Born and raised in Oklahoma, bandleader and television producer Jimmie Baker made his show business debut at the age of fifteen tap dancing on a national radio program. In 1939 he entered Oklahoma A&M College but was drafted into the Army Air Force in 1942 before completing his degree. During his time in the service he led a swing outfit known as Corporal Jimmie Baker and the Men of the Air. When the war ended he returned to Oklahoma to finish school, where he formed a local jazz group called Jimmie Baker and His Collegians.
After graduation in 1947 Baker became a junior high school teacher in Oklahoma City. He continued leading a band in his off hours and in 1948 decided to move to the West Coast to try his luck in the entertainment world. He found a job in the mailroom of ABC and, due to his experience in the music world, was soon promoted to assistant producer on a network radio program.
In 1950 Baker was assigned to ABC's television unit, where he flourished, earning several awards during the course of his career. In the mid-1950s he developed and produced Stars of Jazz, which ran on the West Coast from 1956 to 1958. The program, hosted by Bobby Troup, won two local Emmys. Baker also produced Steve Allen's Jazz Scene USA in 1962. Jimmie Baker passed away in 2003. Baker also co-founded the Hollywood Motion Picture and Television Museum.