Editing Paul Tanner

{{short description|American trombonist}}
{{other people|Paul Tanner}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Paul Tanner
| image = File:Paul Tanner with Electro-Theremin.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Tanner with the Electro-Theremin.
| image_size = 
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name = 
| alias = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|10|15}}
| birth_place = [[Skunk Hollow, Kentucky]], United States
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|2|5|1917|10|15}}
| death_place = [[Carlsbad, California]], United States
| origin = 
| instrument = [[Trombone]], [[Electro-Theremin]]
| genre = [[Jazz]]
| occupation = Musician, inventor, educator, author
| years_active = <!-- YYYY–YYYY -->
| label = 
| associated_acts = {{Unbulleted list|[[Glenn Miller]]|[[The Beach Boys]]}}
| website = 
}}
{{externalvideo
| float = right
| width = 320px
| video1 = [http://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/paul-tanner ''Oral History, Paul Tanner shares moments of his life story and career''. Interview date May 18, 2001, NAMM Oral History Library]
| 
}}

'''Paul Tanner''' (October 15, 1917&nbsp;– February 5, 2013) was an American musician and a member of the [[Glenn Miller Orchestra]]. He developed and played the [[Electro-Theremin]], a [[theremin]] soundalike instrument that is best known for its use on [[the Beach Boys]] 1966 songs "[[I Just Wasn't Made for These Times]]," "[[Good Vibrations]]," and "[[Wild Honey (The Beach Boys song)|Wild Honey]]".

==Early life==
Paul Ora Warren Tanner was born on October 15, 1917, in Skunk Hollow, Campbell County, Kentucky. Tanner had five brothers, and each could play an instrument. Tanner learned to play the trombone at a reform school where his father was employed as superintendent.<ref name="don">Heckman, Don. (2013, February 6). ''[http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-paul-tanner-20130207,0,3512583.story Paul Tanner dies at 95; trombonist with Glenn Miller Orchestra]''. The Los Angeles Times.</ref> Tanner and his brothers were playing in what he described as a "strip joint" when Miller heard him and offered him a position in his band.<ref name="don"/>

==Career==
Tanner gained fame as a [[trombone|trombonist]], playing with [[Glenn Miller]] and [[Glenn Miller Orchestra|His Orchestra]] from 1938 to 1942, the group's [[Glenn Miller Orchestra#Past members|entire duration]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nctimes.com/entertainment/columnists/kragen/article_9d05aa4c-ec26-5fdb-bd61-c0e4152cfe59.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904110451/http://www.nctimes.com/entertainment/columnists/kragen/article_9d05aa4c-ec26-5fdb-bd61-c0e4152cfe59.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 4, 2012|title=A look back at the best of Backstage in 2006|date=December 27, 2006|newspaper=[[North County Times]]|access-date=2009-11-10}}</ref> When it disbanded, Tanner joined the [[United States Army Air Forces|U.S. Army Air Force]], becoming a part of the 378th Army Service Forces Band at Ft Slocum, New York. He later worked as a studio musician in [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]].<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/paul-tanner-of-the-glenn-miller-orchestra-dead-at-95-20130206 | title=Paul Tanner of Glenn Miller Orchestra Dead at 95 | magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] | date=6 February 2013 }}</ref>

Tanner earned three degrees at [[University of California, Los Angeles]] – a bachelor's in 1958 (graduating ''magna cum laude''), a master's in 1961, and a doctorate in 1975. He also was influential in launching UCLA's highly regarded jazz education program in 1958.<ref name="don"/> He then became a professor at UCLA<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-gQVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=J-IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6811,7546470&dq=paul-tanner+ucla&hl=en|title=Paul Tanner Packs Them In At UCLA...|last=UCL|date=July 26, 1976|newspaper=[[The Register-Guard]]|access-date=2009-11-10}}</ref> and also authored or co-authored several academic and popular histories related to [[jazz]].

==Electro-Theremin==
{{Main|Electro-Theremin}}
He developed and played the [[Electro-Theremin]], an electronic musical instrument that mimics the sound of the [[theremin]]. He can be heard performing on the opening title theme music of the 1963–66 CBS-TV comedy series ''My Favorite Martian''.  The  Electro-Theremin is featured on several 1966–1967 recordings by [[The Beach Boys]], with Tanner as the guest player;<ref>{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/thearts/2010072918_spaced16.html|title=EMP/SFM show is 'Spaced Out,' — and far out|date=16 October 2009|newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]]|access-date=2009-11-10 | first=Rachel | last=Shimp}}</ref> most notably on the Capitol Records singles "[[Good Vibrations]]", "[[Wild Honey (Beach Boys song)|Wild Honey]]", in the album track "[[I Just Wasn't Made For These Times]]", and in Dennis Wilson's song "Tune L" found in the 1967 archival release "[[1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow]]".

==Death==
Tanner died of pneumonia on February 5, 2013, at the age of 95. He was the fourth-to-last surviving member of the [[Glenn Miller Orchestra]], being surpassed by bassist [[Trigger Alpert]], who died ten months later, trombonist [[Nat Peck]], who died in 2015, and trumpeter [[Ray Anthony]], who is living.

==Bibliography==
* ''Jazz'', with Maurice Gerow and David W. Megill (1964, W. C. Brown / 2009, McGraw-Hill; {{ISBN|978-0-07-340137-9}})
* ''Every Night Was New Year's Eve: On the Road With Glenn Miller '' . With Bill Cox (1992, Cosmo Space Co., Ltd. Tokyo. {{ISBN|4-947544-08-2}})

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0849683}}
*[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/paul-tanner Paul Tanner Interview] at [[NAMM Oral History Program|NAMM Oral History Collection]] (2001)

{{Glenn Miller}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, Paul}}
[[Category:1917 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:American inventors]]
[[Category:American male jazz musicians]]
[[Category:American writers about music]]
[[Category:American jazz trombonists]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in California]]
[[Category:Glenn Miller Orchestra members]]
[[Category:Jazz musicians from Kentucky]]
[[Category:American male trombonists]]
[[Category:Theremin players]]
[[Category:UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music faculty]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]