Joy Margaret Cayler

Joy M. Cayler August 6, 1923 - September 19, 2014 Joy Cayler was born in 1923 in Denver Colorado and passed away peacefully on September 19, 2014. She was the adopted daughter of loving parents, Margaret and Ralph C. Cayler. She is preceded in death by her brother, Ralph and survived by two nephews, Scott and Randall of Fresno, California and countless friends, admirers and former students. Joy is a graduate of South High School and attended Denver University prior to beginning travels with her first professional band. In 1940, when sixteen years old, Joy formed an all women's' big band which played locally for private dances and public events at ballrooms, resorts and local military bases until Joy signed a contract to go ""on the road"" in 1943 when she was 19 years old. Booked by MCA, the first ""Joy Cayler's All- Girl Orchestra"" played at ballrooms, theaters, hotels, private parties and for service men and women at camp shows across the United States. The versatile swing band played though 1947 with two tours to the Orient entertaining troops immediately following World War II. After touring the Philippines, Korea, Japan, Iwo Jima and many island bases, they were the last entertainment group to leave the Republic of China before the ""bamboo curtain"" fell, and had the distinction of being the USO group with the longest consecutive performance history at that time. After an interlude in Denver, another women's' band was formed and Joy was on the road again in 1951. Her band played across the United States at ballrooms and fine hotels. Joy then returned to the Orient to entertain troops at the very end of the Korean conflict. Backing such performers as Rita Moreno, Julius LaRosa and the Mills Brothers, the band also made appearances on Japanese television as well as in muddy army bases in Korea. This band stayed actively performing until 1957. In the 1960's, while teaching music privately, Joy began to work with young boys and girls in stage jazz bands. In 1974, she formed a music education program in which two younger bands were the training programs for the advanced band called ""Joy Cayler's Brass-Beat"". This 17 piece youth group played big band music throughout the Denver area and surrounding states as well as a tour through Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati, Ohio. This very popular nonprofit youth organization continued through 1991 and has been the inspiration and initial preprofessional training experience for many of today's fine jazz musicians and music educators from the Denver area. Burial will be private, and a celebration of her life will take place on Sunday, September 28th at 3 p.m. at Horan and McConaty Family hapel, 3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd. in Lakewood. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to your favorite charity.