John Chellis Conner, Date of Birth, Date of Death
TweetJohn Chellis Conner
American musician
Date of Birth: 03-Oct-1913
Date of Death: 20-Aug-2001
Profession: musician
Nationality: United States
Zodiac Sign: Libra 
About John Chellis Conner
- John Chellis "Jack" Conner (October 3, 1913 – August 20, 2001) was an American marimbist. Conner was born in Kahoka, Missouri in 1913.
- At the age of six he began his studies of piano and percussion instruments.
- By the age of twelve, he was playing regularly on the radio with the KMOX Junior Orchestra.
- As a young artist he was a member of the International Marimba Symphony Orchestra during their European tour in 1935.
- Before pursuing a solo career, he was a member of both the St.
- Louis Symphony Orchestra and the St.
- Louis Municipal Opera Orchestra and was regularly heard on major St.
- Louis radio stations. He served overseas with the USO in the European theater and he later toured South America with the Xavier Cugat Orchestra.
- As one of the first percussionists to take the marimba and vibraphone into the classical world as solo instruments, he made his New York debut at Town Hall in 1950.
- After hearing Conner’s artistry on the instruments, Darius Milhaud, the French composer, was inspired to compose a concerto for Conner to perform.
- This Concerto for Marimba and Vibraphone was given its world premier with the St.
- Louis Symphony Orchestra in 1948 with Vladimir Golschmann conducting. In addition to his classical career, Conner was a jazz musician, especially in the New York City area.
- He was associated with Roger Williams, the pianist, with whom he had a 25-year association.
- He also performed with the Don Ho show in Hawaii and Las Vegas and served as music director and conductor for Anita Bryant.
- He also appeared on numerous radio and television programs such as Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas and the Lawrence Welk Show. Conner’s greatest love was inspirational and sacred music and he had a longtime association with Youth for Christ and World Vision, and his ministry in Christian music took him into concert halls, theaters, and churches throughout the world.
- He was also a producer of Christian films such as “In God We Trust”, which he wrote and in which he played a major role.
- He made numerous recordings featuring both the marimba and vibraphone. In 1990 he was presented the honorary degree, Doctor of Sacred Music, by Trinity College of Florida.
- He spent his later years performing with his son and daughter-in-law as “The Conners in Concert.”
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