Arthur Bimbo, 88, of Medford, a musician, Died March 31, at Sunbridge Care and Rehabilitation of Concord. Mr. Bimbo was born in Boston and grew up in Medford where he was a lifelong resident. He graduated from Medford High School and went to St. John Prep School.
He began his love for music while in High School and began studying music and reed instruments, with his emphasis on tenor saxaphone. He became a member of the Boston Muscians Union and began playing the saxaphone as a full time profession.
One of his earliest gigs was playing at the Izzy Orts Night Club in Boston. He then went on to play the big bands spending several years with Artie Shaw band and the Vaugn Monroe Orchestra. While with Artie Shaw band he flew in bomber planes to play for the USO. He also backed up Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Mills Brothers and played clarinet solo, Rhapsody in Blue, at Carnegie Hall New York.
The last twelve years of his career was spent playing saxaphone with Mike Gaylord orchestra at the Blinstrubs Village nightclub in Boston, Here he played saxaphone and becames friends with the great names such as Louie Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., Patti Page, Jimmy Durante and many other great performers.
He leaves his two sons, Arthur W. Bimbo of Poinciana, Florida and Kenneth D. Bimbo of Boynton Beach Florida. His daughter Suzanne O´Meara of Hilo, Hawaii, six grandchildren, Maria, Jonathan, Tammy, Christine, Matthew, and Melissa and eleven great grandchildren.
Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend a funeral mass in celebration of his life at St. James Church 779 Fellsway Medford on Wednesday, April 3, at 10 AM. Services will conclude with burial at Oak Grove Cemetery, Medford. Arrangements by the Dello Russo Funeral Home