Jack Barton Cannon

1924 - 2010

Jack Barton Cannon, 86, internationally known Dallas-Fort Worth violinist, passed away Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010, in Arlington. Celebration of life: 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, at 2825 Fairway Park, Grand Prairie, 682-597-5534. Memorials: Memorial gifts may be made to a disability fund for musicians' needs, Bill Collins Fund, in care of DFW Professional Musicians Association, 1939 Stadium Oaks Court, Arlington, Texas 76011, 817-469-6040. Jack Barton Cannon was born Nov. 18, 1924, in Marlin to Dr. Houston Cannon and Isla Barton Cannon. He was a longtime Arlington resident who grew up in Fort Worth and graduated from Paschal High School. Jack began to play the violin at age 4 and played up until his death. Jack was the winner of the Phi Mu Alpha scholarship in music for two years at North Texas State University. He received a fellowship from Juilliard Graduate School and was a student of Francis Macmillen and Toscha Seidel. Jack's outstanding engagements included Palace Hotel, San Francisco; Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong; Manila Hotel, Manila; New Frontier, Las Vegas; Emperial Hotel, Tokyo; S.S. Presidents Cleveland/Wilson, orchestra leader (to Orient/15 cruise trips); Royal Hawaiian, Honolulu; Ballinese Room, Galveston (five times); and Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans, to name a few. His Dallas area special events included Le Bal de Dallas au profit des oeuvres de L'Opera; Super Ball 1970; Idlewild Ball; Terps Ball; The Cinderella Ball D.C.O.; 10th anniversary of the Fairmont Hotel; Fort Worth Opera Wine Gala - Worthington Hotel 1994; Dallas-Fort Worth Airport opening; Dallas Opera Ball; opening Hamon Wing of Dallas Museum of Art, 1993. Jack was a member of the Fort Worth Symphony, Fort Worth Opera Orchestra, Casa Manana Orchestra, Oklahoma City Symphony and Las Colinas Symphony (1994), among others. He was concertmaster of the following shows in Las Vegas and Dallas: in Las Vegas, Phil Silvers, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Daniels, Rosemary Clooney, Boots Randolph-Ray Price, Mike Dougas, Frank Gorshin and Frank Sinatra; and in Dallas, Jerry Lewis, Ben Vereen, Seals & Croft, Anthony Newley, Marvin Hamlish, Ray Charles, Wayne Newton and Barbara Mandrell. He appeared in two motion pictures, including "A Bullet for Pretty Boy," played the violin three times in the TV series "Dallas" and was featured on two record albums. Jack was also the lead violinist for the national traveling bands Nick Stewart, Jack Fina (three years) and Xavier Cugat. He was honored to play with a host of prominent local musicians. Jack was a past regional director of the National Orchestra Leaders Association and also a member of the Dallas-Fort Worth Professional Musicians Association for 68 years. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and photography. He was preceded in death by his loving wife of 49 years, Mary Crosby Cannon, in 2003. Survivors: Sons, Jeff Cannon and wife, Nancy, and Jon Cannon and wife, Mary; grandson, Bart Cannon; and his beloved dogs, Daisy, Doc, C.J. and Tater.