Frank Purvis was born in 1906. His career as a jazz musician was sporadic, and he worked at a variety of other occupations from the humdrum - radio repair man, chef, to the more exotic, airplane pilot smuggler and mercenary. Purvis played in a number of famous bands, The Original Kentucky Nighthawks, and George Carhart in the 1920's as well as a stint with Hal Kemp, and The Dorsey Brothers. Little of Purvis's work made it onto record, a mere 8 titles from sessions recorded between 1929 and 1930. Purvis' illegal activities saw him spend a number of years in prison, where he continued to play in a prison band. On his final release from prison, Purvis took up his trade as a radio repair man, and did not play as a professional musician again before his death in 1962.