on drums. Vaughn was a featured performer at the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival
, opening for Miles Davis
.
Father Vaughn left St. John's Church in Midland in 1967, deciding that Los Angeles would be more conducive to his two passions, music and the ministry. Cornbread (Meat Loaf, Greens & Devilled Eggs) was recorded and released, followed by Motor City Soul in 1968. He played in festivals and concerts during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and appeared on local television and national talk shows, including Johnny Carson
, Steve Allen
and Merv Griffin
. All this was done around his church responsibilities.
in 1968. Three years later, he performed a jazz concert in the parish hall to raise funds for the "Fireside Room", then began serving as assistant rector. When St. Martin’s celebrated their 25th anniversary with a big barbecue
, music and dancing, Father Tom played during the 1974 festivities. He was installed as rector in 1976, the year he recorded his last album, Joyful Jazz. He stayed busy with the parish and raising his three children until 1984, when he needed hip replacement—both—and retired from active ministry. After that, he served as a Supply Priest, officiating services at churches when the rector was absent.
"The bishop of the diocese advised me to retire, but I'm still an available priest. I do weddings, funerals, counseling."
at the famed Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
. As part of the service, he invited a quartet of eminent musicians to play in her honor, but didn't join the group himself, instead opting to listen and enjoy the music as a spectator.
By the early 1990s, his children were grown and Vaughn played at local clubs a few times each year; a 1990 performance at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel
received positive reviews. He also hosted a Public-access television
cable show, "All That Jazz", and was considering a return to the recording studio.
Vaughn was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times
in 1991 and asked why he chose to remain a priest rather than accept fame and fortune as a touring musician.
After turning 60, Vaughn further reduced his public performances to perhaps once a year. He is still married to wife, Bev, and practices for three or four hours most mornings, but they are for his own enjoyment.
At an interview in 1996, he acknowledged spliting piano time between playing the classics (Bach, Beethoven & Chopin) and improvising jazz with touches of blues and bebop.
Today, Vaughn's version of Battle Hymn of the Republic can be heard every Saturday night at 9:00 pm EST on WABE
90.1 in Atlanta. The song have provided the introduction to H. Johnson's "Jazz Classics" radio show, for 21 of more than 26 years that the show has aired.
All of Vaughn's records have been out of print for many years, but his three children began compiling their father's work into digital form in 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
and Episcopalian priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
.
Early life
Born Thomas Wade Vaughn on October 14, 1936 in BentonBenton, Kentucky
Benton is a city in Marshall County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 4,197 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County....
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, young Tom Vaughn began his music study on the piano around the age of five under the tutelage of his mother, Elizabeth. The piano was the instrument of choice for their family. Robert Wade, an uncle, was employed as a pianist by the New York and San Francisco ballet companies.
At age 10, his family, which also included four girls, relocated to Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
, near Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. During his adolescence, he studied classical music with Harold Deremier. At age 12, Vaughn experienced the genius of Art Tatum
Art Tatum
Arthur "Art" Tatum, Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind.Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time...
, who was visiting Deremier. Vaughn stated, "I hadn't been exposed to music like that before." "That was amazing" and shifted his focus to jazz.
In his mid-teens he was jamming in Detroit with other young musicians including Kenny Burrell
Kenny Burrell
Kenneth Earl "Kenny" Burrell is an American jazz guitarist. His playing is grounded in bebop and blues; he has performed and recorded with a wide range of jazz musicians.-Biography:...
, Paul Chambers
Paul Chambers
Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers, Jr. was a jazz bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, his importance in the development of jazz bass can be measured not only by the length and breadth of his work in this short period but also his impeccable time, intonation, and virtuosic...
, and Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
.
Vaughn graduated from Eureka College
Eureka College
Eureka College is a liberal arts college in Eureka, Illinois related by covenant to the Christian Church and founded in 1855. It has a strong focus on the mutual development of intellect and character. Stated core values are learning, service and leadership...
in Illinois with a degree in history while playing piano in area clubs. He and his sweetheart Beverle Jean were married, and the couple started a family when Sheila Denise was born in 1961. Two other children followed: Tom, Jr. in 1963; and Angela Suzanne in 1965.
A strong interest in religion led him to enroll in Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
, where he earned a doctorate in theology.
