Born in Columbus, Ohio in 1915, "Sweets" began playing the trumpet at age 12 . After 1933, he began working with "territory" bands around Cleveland and St. Louis such as Alphonse Trent, Lucky Millender, etc. From 1937 he worked with Count Basie almost continuously until Count broke up the band in 1950. That year saw gigs with Buddy Rich and a tour with Norman Granz' Jazz At The Philharmonic. During this period, he toured with Josephine Baker as her Musical Director.

In 1952, "Sweets" began regular studio work accompanying Frank Sinatra and other singers. On the west coast, he worked with Benny Carter recording film sound tracks and led his own quintet in Hollywood. By late 1958, he was recording regularly as a soloist and working with his group at New York's Birdland. In the 60's , he continued his heavy studio recording schedule as well as regular appearances at jazz festivals (solo and with his own group), with Jazz At The Philharmonic, with the Basie band as guest soloist, and regularly on the Hollywood Palace TV show. He appeared in the Norman Granz film, Jammin' the Blues.

"Sweets" has recorded his own LP's on Verve and Roulette as well as with Count Basie, Lester Young, Buddy Rich, Billie Holiday, Illinois Jaquet, Buddy DeFranco, Ben Webster, Ruth Brown, Woody Herman, Red Norvo, and Lambert, Hendricks and Ross. In the 70's, he toured with Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Benny Carter and taught at Yale University for the Duke Ellington Fellowship. In 1983, he toured Europe with the Countsmen.

"Sweets" has one of the most distinctive and recognizable voices in jazz. He single-handedly developed a vocabulary for the Harmon-muted trumpet. Along with Bobby Hackett, he is one of the few master trumpet accompanists, for which he found himself in demand for countless recording sessions for singers such as Sinatra, Pearl Bailey, and many, many other