He became master of ceremonies of the bands in which he worked early in his career – Napoleon Zyas's, Leroy Tibbs', and Chick Webb's. He is credited with persuading Webb to hire Ella Fitzgerald. After a period leading his own band and touring England with Lew Leslie's Blackbirds, he returned to the Webb band, taking it over after Webb died. In 1940 he moved to California, where he became Johnny Otis's business partner, performing in Otis's band and opening the famous Barrelhouse Club with him. He played an important role in the early career of Charles Brown and was Redd Foxx's business manager.