Vintage Marquee
The Musical Battle of the Century, Benny Goodman vs Chick Webb, May 11, 1937
Photography by Weegee
New York City, NY
Battles of the Bands were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Two or more competing bands would take turns to see who was the first to drive the audience crazy. This faceoff was historic. Chick Webb had a badly deformed spine which made him appear hunchbacked. As a child he sold newspapers to raise the money to buy drums. By the time he died in 1939 at the age of 34 he was considered one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time. There were 4,000 people inside the Savoy that night and another 5,000 gathered outside. Webb easily beat Goodman.
