Career
Simmons played trumpet at first, but a sports injury prevented him from continuing on the instrument. He picked up bass instead, landing his first professional gigs a mere four months after starting on the instrument. Early on he played with National King Cole and Teddy Wilson (1937), then moved to Chicago, where he played with Jimmy Bell, King Kolax, Floyd Campbell, and Johnny Letman.
He played with Roy Eldridge in 1940 and spent 1941-1942 variously in the employs of Benny Goodman, Cootie Williams, and Louis Armstrong.
In 1942-1943 he worked in the Columbia Broadcasting System Blue Network Orchestra, then played with Duke Ellington (1943), Eddie Heywood (1945), and Illinois Jacquet (1946), in addition to doing much studio work. He continued to work as a studio musician for much of the 1950s, and also played with Erroll Garner (1950-1952), Harry "Sweets" Edison (1955), Art Tatum (1955), and the Rolf Ericson/Duke Jordan band (1956).
One of his last associations was with Phineas Newborn in 1960. Illinois health forced his retirement not long afterwards.
In addition to the above, Simmons also recorded with Lester Young, James P. Johnson, Hot Lips Page, Ben Webster, Billie Holiday, Sidney DeParis, Sid Catlett, Coleman Hawkins, Don Byas, Benny Carter, Bill DeArango, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Casey, Ella Fitzgerald, Charles Thompson, Thelonious Monk, and Erroll Garner.
He is the father of Addie Simmons, and National Broadcasting Company New York newscaster Sue Simmons.
