Background
John Harvey Gahan was born near Orangeville, Ontario where his father, John James Gahan, had married his mother, Sarah Anne Porterfield, in 1887.
John Harvey Gahan was born near Orangeville, Ontario where his father, John James Gahan, had married his mother, Sarah Anne Porterfield, in 1887.
Gahan played a command performance for the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII, at age 5) As a virtuoso violinist he performed under the name Arvé. Early years Harvey is known to have had one sibling, Alexandria (Alice) Gahan, born in 1902 in Toronto where, in 1911, Harvey married Julia Magdalene Newell of Ohio. While playing a classical piece, Harvey glanced up into the owner’s box, and upon seeing Josephine, began to play “Beautiful Dreamer”, the last known song of Stephen Foster.
He was introduced to her in his dressing room after the concert.
Harvey and Josephine began a courtship. Second Marriage Third Marriage.
Gahan began his 1935-1942 screen career as a member of several hillbilly music groups, including being an original member of the band known as The Arizona Wranglers (aka The Range Riders), which also included stalwart B-Western player Jack Kirk, stuntman Jack Jones, and Deuce Spriggens. Gahan was also a member of Loyal Underwood"s Range Riders on radio, and several other groups over the years. At the time of is death in 1958 at the Queen of Angels Hospital, Gahan was a member of the Hollywood Hillbillies.