Doc Anello

The father of jazz guitarist and Cexton Records founder, John Anello Jr., and the son of jazz drummer Benny Anello, Doc Anello was a veteran singer, arranger and saxman who led big bands and small groups from the 1940s onward.

Doc Anello — nicknamed "Doc" because he holds a doctorate in jazz education — grew up in Newark, New Jersey, where he fell in love with jazz as a pre-teen and formed his first band, the Paradise Serenaders, at just 16 years old.

Over the decades he backed a remarkable roster of names in jazz and pop, including Johnny Mathis, Gregory Hines, Frankie Avalon, Rip Taylor, Totie Fields, Johnny Ray, Leslie Gore, Eartha Kitt, and many others.

Anello moved to California in 1968, and in 1975 he became manager of booking for Disneyland — a role that placed his music at the heart of one of the world's most beloved entertainment destinations.