Born in Newaygo, Michigan, he grew up in Toledo, Ohio. In 1919, he began working with Charley Straight at the Imperial Piano Roll Company in Chicago, performing, arranging and composing.
He was born in Newaygo, Michigan, and raised in Toledo, Ohio.  In 1919, he started his career with Charley Straight at the Imperial Piano Roll Company in Chicago, where he performed, arranged, and composed music.