An illustration of Bullock in his prime, from 1930s “Perfect” record sleeve.
One of the most prolific male vocalists of the 1930s was Charles “Chick” Bullock. With his relaxed style and smooth tenor voice, Bullock recorded innumerable titles with groups ranging from sweet dance orchestras like Waring’s Pennsylvanians and Ed Kirkeby to hot jazz bands like Cab Calloway’s orchestra and the Mills Blue Rhythm Band, even Antobal’s Cubans as “Chiquito Bullo”, as well as his own group, the Levee Loungers. Over the course of his career, Bullock worked with many, if not most, top musicians of the 1930s, recording hundreds of sides. In fact, if you pulled out any record from the ARC labels (Banner, Perfect, Romeo, et al), there’s a good chance you’ll see “vocal chorus by Chick Bullock”.
Charles Sibley Bullock was born September 16, 1898 in Butte, Montana to British parents William (b.1858) and Emily Bullock (née Sibley) (b.1872), an engineer and teacher, respectively, who met and married after emigrating to the States. Though his family wanted him to pursue a career as a doctor, he was destined for a life in the show business. His first job in the entertainment industry had him working as an illustrated song performer between acts on the vaudeville stage. Later, he worked his way from venue to venue into motion pictures, scoring a few small parts in silent films, but soon found he preferred singing, and left Hollywood to pursue a career in music. In Salt Lake City, Bullock met Mary Newton, whom he would marry soon after.