A Tribute to Fran Scharett

The Ladies First Big Band was honored to count Frances Scharett among it's members. When Fran passed away on February 25, 2012, Buffalo lost one of it's musical legends.

Fran, a 2003 inductee into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, did an interview back in 2009 with Christina Abt of BuffaloStyle. See her amazing story by clicking below.

"OUR PURSES AND OUR HORNS"

(Excerpts below from the March 14, 2003 Buffalo News article)

Fran recalled the variety of experiences world-travel exposed her to: There was one such moment in the Philippines, where Scharett was appearing with the Joy Cayler Band. She found herself hanging out one night with the jazz singer Alberta Hunter and a bunch of other jazz women. "We all said, 'What would our folks do if they saw us now?' " she recalled. "We were such a heterogenous group. One of everything. Alberta was black, of course, and there was a Jewish gal, and someone else was Irish -- we were all from different backgrounds, having a great time together."

But women in the fabled wartime big bands had to be brave, too. They were constantly coached on what to do in case of danger. "One time when we were flying from Johnson Island, we got three buzzes," Scharett says. "That means 'Jump.' We'd all had briefings on what to do, when to pull the rip cord. You have to count to 10 before you pull the rip cord, otherwise the chute opens up too soon and the rear tail things would rip it." Luckily, the three buzzes turned out to be a test and they didn't have to jump.

Another time, stranded in a boat during a tropical storm, Scharett and her bandmates had to be rescued. "The sailors told us to leave our purses and our horns -- everything," she says.

Phil Spitalny's "All-Girl Orchestra"

Even away from the battlefield, Scharett's adventures continued. She played on Broadway -- a nine-week stand at the Strand and a 12-week stand at the Paramount. She made a couple of movies, too. With the all-woman D'Artagna Band, she appeared in the wartime movie "You Can't Ration Love." With the Phil Spitalny Band, she performed in "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," which starred Alan Jones (Jack Jones' father) and also featured a comical, agile kid named Donald O'Connor. Scharett laughs, recalling O'Connor. "He was a darling boy," she says.

What did her parents, back home in Webster, think of her adventures? They were fine with it, Scharett shrugs. "They knew I was with a group."

BANDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS:

Phil Spitalny's All Girl Orchestra
D'Artega All Girl Orchestra
Chordettes
Chuck Lawrence Big Band
Ladies First Jazz Big Band
Subruban Serenaders (Director for 22 years)
Past President of the Buffalo State College Association of Women
Program Chairwoman of Women's Overseas Service League
State Federation of Women's Clubs Eighth District Music Competitions
Lifetime Achievement Award: Buffalo Music Hall of Fame

Fran with her Buffalo Music Hall of Fame award, flanked by Kirstin Brown (L) and Jennifer May (R).

Thank you Fran, for opening doors and paving the way for female musicians.
You will always be remembered - God bless.

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