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Jerome Countess was born on December 22, 1920 in Brooklyn, New York. His mother raised him as a single mother, making ends meet with her job in a clothing factory. Countess's father rarely held a job, and his mother divorced him when Countess was three-years-old. Countess grew up in the borough's Jewish neighborhood, and he developed a reputation for being a skillful handball player and a great dancer.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/lvrj/name/wilma-noyes-obituary?id=19446520

Jerry LeFors, from the "Greatest Generation," was born in Oklahoma in 1921 and attended grade schools in West Texas. He graduated from high school in Lawton, Oklahoma in 1938 and then continued his education at Cameron Junior College in Lawton, where he graduated in 1940.

While in college he enjoyed playing the drums and had his own dance band in addition to his studies. He also became enamored with flying aircraft and became a Civilian Flight Instructor in Illinois in 1941, following graduation.

Musician, conductor, and arranger John W. (Johnny) Pate started his career as a self-taught bass player. Born in Illinois on December 5, 1923, Pate characterized his style as "Chicago soul," although he spent the majority of his career playing with jazz musicians. After his service in the AGF Army Band during World War Two, he played with Coleridge Davis' big band from 1947 to 1949.