Born in Cleveland in 1919, Benjamin Clarence Jackson took up the saxophone instead of the violin that his parents wanted him to play. He started his first band, The Harlem Hotshots, while he was still in high school, with his friend Freddie Webster. Returning to Cleveland in 1943 after a brief stint in Buffalo, Jackson caught the eye of bandleader Lucky Millinder. It was the musicians in Millinder's band that gave him the unforgettable name "Bull Moose." One night while on tour in Texas, the scheduled singer Wynonie Harris didn't show up to sing. Jackson was pulled out of the sax section to croon the song "Hurry, Hurry," and a new career was born Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.