(January 1st 1884 - December 15th 1954)

Oscar Papa Celestin was born in Napoleonville, Louisiana in 1884 where he worked on rural sugarcane plantations in his youth and saved up money to buy his first musical instruments. After trying guitar and trombone he settled on playing cornet and performed with the "Algiers Brass Band" before moving to New Orleans in 1904. There he played with Henry Allen Sr.'s "Olympia Brass Band". Around 1910 Papa Celestin became the leader of the house band at the Tuxedo Dance Hall located at the edge of Storyville. When the hall closed Celestin kept the name and dressed in tuxedos the band became a favorite hired for society functions.

"Chelestin's Original Tuxedo Orchestra" made their first recordings for an Okeh mobile recording unit in New Orleans in 1925.