Born in Brinkley, Arkansas, Jordan learned clarinet, piano and later alto sax from his band leader father. He joined his father's band, The Rabbit Foot Minstrels, as a child and played professionally in local bands. At the age of 24 he left for Philadelphia and New York to play for Clarence William's band where he caught the attention of Chick Webb. In 1934 he was invited to join Webb and his band at the Savoy Ballroom, a major milestone in his career. Jordan's ebullient personality made him extremely popular as a singer in Webb's band and he often sang duets with the young Ella Fitzgerald ( they repeated that partnership in later recordings after both had achieved stardom). Jordan was fired from the band in 1938 after he tried to convince Fitzgerald and other members to join the new band he was forming.
Jordan's band, The Tympany Five, made it's first recordings in 1938-1939 but it was an engagement in 1941 at Chicago's Capitol Lounge backing the Mills Brothers that would set Jordan's fortunes in motion. In April of 1941, Decca Records decided to launch it's Sepia Series of recording artists they thought might reach a crossover audience. Jordan's band, along with the Nate King Cole Trio and a few others were removed from the "Race" records division and added to Sepia. "Knock Me a Kiss" was the first big seller for Jordan, later covered more successfully by Roy Eldridge and Jimmy Lunceford's orchestras. "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town" was his next big hit, also covered more successfully by Lunceford.
Recordings made in 1942 fed his popularity, finally landing high on the charts with "Five Guys Named Moe" which established his swinging R&B style and would later be used as the title of a long running stage show paying tribute to Jordan and his music. Jordan moved his band to Los Angeles, working local venues and making "soundies" (the music videos of the era). During the 40's, Jordan released dozens of his raucous hit songs including "G.I. Jive", "Buzz Me", "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby". "Blue Light Boogie", "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens", "Choo Choo Cha Boogie", "Caldonia" and "Saturday Night Fish Fry" (in 1950) which is a contender for being one of the earliest rock and roll recordings. The band also recorded prolifically for the Armed Forces Radio Service and the V-Disc program.
By 1948 Jordan and his band had gone from making the standard union wage of $70 a week in 1941 ($35 for Jordan and the other $35 split between the band members) to $70,000 in just two weeks when he played the Golden Gate Theater in San Francisco. Unfortunately, Jordan made the decision to form a big band right at the time large bands were on the decline. It only lasted a year in 1951 but it put a dent in Jordan's popularity that he could never quite recover from. He continued to perform and record sporadically, his infectious, upbeat energy still intact, up until the 70's but he had lost his momentum in the new era of rock and roll.
From 1942 to 1951 Jordan had scored 57 R&B chart hits. His rollicking style and driving rhythms were the R&B blueprint and early influence for bands like Bill Haley and the Comets, James Brown and Chuck Berry. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame describes Jordan as "the Father of Rhythm and Blues" and the "Grandfather of Rock and Roll". Some critics also describe Jordan's spoken word hits "Beware (Brother Beware) and "Look Out (Sister)" as the first true recorded "raps" in popular music.
James Brown, a big admirer of the multifaceted Jordan, stated that Jordan had influenced him, "...in every way. He could sing, he could dance, he could play, he could act. He could do it all."
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