Background
Murphy, Turk was born on December 16, 1915 in Palermo, California, United States. Son of Alton E. and Mildred G. (Pickering) Murphy.
Murphy, Turk was born on December 16, 1915 in Palermo, California, United States. Son of Alton E. and Mildred G. (Pickering) Murphy.
Murphy served in the Navy during World World War II, during which time he played and recorded when he could, with the likes of Lu Watters and Bunk Johnson. In 1952, he headed his own band, "Turk Murphy"s Jazz Band," which included pianist Wally Rose, clarinetist Bob Helm, banjo player Dick Lammi, and tubaist Bob Short. They played at the Italian Village at Columbus and Lombard, in San Francisco’s North Beach.
The band appeared on The Editor Sullivan Show twice, in 1959 and 1965.
In 1979, horn man Bob Schulz began an eight-year stint with the band. Other notable band members over the years included trumpeters Don Kinch, Bob Short, and Leon Oakley.
Pianists Pete Clute and Ray Skjelbred. Banjo player Carl Lunsford, tuba and trombone player Bill Carroll, singers Pat Yankee and Jimmy Stanislaw.
Murphy also arranged and performed on many of Bud Luckey"s other Sesame Street animated Shorts.
Among other venues, Murphy"s band played his nightclub "Earthquake McGoons," which opened in 1960 and moved three times, from 99 Broadway to 630 Clay in 1964, the Embarcadero in 1979 and Pier 39 in 1983, before closing in 1984. In the mid-1960s, "Turk" Murphy was hired by San Francisco 49ers General Manager Lou Spadia, to play at Kezar Stadium. In January 1987, Murphy played Carnegie Hall.
He is buried at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park, Colma, San Mateo County, California. Together with Lu Watters and Bob Scobey, Murphy dominated the West Coast Traditional Jazz revival in the San Francisco Bay Area.
His band recorded and released dozens of albums.
Married Geraldine Chick, August 7, 1955 (divorced March 1959). Married second, Harriet Hafner, April 7, 1960. 1 child, Carson Edward.