He entered the Episcopal priesthood, and in 1964 his first position was assistant to the rector at St. John's Episcopal Church in Midland, Michigan
Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in the Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. The city's population was 41,863 as of the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Midland Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, two hours north of Detroit. Vaughn still played concerts at colleges and clubs sporadically, but the 8am Sunday service limited his travel. That same year Father Tom sat in with Gene Krupa's
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
quartet in Detroit, where he caught the attention of producer George Wein
George Wein
George Wein is an American jazz promoter and producer who has been called "the most famous jazz impresario" and "the most important non-player... in jazz history"...
.
Recording and playing
One year later, Wein brought Vaughn to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he recorded Jazz In Concert At The Village Gate with Art Davis
Art Davis
Art Davis was a double-bassist, known for his work with various seminal jazz musicians including Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, and Max Roach.-Biography:...
on Double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
and Elvin Jones
Elvin Jones
Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
on drums. Vaughn was a featured performer at the 1966 Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
, opening for Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
.
Father Vaughn left St. John's Church in Midland in 1967, deciding that Los Angeles would be more conducive to his two passions, music and the ministry. Cornbread (Meat Loaf, Greens & Devilled Eggs) was recorded and released, followed by Motor City Soul in 1968. He played in festivals and concerts during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and appeared on local television and national talk shows, including Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, Steve Allen
The Steve Allen Show
The Steve Allen Show is an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC, and in first-run syndication from 1962 to 1964....
and Merv Griffin
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
. All this was done around his church responsibilities.
Settling down
Vaughn joined St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Winnetka, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1968. Three years later, he performed a jazz concert in the parish hall to raise funds for the "Fireside Room", then began serving as assistant rector. When St. Martin’s celebrated their 25th anniversary with a big barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
, music and dancing, Father Tom played during the 1974 festivities. He was installed as rector in 1976, the year he recorded his last album, Joyful Jazz. He stayed busy with the parish and raising his three children until 1984, when he needed hip replacement—both—and retired from active ministry. After that, he served as a Supply Priest, officiating services at churches when the rector was absent.
"The bishop of the diocese advised me to retire, but I'm still an available priest. I do weddings, funerals, counseling."
Retirement
Father Tom Vaughn reappeared publicly in 1990, conducting the memorial service for singer June ChristyJune Christy
June Christy , born Shirley Luster, was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued a solo career from 1954 and is best known for her debut album Something Cool...
at the famed Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
. As part of the service, he invited a quartet of eminent musicians to play in her honor, but didn't join the group himself, instead opting to listen and enjoy the music as a spectator.
By the early 1990s, his children were grown and Vaughn played at local clubs a few times each year; a 1990 performance at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
The Millennium Biltmore Hotel, originally named the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel of the Biltmore Hotels group, is a luxury hotel located on Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Upon its grand opening in 1923, the Los Angeles Biltmore was the largest hotel west of Chicago, Illinois in...
received positive reviews. He also hosted a Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable show, "All That Jazz", and was considering a return to the recording studio.
Vaughn was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
in 1991 and asked why he chose to remain a priest rather than accept fame and fortune as a touring musician.
"Nothing can move me at the deepest spiritual level like music can, (but) music was never completely satisfying. Music was something that came to me as a pure gift. Maybe it came too easily. The clergy came to me through hard work and learning. I felt called to the inquiries of the mind. Tom Vaughn didn't want musical notoriety. I've never made much of a fuss over it myself."
After turning 60, Vaughn further reduced his public performances to perhaps once a year. He is still married to wife, Bev, and practices for three or four hours most mornings, but they are for his own enjoyment.
"That feeling, when it's right, there's nothing better--carnality, food, throw it all out the window. When I get in a groove, I'm detached, almost like losing consciousness, like flying some sort of super aircraft. It's close to an out-of-body experience."
At an interview in 1996, he acknowledged spliting piano time between playing the classics (Bach, Beethoven & Chopin) and improvising jazz with touches of blues and bebop.
Today, Vaughn's version of Battle Hymn of the Republic can be heard every Saturday night at 9:00 pm EST on WABE
WABE
WABE FM 90.1 is a radio station in Atlanta, Georgia, that is affiliated with National Public Radio and Public Radio International . WABE's format features mostly classical music. It has lately added the short feature Atlanta Sounds and twice weekly previews of weekend events around the city...
90.1 in Atlanta. The song have provided the introduction to H. Johnson's "Jazz Classics" radio show, for 21 of more than 26 years that the show has aired.
All of Vaughn's records have been out of print for many years, but his three children began compiling their father's work into digital form in 2006.
Discography
- Jazz in Concert at the Village Gate [live] (1966/RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
) - Cornbread (1967/RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
) - Motor City Soul (1968/RCARCARCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
) - Joyful Jazz (1976/Concord Jazz)