Jack Normand Trio

The Jack Normand Trio was the original name of Ro Reddick's father's band in the 1940's. The group was comprised of Sage "Jack" Normand on piano/accordian, Pat Cook on upright bass and horn, and Vaughn Gammon on vibraphone and drums. It was in 1941 that Jack and his trio were first invited from their home in New Orleans to play for the reopening of a resort hotel in south Alabama called the Grand Hotel. After the war, they contracted him to play again for "a two-week gig," as Jack would tell it, in 1951, but then "they never let me go back home again."

The years went by, and night after night the Jack Normand Trio played at the hotel until late. As the time passed, the musician's families grew, and when Jack discovered his five offspring had musical talent, he recruited them to help in his band. One by one, he gave each of his children (willing or no) experience playing in his band, until all were capable of playing at least piano, bass or drums -- whichever was needed. Eventually, the Jack Normand Trio morphed into the Normand Family Band, as Jack's children filled in for the musicians who moved or died. The Normand Family continued to provide music to the Grand Hotel (eventually bought by Marriott in the 1980's) six nights a week until finally, their nightly gig came to an end in ^[???]. In total, Jack and his family were the "house band" for the Grand Hotel for an astounding 40+ years. Occasionally, a Normand can still be found playing in the hotel lounge or ballroom for a special event.

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Trivia

• Jack's very first paying gig was when he was a young boy, to play accordian for a man who wanted to impress his girlfriend. However, the little Jack only knew one song, and had to play it over and over again. The oblivious lovers didn't seem to mind, he said.
• Many TV/movie stars stayed at the hotel through the years and they all loved Jack's music, especially Joni Mitchell, who played beside Jack all night, and then went to his house later. Other famous guests the Normands played for include the Monkees, Tom Selleck, Red Foxx, Bobby Goldsboro, and David Carradine, to name a few.
• Jack and his family band were featured by radio personality Paul Harvey on his show in 1981
• Jack always had trouble remembering someone's name, but always managed to remember their favorite song. He would see a person walk into the hotel dining room and shout, "Hey, it's 'Tie A Yellow Ribbon'!" and then begin to play the song.
• When Jack's Trio started at the hotel, there was no dance floor. The management had to clear an area to make one, as guests who couldn't resist the music, would dance in between the tables and bump into them.
• Because of the flexibility of the trio's musicians, their repertoire of popular music was huge, as at least one person in the band would know how to play the lead for any given song requested.
• Jack recorded two albums: "Jack Normand at the Grand" in 1959 and "Simply Grand" in 1961.
• The only known recording of the song, "On Mobile Bay" was performed by the Jack Normand Trio, and was used as the nightly sign-off song for WKRG-TV, and WKRG-AM for their "What's Doing In Mobile" radio segment in Mobile, Alabama.
• "Stars Fell On Alabama" was Jack's theme song.
• Jack played with some of the great New Orleans musicians of the 1950's, including Al Hirt and Pete Fountain, long time friends
• The Jack Normand Trio had their own radio show which broadcasted from the Blue Room in downtown New Orleans
• The City of Fairhope, Alabama, owns a concert grand piano which resides in the Civic Center. It was purchased entirely with donations solicited by Jack Normand. The grateful City placed a plaque on the side of the piano with the name of everyone who donated towards the beautiful instrument. Above the piano keys they added a commemorating plaque that reads simply "Jack's Piano."