Frederick L Bonaparte

Frederick Lester Bonaparte, Sunrise August 11, 1931, and Sunset September 15,2014. Frederick was born in Philadelphia PA to Frederick O. and Estelle (Johnson) Bonaparte. He was the oldest of their three children. Frederick was joined in marriage to Adele Manson and from this union were born three sons.

Fred’s parents decided to squeeze out a few dollars for lessons after Fred came home and played on the piano, from memory, all the hymns that were sung in church on Sunday. Even during the hard times of the Depression, there was always a piano in the Bonaparte house. Fred was 6 at the time. By the time he was 9, he was one of the official church musicians. Fred’s first real job, at 11 years old, was as an accompanist of the late singer, Eddie Fisher on a local Philadelphia radio station. Seven years with Fisher were followed by appearances with singers Jean Carne, Billy (Old Black Magic) Daniels, Sandi Jarvis and Robert (Benson) Gillaume.

He was appointed one of the youngest non- commissioned officers leading a 12-man jazz band in the Air Force and after his discharge in 1953, was hired by The Chevrolet Motor Division as one of the first African-American new car salesmen in the country. After writing a car care column for the Philadelphia Tribune, he was hired by the late Chris J. Perry Ill. Tribune general manager, who was a Chevrolet customer. Promised a chance to learn the newspaper business from the ground up by Perry, Fred left the high-paying sales post with Chevrolet for a job at the Tribune, a struggling Black publication. Fred worked his way from the pressroom through advertising sales to the newspaper’s circulation department. Realizing that circulation was almost totally influenced by editorial positions, he and Perry maneuvered into management editorial positions. Perry as managing editor, installed Fred as city editor. In three years, a team assembled by the duo was able to triple the newspaper’s circulation and the Tribune blossomed into Philadelphia’s largest Black publication. After 10 years at the Tribune, Fred was hired by the Philadelphia Evening and Sunday Bulletin, the newspaper with the second highest circulation in the country at that time.

Moving through the ranks, Fred became the first Black rotogravure advertising manager of a major newspaper in America. After 17 years at the Bulletin, Fred joined Equitable Life Insurance, where he placed number 12 in sales among first year representatives in the country. Because of his love of music and sales ability, Fred was wooed away from Equitable by the Bose Corporation, an international leader in audio sound. Fred advanced to become Bose’s first and only Black senior sales manager. Fred opened the Bose Atlanta headquarters were he and his staff won an office full of sales awards. Before and after his retirement, Fred played for several churches, weddings, social affairs and jazz outings both in Philly and Atlanta. While in Atlanta he taught music at Crossroads Christian School. He often said “Atlanta has been very, very good to me, but the best gift I’ve received is the meeting of Wendolyn, who became my wife, 34 years ago.”

Fred has also co-authored the book “No Man Can A-Hinder Me,” an autobiography of his best friend, Dr. Edward W. Robinson. Fred was an active member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), The National Association for Music Education, and the Atlanta organization The Friends of Jazz.

Fred is preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Marilyn Coleman and his brother, Sylvester (Vicki) Bonaparte.

Fred is survived by his wife of 34 years, Wendolyn Bonaparte; sons, Eric (Kiya McNeal, Fiancée) Bonaparte (PA), Greg (Dawn) Bonaparte (NJ), Curt Bonaparte (FL), Aliyah Evans (daughter-in law) (PA); grandchildren, Will Bonaparte (NJ), Desiree DaCosta (NY), Jai, Aaron Bonaparte (PA). Kevin (Kandy) Edwards, Keith Edwards, Kenise (Eric) Taylor, Kelicia (Shawn) Smith (OH); grand and great-grandchildren plus a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends (new and old).

Fred, if ask how he was feeling, would often say, “I ain’t hurting nobody!”

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