Thaddeus "Fabulous" Ford, II was born into a family of jazz musicians in New Orleans. Thaddeus began playing the trumpet at age 8 under the demanding instruction of his father, Thaddeus Ford, Sr., a professional trumpeter with the U.S. Marine Corp Band for 15 years. The instrument was not taken very seriously by young Thaddeus until age 14. It was then that he met trumpet virtuoso Wynton Marsalis at a workshop at his high school, St. Augustine. Thaddeus immediately went to his father, who was in attendance and said, "...that's what I want to do!" His father suggested that he get in contact with his grandfather, saxophone legend Clarence Ford, Sr., who played with Fats Domino throughout the '50s and '60s.
Unfortunately, Thaddeus didn't take heed to his father's suggestion for another year and a half. It was the summer of 1994 that he decided to audition for The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), a performance arts high school whose alumni include the Marsalis brothers, Harry Connick, Jr., Terence Blanchard and many others. As a student, he was exposed to the some of the most talented young musicians the city had to offer. He studied with New Orleans premier trumpeter and educator Clyde Kerr, Jr. and Ronald Benko of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. It was at a NOCCA master class that he also met his mentor and friend, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis.
After high school, Thaddeus and his father enrolled in the music program at Southern University in Baton Rouge. They studied together under jazz educator and clarinetist Alvin Batiste. After a year in Baton Rouge, young Thaddeus got homesick. He and his father transferred to The University of New Orleans (UNO) to study under Ellis Marsalis. After two semesters at UNO, Thaddeus got an invitation to join the brass-hop group Coolbone. He spent 5 years with them performing and recording on an international scale. It was with Coolbone that he acquired his personable stage presence, thus the nickname "Fabulous."
As much as he enjoyed the ride with Coolbone, Thaddeus longed to express the music that was in him in a different context. In 2001, he formed his first group, The Continuum. He adapted the name as a way to pay homage to his father who passed away in 1999 and who also had a band by that name. It was also the year that Thaddeus became a partner in the online/offline news and entertainment promotion web portal Ebonetworks.com and it's affiliate, NewOrleansBlack.com.
For the next three years, The Continuum grew from virtually unknown to one of the most highly sought after club and private function draws in the city of New Orleans. It was during this period that he had the pleasure of joining his mentor Delfeayo Marsalis' band.
In 2004, Thaddeus relocated to Dallas, Texas. Since then he has taken the jazz community by storm, performing with the likes of Shelly Carroll, Freddie Jones, Red Young, LeMark Gulley, Yashi Vaughn, Lynn Ross, Arthur Riddles, Dave Burris, Marchel Ivery, Victor Cager, and many more. He can regularly be found lending his joyful New Orleans sound to unsuspecting bands and patrons at various clubs around the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Thaddeus is currently working with his new band in the Dallas area. He is also developing a youth summer jazz workshop, a jazz curriculum for elementary schools, and a 501(c)(3) organization, as well as collaborating with an array of local talent on recording and performance projects.
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