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Bob Porter (5)

US vocalist, trumpeter, orchestra conductor, also active in Guatemala. Bob grew up in Berkeley, California. He graduated from the University of California Berkeley, with post graduate studies at Westlake Music College, Los Angeles. Later, he attended Mills College, where he studied orchestration with French composer Darius Milhaud. When Bob made known his desire to be a musician, his father said, "Is there any money in that? In the 50's, Bob joined The Lancers, a singing group which in 1950 had a hit called "Sweet Mama, Tree Top Tall". They also recorded the hittheme for "Don’t Go Near the Water" with Doris Day. As a working musician in Los Angeles, Bob arranged music for cartoon Woody Woodpecker, for the TV series "Lassie" and several movies. When Bob moved to Los Angeles, he studied orchestration with Russ Garcia, the famous arranger and orchestrator. Russ was also the director of the Baha’i choir at the Los Angeles Baha’i Center. At some point he passed on the baton to Bob, who became the director of the Baha’i choir. Bob sang lead on Russ’ first Baha’i recording: “Voices of Baha’i.”Soon after that, Bob and Marcie answered the call of the International GoalsCommittee and went to serve the Baha’i Faith in Guatemala, Central America. Bob went to Guatemala fully expectingto give up his career in music. However, by a chance meeting he was introduced to Diaz Duran, owner of Discos [l=Dila] Records. Eventually he did arrangements for Tanya Zea, Elizabeth of Guatemala, Alvaro Torres, Paco Caceres, Vicki Carr, Cesar de Guatemala, and others. He recorded dozens of records with his Guatemalan group, "Bob Porter Coros Orquesta". Jazz with a Latin flair was a new sound in Guatemala. Today Bob Porter’s orchestra named “Paco Gatsby” stillperforms and records in Guatemala. Father of [a=KC Porter].