Sleet was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on November 27, 1938.[1] His father was a music teacher at school from whom he began to take lessons at age nine.[2] His family moved to San Diego, California, when he was ten years old. There he took piano lessons for four years before taking up the trumpet.[2]Buddy Childers was his mentor for a year in Hollywood, before studying with Daniel Lewis in San Diego, where he was part of the San Diego State College Jazz Band. In addition, he studied with Shorty Rogers in Los Angeles, where he became a member of Terry Gibbs's big band. He also studied classical music, playing for the San Diego Symphony for three years.[1]
Sleet's only session as a leader took place on March 16, 1961. Recorded in New York under the supervision of Orrin Keepnews, All Members also featured the musicians Jimmy Heath (tenor saxophone), Wynton Kelly (piano), Ron Carter (double bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums). The album was released by the Jazzland label (a subsidiary of Riverside) and was described as "outstanding" by Down Beat.[6]AllMusic's Alex Henderson described the album as a "fine hard bop date" where Sleet "shows himself to be a captivating soloist".[7] The album was reissued in 2001 as part of Fantasy Records' Original Jazz Classics series.[1]
Later years and death
After the release of his album, Sleet began to abuse recreational drugs, which forced him to quit playing.[8] In the summer of 1964, Sleet played in Shelly Manne's My Fair Lady with the Un-original Cast, his last session.[2] He would subsequently join the Synanon drug rehabilitation program, but for the rest of his career he would only sporadically play gigs.[8] He died on December 31, 1986, at his home in Hollywood due to a lymphoma that he had been battling for three years.[8][9]
Sleet got married in the 1970s but never had children.[8] His younger brother David was a professional drummer in the 1960s and a member of the National Association of Rudimental Drummers.[8]
