1955	Wardell Gray Chronology
	Created by Leif Bo Petersen	Last updated: December 4, 2013
Date	Event	References/Further Details
January 19	Wardell Gray Quintet Unknown studio, Chicago, IL. Commercial recordings for Vee-Jay.
February late/March early	Wardell Gray Band Including Sonny Stitt and Philly Joe Jones. Blue Note, Philadelphia, PA.	L. Porter (ed.), The John Coltrane Reference (2008), 97.
March?	Wardell Gray Engagement as single. Bee Hive Lounge, Chicago, IL. Private recordings exist.	See discography for details.
March?	Wardell Gray Inc. Pepper Adams (as & bars). Prob. Klein’s, Detroit, MI.	http://www.pepperadams.com/Chronology/EarlyYears.html
March 31	Frank Morgan Septet Unknown studio, Los Angeles, CA. Commercial recordings for Gene Norman Presents.	See discography for details.
April 2	Concert Ella Fitzgerald Dave Brubeck Quartet Including Paul Desmond. Red Norvo Trio Including Tal Farlow. Modern Jazz All Stars Wardell Gray, Zoot Sims, Harry Edison, Arnold Ross, Jackie Mills, John Simmons, Conte Candoli, and Barney Kessel. Irving Granz (prod.): Jazz ala Carte Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA.	“Jazz a la Carte,” Daily Trojan, Friday, April 1, 1955, 2. Ad in Daily Trojan, Friday, April 1, 1955, 2.
May 17?	Jam session Jack Millman (flh), Wardell Gray (ts), Leroy Vinegar (b), Lawrence Marable (d), a. o. Jazz City, Hollywood, CA. A Tuesday night few days before Wardell Gray’s death.	Photo in Malcolm Walker Collection.
May 23	Benny Carter Orchestra New Moulin Rouge Hotel, Las Vegas, NV. Rehearsals for the Tropi-Can-Can Revue.	“Wardell Gray Slain…” Chicago Defender, June 4, 1955, 1: photo of Wardell Gray with the chorus line two days before his death.
May 24	Opening of New Moulin Rouge Hotel, Las Vegas, NV.	“Music Notes,” Variety (Daily), May 23, 1955, 8: Hotel opens Tuesday (24).
May 25	Wardell Gray Las Vegas, NV. In a pause between first and second set of the show at Moulin Rouge (7:30–8:00 p.m.) Wardell Gray dies of an overdose of heroin in dancer Teddy Hale’s apartment. Hale subsequently transports the body to a ditch 4 miles outside Las Vegas.	“Wardell Gray Slain…” Chicago Defender, June 4, 1955, 1. “Gray Buried in Detroit Teddy Hale Gets 90 Days,” Chicago Defender, June 11, 1955, 1. Teddy Edwards interviewed in Cadence Magazine, vol. 20, No. 4, April 1994, 16.
May 26	Benny Carter Orchestra New Moulin Rouge Hotel, Las Vegas, NV. Official premiere of the Tropi-Can-Can Revue. Wardell Gray’s dead body is found at 4 p.m. few hours before the opening of the revue.	“Nitery Review: Moulin Rouge,” Variety (Daily), May 27, 1955, 8: Review of opening nigh dated May 26. “Wardell Gray Slain…” Chicago Defender, June 4, 1955, 1.