Chick Webb and His Orchestra

William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb (February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939) was a jazz and swing music drummer as well as a band leader. Chick Webb was born in Baltimore, Maryland to William H. and Marie Johnson Webb. Since childhood, he suffered from tuberculosis of the spine, leaving him with short stature and a badly deformed spine. He supported himself as a newspaper boy to save enough money to buy drums, and first played professionally at age 11.