a new, old photo

Westbrook Finlayson & the Melodians

 Carrol Lee Melton, ?, Billy Duvall, ?, Ned Hickson, ?, King Reid, Jimmy Gainey, Steve Salvo, Charlie Adkins,  Westbrook Finlayson (crutches)

Beverly believes that Steve Salvo
is the fellow on the drums.

My cousin Beverly F. Triber, Wofford's daughter, just sent me this photo of one of dad's orchestra's.  This group preceded the H. Westbrook and His Orchestra.  Beverly jotted down some names beneath the photos with some guesses.  Pardon us if the names are wrong guesses.  Beverly said in her letter that these pictures were sent to her by the widow of a former band member, Steve Salvo.  You may recall that it was during a meeting with brothers Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey that it was suggested to change the name of Westbrook's band.  They felt that the name Finlayson should not be used, to pick a name that the public would not only be able to remember but to pronounce.

My uncle Pat died a little over a month ago.  Beverly found the above photo with a letter from Steve Salvo's wife.  It had been sent to him only months before Pat's passing.  The letter reads as follows:

Ainsworth,
Thomasine passed your letter along to me, I was so glad to hear from you and appreciate your words of sympathy.  Steve had a hard fight the last couple of years.  He always loved to talk about working at the movie with Jimmy and the rest of the crowd and playing with Westbrook's band.  I had a copy of the band made for you and Jennie Llew in case you do not have this picture.  I can remember the faces of the two boys in center back but not their names.  Some may have been substitutes - like Charlie Adkins for Fred Posten at the piano.

I guess at the end of the sweetest life long friends are the ones in our little class of 1938.  Hope  you are doing well.
Love,
Ouida