Biography.guide
Home › People › Trumpeter › Oliver Todd
Portrait of Oliver Todd

Oliver Todd

1916 – 2001

American musician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Oliver Todd

Lived 1916 – 2001 (aged 85). Oliver Todd was an American trumpeter, bandleader, conductor and jazz musician.

Oliver C. Todd (1916–2001) was an American jazz band leader, organ, piano, and trumpet player. He was born in Kansas City, United States. He was one of the city's most famous band leaders and led a band known as the Hottentots, a group he formed in 1934 with Kansas City, Kansas, resident Margaret Johnson, who would assume leadership after Todd left the band in 1936.

Hottentots members included, at various times, the following musicians: Tiny Davis (trumpet) formerly with The International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Gene Ramey (string bass), Winston Williams (string bass), Bill Graham (alto sax) later with Count Basie and Ellington, Clifford Love, Eddie McClelland (tenor sax) and Clayborn Graves. In 1992, he won the KC Jazz Heritage Award. He was also a friend of Charlie Parker.

Oliver Todd died July 16, 2001, at the age of 83. After his death, he was for some time interred in an unmarked grave until The Coda Jazz Fund paid for a headstone for him.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

People in Oliver Todd's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Oliver Todd's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Oliver Todd?

American musician (1916–2001)

When was Oliver Todd born?

Oliver Todd was born on 7 January 1916 in Kansas City.

When did Oliver Todd die?

Oliver Todd died on 16 July 2001 in Kansas City.

What was Oliver Todd's occupation?

Oliver Todd was a trumpeter, bandleader, conductor and jazz musician.

What nationality was Oliver Todd?

Oliver Todd was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Oliver Todd

· Wikidata: Q7087874

· DBpedia: Oliver Todd

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Oliver Todd. https://biography.guide/oliver-todd/

MLA: "Oliver Todd." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/oliver-todd/.

Chicago: "Oliver Todd." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/oliver-todd/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:11 UTC