Frederick Corstaphney, the founder of Roanoke's Freddie Lee Orchestra, played the tunes that kept some of the region's largest ballrooms swinging for more than three decades. Corstaphney, better known as Freddie Lee in the music world, also choreographed the music of the Miss Virginia Pageant for a number of years.

Corstaphney died Saturday of pneumonia. He was 87.

Born in Lynchburg, Corstaphney got his musical start there as teenager when he began playing trumpet during the Great Depression.

"He was just born to be a musician," said his widow, Ruth Corstaphney. "His mother used to tell me that she would put him into his room to study and come back a little while later to find music sheets all over his bed."

Corstaphney attended the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, where he formed his first official band in 1939. After studying at Peabody, Corstaphney settled in Roanoke, where he organized the Freddie Lee Orchestra in 1949. He used his own middle name, Lee, to form the name he used on the bandstand, Freddie Lee.

During Corstaphney's 35-year career as the owner and director of the 14-piece band, the orchestra played regularly at The Greenbrier in White Sulfur Springs, W.Va., The Homestead in Hot Springs and the Hotel Roanoke. The Freddie Lee Orchestra played at the inaugurations of Govs. Linwood Holton and John Dalton, and backed up stars such as Bob Hope, Red Skelton, Cab Calloway and Helen O'Connell.

For 17 years, Corstaphney was musical director of the Miss Virginia Pageant. Prior to the show, he would be given a prepared rundown of the show, complete with dialogue, remarks and song lyrics. He would sit down with the list sans piano and assign bits of melody to accompany the show. From there, Corstaphney's instructions were passed on to a musical arranger to be completed.

In 1984, Corstaphney sold the band, including the name and bandstand, to Dennis Reaser, who continued to operate the orchestra under the same name for about a year before changing it to the Dennis Reaser Orchestra formerly Freddie Lee.

Corstaphney's widow said he retired because of problems with his knees.

"As a bandleader, he was always standing up," Ruth Corstaphney said. "He decided he needed to get off his feet."

In addition to his musical career, Corstaphney juggled a professional business career. In 1950, he went to work for WSLS radio as a salesman and later became the station's director of advertising and promotion. Prior to that, Corstaphney worked in retail management. In 1959, Corstaphney and John Will Creasy founded Associated Advertising, where Corstaphney handled administration.

"His jobs were to make money, but his career was the band," said Robert Hayes, Corstaphney's grandson. "It was quite a balancing act."

Corstaphney also was involved in a plethora of civic and interest groups throughout his life. He served as charter president of the Optimists Club when it was formed in Roanoke in 1961.

"He loved anything artistic and connected with the art world," Ruth Corstaphney said.

In 1983, Fred Corstaphney won a Buick Century after buying a $100 raffle ticket to support Mill Mountain Theater.