Frank Motley, Jr. was born on December 30, 1923 in Cheraw, South Carolina. He began playing trumpet at a young age, taking lessons from Dizzy Gillespie. After serving in the Navy Band during World War II, he played in nightclubs in New York City before forming his own band, the Motley Crew, in Washington, D.C. in 1949. The band included notable members such as Curley Bridges and Elsie "Angel Face" Kenley. In 1963, his version of "Any Other Way" with vocalist Jackie Shane became a regional hit, reaching number 2 on the local Toronto pop chart. Motley disbanded the Motley Crew in 1966 and formed the Hitch-Hikers in Toronto. The band broke up in 1970, after which he continued to perform with the Bridge Crossings until the mid-1980s. He passed away on May 31, 1998.
