Sonny Payne

Sonny Payne (May 4, 1926 – January 29, 1979) was an American jazz drummer, best known for his work with Count Basie and Harry James.

Birth and Death Data: Born New York City, Died January 29, 1979 (Los Angeles)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1946 - 1960

Roles Represented in DAHR: drums

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 39 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Atlantic 111 10-in. 12/30/1947 Profoundly blue Tiny Grimes Quintet instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 112 10-in. 12/30/1947 Blue harlem Tiny Grimes Quintet instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 113 10-in. 12/30/1947 That old black magic Tiny Grimes Quintet instrumentalist, drums  
Atlantic 114 10-in. 12/30/1947 Boogie woogie barbecue Tiny Grimes Quintet instrumentalist, drums  
Mercury 1593 10-in. 12/30/1947 Resolution blues Cootie Williams Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, drums  
Mercury 1594 10-in. 12/30/1947 I want to cry Cootie Williams Orchestra ; Dinah Washington instrumentalist, drums  
Mercury 4590 10-in. 10/11/1951 Can't understand it Julian Dash Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Mercury 4591 10-in. 10/11/1951 Blue velvet Julian Dash Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Mercury 4615 10-in. 11/15/1951 All over again Julian Dash Orchestra ; Carmen Taylor instrumentalist, drums  
Mercury 4616 10-in. 11/15/1951 Cry Julian Dash Orchestra ; Carmen Taylor instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 73388 2/21/1946 I'm just a lucky so and so Ella Fitzgerald instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 73389 2/21/1946 I didn't mean a word I said Ella Fitzgerald instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 76827 9/11/1950 so long, goodbye blues Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 76828 9/11/1950 Skippin' and hoppin' Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 76829 9/11/1950 Down beat Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 76830 9/11/1950 Tennessee waltz Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 80262 12/6/1950 After hours-1 Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 80263 12/6/1950 No regrets Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 80264 12/6/1950 Tuxedo junction-2 Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 80265 12/6/1950 Bear mash blues-3 Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 80409 1/18/1951 Love never comes around Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 80410 1/18/1951 Nona-1 Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 80411 1/18/1951 Please don't put me down Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 80412 1/18/1951 Station break Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
Decca 89338 2/9/1956 The yurt Erskine Hawkins Orchestra instrumentalist, drums  
(Results 1-25 of 39 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Payne, Sonny," accessed December 23, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/336834.

Payne, Sonny. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 23, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/336834.

"Payne, Sonny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 23 December 2025.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/336834

External Sources

Wikipedia: Sonny Payne

Discogs: Sonny Payne

Allmusic: Sonny Payne

Grove: Sonny Payne

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Payne, Sonny, 1926-1979 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no92003408

Wikidata: Sonny Payne - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q358286

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/22328333

MusicBrainz: Sonny Payne - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/b6372c2f-a092-4d96-a6f3-1f29826df090

Fast: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/299774 - http://id.worldcat.org/fast/299774

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