Chick Webb - Disputed Year of Birth

Disputed Year of Birth

Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Earl Hines and Coleman Hawkins are among several early jazz musicians whose birthdates have been disputed. Many sources give Webb's birth year as 1909; however there is research that shows this may be incorrect. The Encyclopædia Britannica Online gives two possible years for his birthdate, 1902 and 1909. Still other publications claim other years. The New York Times reported in 1939 that Webb was born in 1907. Eric B. Borgman claims that he has proven that Webb was actually born in 1905, based on the 1910 and 1920 United States censuses. The Internet Movie Database has since adopted the 1905 year. It appears that both his death certificate and his grave marker give his birth year as 1909. During his lifetime a book entitled Rhythm on Record by Hilton Schleman stated his birth year was 1907.