Charles Edward Duble was a trombonist and composer born on September 13, 1884 in Jeffersonville, Indiana. During his performing career of over twenty years, he played with a number of circus, vaudeville and minstrel bands including the Sun Brothers Circus, John Robinson’s Big Ten Shows, Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth and the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Show, DeRue Brothers All-Star Minstrels and William F. Kibble’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin Company, among many others.
Duble was described as a tall and lanky individual with a keen sense of humor, often given to practical jokes. He also was known to have a good memory, from which he recalled accounts of his career, organizations that he had been a part of, and the like.
His first composition is thought to be a march named “Floral City” (1905). Duble believed to have composed three to four dozen works in all. His best known composition is probably a march called “Bravura” (linked below).
After his performing career ended, he returned to his home town of Jefferson, Indiana. He wrote many articles for Bandwagon, the Journal of the Circus Historical Society, many of which are available online. He died in August of 1960. His honors include being inducted in 1980 into the Hall of Fame of Windjammers Unlimited, the circus music historical society.
Duble’s Bravura March (YouTube).
www.heritagebrassband.com 