HERB ALPERT: STILL THE MAN WITH A GOLDEN HORN
As a kid growing up in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, Herb Alpert heard a lot of music around the house.
His father, Louis, played mandolin, and his brother was a drummer. He himself started on trumpet at age 8, getting classical training. After high school, he went to the University of Southern California, where he played trumpet in the marching band for two years before dropping out. He went on to the Army – and from there to pop superstardom.