Bunny Berigan, Jazz Legend

Bunny with his trumpet, 1937

This month we went live with three new collections within our State of Wisconsin Collection, I wanted to highlight one of them for you today.  


Bunny Berigan, Fox Lake's Own is an image collection of everything from the famous trumpeters days in Wisconsin.  Although born in Hilbert, Wisconsin, Bernard “Bunny” Berigan, a prominent jazz trumpeter, is considered Fox Lake’s own. He moved there with his parents when he was only a few months old. 


At the end of his sophomore year in the Fox Lake, Bunny transferred to a Madison high school. Bunny joined a band with his Uncles and was discovered by Hal Kamp. He signed Bunny to play with the Kamp Orchestra leaving for a European Tour. During this tour Bunny made his first big trumpet solo.

Bunny Berigan Band at Paramount Theater, NYC in 1937

When Bunny got home he was famous. He was associated with such great names as Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Red Norvo and Frankie Trumbauer. Later Bunny led his own band.


The collection is full of great images throughout Bunny's life. If your a Bunny fan or a jazz fan this is the perfect collection to put on some music and take a peek at the making of a jazz legend.