Pianist Clyde Ridge was interviewed by the Southeast Missourian during
a visit to his hometown, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in July, 1950.  Here
is a short chronological summary of his musical activities up to 1950.

1932-1937 - played piano in several traveling dance bands.

January 1936 - pianist with Arlie Simmons' orchestra in Kansas City.

March 1936 - joined Richard Cole's orchestra.

1937 - headed for California, played in the Jimmie Grier Orchestra
("The Musical Host of the Coast").

June, 1942 - married (briefly) to Mrs. Lawana Miller of Hollywood.

October, 1942 - entered U.S. Coast Guard and played with the
11th District Coast Guard band directed by Rudy Vallee and later
by Jimmy Grier.

March 1945 - played with bands including Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw,
Gene Krupa and Harry James, but quit when they went on the road.

1945 on - played piano at recording dates for record companies and
movie studios.

1948 - radio broadcasts with his own trio.

1949? - Ridge recorded in an 8-piece swing band led by trumpeter
Clyde Hurley.  Some of the sides were released later in 1957 as
played by the Kings of Dixieland on an LP titled "Fantabulous Kings
of Dixieland", on the Crown label (subsidiary of Modern Records),
CLP-5045.

1950 - Employed at the Hangover Nightclub Restaurant in Hollywood,
playing with a group billed as "Glenn Miller's All-Stars".

References:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AYYoAAAAIBAJ&sjid=49YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5960,3060980 
http://mthoenicke.magix.net/public/conniff/BigBandYears1946_1954.pdf 
http://forbiddeneye.com/labels/crown.html 

Robbie Rhodes
Etiwanda, Calif.