McFadden Brothers
Encyclopedia
http://www.themcfaddenbrothers.com
The Mcfadden Brothers (American entertainers) are: Lonnie McFadden - trumpet
, voice
, tap dancing and Ronald McFadden - alto saxophone
, voice
, tap dancing.
Born in Kansas City, MO, the McFadden Brothers are the sons of the late James "Jimmy" McFadden, a well known tap dancer who taught Lonnie and Ronald about the art form from a very early age.
After the McFadden Brothers entered junior high school, they completely quit tap dancing, largely due to peer pressure as Lonnie recalls, “They weren’t too fond of tap dancers at the school we went to.” So they decided to concentrate more on playing the trumpet
(Lonnie) and the alto saxophone
(Ronald). Instruments that were more accepted by their peers.
As a teenager, Lonnie traveled with one of the regional R&B and Top 40 bands playing trumpet and singing before starting his own band, “Lonnie and The Band” that included Ronald on the alto sax. It was during this time that Lonnie became a song writer and arranger. After Lonnie and The Band had run its course, the McFadden Brothers were born.
By the 1980s the McFadden Brothers paralleled their father’s career by performing with the Count Basie Orchestra
. They played major jazz festivals in Europe
and Japan
, appearing on the same bill with such jazz greats as Miles Davis
and Wynton Marsalis
.
Lonnie and Ronald have made many local and national television appearances including “Incredible Sunday’s” the result of a recommendation from Ben Vereen
. The McFadden Brothers have also performed with some of the biggest names in show business, like Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Orlando
and were the featured act with Wayne Newton
for over 2 and a half years.
Lonnie and Ronald still reside in the Kansas City
area where they can be found performing at the major music venues in the area, as well as teaching the art of Tap Dancing.
The Mcfadden Brothers (American entertainers) are: Lonnie McFadden - trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, voice
Voice
Voice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice , a 2005 South Korean film* The Voice , a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal...
, tap dancing and Ronald McFadden - alto saxophone
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, voice
Voice
Voice may refer to:* Human voice* Voice control or voice activation* Writer's voice* Voice acting* Voice vote* Voice message-In film:* Voice , a 2005 South Korean film* The Voice , a 2010 Turkish horror film directed by Ümit Ünal...
, tap dancing.
Born in Kansas City, MO, the McFadden Brothers are the sons of the late James "Jimmy" McFadden, a well known tap dancer who taught Lonnie and Ronald about the art form from a very early age.
After the McFadden Brothers entered junior high school, they completely quit tap dancing, largely due to peer pressure as Lonnie recalls, “They weren’t too fond of tap dancers at the school we went to.” So they decided to concentrate more on playing the trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
(Lonnie) and the alto saxophone
Alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
(Ronald). Instruments that were more accepted by their peers.
As a teenager, Lonnie traveled with one of the regional R&B and Top 40 bands playing trumpet and singing before starting his own band, “Lonnie and The Band” that included Ronald on the alto sax. It was during this time that Lonnie became a song writer and arranger. After Lonnie and The Band had run its course, the McFadden Brothers were born.
By the 1980s the McFadden Brothers paralleled their father’s career by performing with the Count Basie Orchestra
Count Basie Orchestra
The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie. The band survived the late '40s decline in big band popularity and went on to produce notable collaborations with singers such as Frank Sinatra and Ella...
. They played major jazz festivals in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, appearing on the same bill with such jazz greats as 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,...
and Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
.
Lonnie and Ronald have made many local and national television appearances including “Incredible Sunday’s” the result of a recommendation from Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen is an American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts.- Early years :...
. The McFadden Brothers have also performed with some of the biggest names in show business, like Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Orlando
Tony Orlando
Michael Anthony Orlando Cassavitis , better known as Tony Orlando, is an American show business professional, best known as the lead singer of the group Tony Orlando and Dawn in the early 1970s. Discovered by producer Don Kirshner, Orlando had songs on the charts in 1961 when he was 16, "Halfway to...
and were the featured act with Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
for over 2 and a half years.
Lonnie and Ronald still reside in the Kansas City
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
area where they can be found performing at the major music venues in the area, as well as teaching the art of Tap Dancing.