Raised in Oklahoma, Fields began as a pianist, added the trombone later, and made the horn his main instrument after graduating from the Tuskegee Institute. In the early '20s Fields ran a band out of Tulsa called the Royal Entertainers. At this point he had no desire to hit the road, even turning down an offer from bandleader Cab Calloway. By the next decade, however, his group began to travel the Southwest, finally heading to New York at Hammond's invitation to record for the Vocalion label.
Fields continued to work steadily. In the late '40s he cut sides for small labels such as Frisco and Bullet, transforming his sound through a smaller band and a repertoire shift from big band swing to R&B. He continued to straddle these styles into the '50s, taking swing standards such as "Tuxedo Junction" and "Begin the Beguine" and rocking out on them. The concept struck the big ore when Fields put himself "In the Mood". He retired in 1966, by which time his son had already embarked on his own career as a saxophonist, naturally including some stints in his father's bands. Fields Jr. has also worked as a producer and talent agent.
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