Ken Borrup's recent passing necessitates a mention of the many attributes,
achievements of a person remembered by a host of friends and former associates.
Known as "KJ" or as "Burp", he was hugely popular during his lengthy service at
Hamilton Standard, along with his many outside activities as a musician, story
teller and his various ventures over many years. He passed March 5 this year
at age 87.
Prior to graduating from EHHS in 1934, Ken worked with many of the school's
events produced at the both the auditorium (now the Community Cultural Center)
in East Hartford and its other facilities.
Here he introduced what is now known a "disk jockey" by assembling a vacuum
tube amplifier made by the Selmer sax people in the '30s and by using the old
shellac recordings of those days.
Following graduation he began working at the propeller plant, then in East
Hartford, delivering internal mail on roller skates throughout the plant.
His Uncle "Jack" Borrup was one of the initial management team then known as
United Aircraft's PW&A Division. Ken's Dad produced castings at another plant
where he headed that function with Pratt, a number one vendor.
Ken's family originally lived downtown East Hartford nearby the Kingsbury family.
Young Herb Kingsbury became a lifelong friend and trumpet player along with Ken's
array of cymbals, snares and other functions of a drummer's kit. Later the Borrups
moved to Elmer Street in the Burnside location. As the years rolled on the two,
with others, provided music for dances in the Greater Hartford area. Meantime Ken
continued to upgrade his "canned music" equipment. He began buying every new
recording release from Gallup and Alfreds in Hartford as the requests for the dance
tunes of the country's leading bands increased over the years. To handle the business
yours truly joined Ken now with my own similar equipment so that both could preside
at different locations.
One popular location was at the former East Hartford Golf Course Clubhouse where
where weekly dances were held for several years that became quite popular with the
younger set. Another was at the Garde Hotel in Hartford where Ken's small pick-up
group played for dances sponsored by PW&A for students training for the military
on Pratt's engines.
Then it was decided to form a larger dance band. Bob Smith (no relative) from East
Hartford who had been playing piano in various pick-up units joined with Herb, Ken
and myself formed a group that stayed together for many years. To round out the
larger band, a group of musicians was recruited from Hartford to joined the locals.
The band was billed as the "Mayfair Club Orchestra". That designation was
"lifted" from the Mayfair Hotel where the popular Ray Noble band worked in London.
There were now 12 in the band. I was designated the booking agent and often "fronted"
the band with baton in hand although not a musician. That group stayed together until
all entered the armed services for WWII. Ken was sort of "drafted" by being sent
to the island of Tinian in the Marianas in the Pacific as a tech rep for his
company. Herb played trumpet with an armed service band until separated.
As a matter of record the Mayfair band played at many well known locations including
The Hartford Club, Grove Beach Casino, Crystal Ball Room in Rockville were two such
bands played a "battle of music" to crowds of several hundred or so. Herb Kingsbury
a consumate musician played second trumpet and often extracted music from recordings
to sheet music for the Mayfair group of the popular Count Basie band arrangements
and others.
KJ,RK, Herb and myself stayed in close touch for many years with various
combinations of musicians and the "canned music business" All married with families
we met frequently enjoying much reminicing from time to time. Herb and wife Marion
passed away a number of years ago. RK is still around living in Florida, but with
two hurricanes thia past fall season is contemplating returning to Connecticut.
Ken was predeceased by wives Alma Borrup and Erma Borrup. He leaves his present
wife, Eleanor Borrup and four daughters with the first two.