Background
Born Oliver Edward Mitchell in Los Angeles on April 8, 1927, he was the son of Harold Mitchell, lead trumpeter for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, who also taught Ollie to play the trumpet.
Born Oliver Edward Mitchell in Los Angeles on April 8, 1927, he was the son of Harold Mitchell, lead trumpeter for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, who also taught Ollie to play the trumpet.
Mitchell would go on to play in big bands for Harry James, Buddy Rich and Pérez Prado, among others, as well as the National Broadcasting Company Symphony Orchestra. In the 1960s, Mitchell joined The Wrecking Crew, a group of studio and session musicians who played anonymously on many records for popular singers of the time, as well as television theme songs, film scores, advertising jingles. He would go on to have his own bands—Ollie Mitchell"s Sunday Band, and the Olliephonic Horns.
Mitchell was also an original member of Herb Alpert"s Tijuana Brass.