Theodore Navarro, better known as "Fats", was born in Key West, Florida, on 24th September 1923. He was a cousin of the jazz trumpeter Charlie Shavers and took up the trumpet himself at the age of thirteen. Although only 26 at the time of his death (7th July 1950), he had already played with Sol Albright, Snookum Russell, the Andy Kirk Orchestra, Billy Eckstine, Coleman Hawkins, Tommy Reynolds, Tadd Dameron, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, the Oscar Pettiford All Stars, Jazz at the Philharmonic and Charlie Parker.
