Ernie Chavez(1927-1992)
- Actor
As a five year old boy, the story goes, Ernest Torres Chavez would
scale a fence next to the family's first home in North 11th Street in
San Jose, California, and quietly enter the house next door. The
neighbors then would be surprised to hear the boy making noise on the
guitars stored in the back room. The music stayed with him. He left San
Jose High School at the age of 17 to join the National Guard, where he
played tenor sax at his base in Tacoma, Washington. Released from
active duty in 1947, Ernie joined the San Jose jazz combo called Three
Bees and a Queen. He played around the San Francisco Bay Area and
beyond. The group, which also featured pianist Jose Castro and singer
Treasure Ford, reached its high point in the early 1950's when it was
given second billing at the London Palladium. In the 1950's he settled
in Los Angeles, where he played for several years with Cuban-American
composer Rene Touzet and his Latin jazz orchestra. He also worked as a
member of the house band at the Band Box, a well-known comedy
nightclub. It was there that Don Rickles often used Mr. Chavez as a
straight man, hurling racial slurs at him while Mr. Chavez chuckled and
the audience roared. One night Mr. Chavez came back with a swipe of his
own, recalled Rita Chavez-Law who married Mr. Chavez in 1950. "Some day
I want to be just like you, Mr. Rickles" he said. "How's that?" Rickles
asked. "Vicious." said Mr. Chavez. The audience roared. Rickles never
asked him back on the stage after that. Other LA stints included music
arrangements for Nancy Wilson and filling in for recording sessions
with band leader Harry James. He also had a one-time speaking role in
"The Ring". Other bit parts included Musician roles in "strangers When
We Meet" and a spot on the TV series "Bourbon Street Beat." After his
divorce in early 1960's Mr. Chavez returned to San Jose. He played sax
and flute for lounge combos around the Bay Area for 30 years. A working
musician until health problems took him off the stage, Mr. Chavez
developed a brain tumor and died in 1992.
