September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987
Bernard “Buddy” Rich played the drums. He played the drums really, really well. He had a temper. He (allegedly) liked to fire musicians in the middle of sets if the need arose. He played with all the big names like Tommy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. He also led his own bands. And he had a bit of a temper.
March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992
“A one and a two . . . “
Lawrence Welk may be the most famous accordion player of all time.
He’s probably the most famous German-speaking accordion player of all time.
And, he’s MOST DEFINITELY the most famous German-speaking accordion player of all time from North Dakota.
February 10, 1893 – March 29, 1980
James Frances Durante and his nose were born in New York City to Italian immigrant parents. Young Jimmy dropped out of school to become a jazz and ragtime pianist. Something he was very good at. By the time he was 27, Durante had his very own New Orleans Jazz Band. But, his piano chops aside, Jimmy Durante was most famous for being a comedian. His self-deprecating humor – he called himself “The Great Schnozzola” because, well… – intentionally butchered language and staccatoed speech patterns earned him fame on the Vaudeville stages, the radio and, ultimately, film and television. Continue reading
April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington began playing piano at the age of 7 and never looked back. He wrote his first song at 15 and went on to become one of the most influential and prolific artists in American music at large, let alone within the genre with which he was most closely associated: Jazz. Nicknamed “Duke” because of his swagger and the way he dressed – even at a young age – Ellington led his orchestra for nearly a half century. He gained national exposure while playing on the radio from Harlem’s famed Cotton Club in the late 1920s. He wrote and recorded songs at a near unprecedented pace. He worked with greats in all genres from Frank Sinatra (Francis A. & Edward K.) to Louis Armstrong and constantly stretched himself into new musical territory. Continue reading
March 22, 1887 – October 11, 1961
Leonard “Chico” Marx was the oldest of the legendary Marx Brothers comedy team. Born in New York City, Chico (pronounced “Chick-o”) and his brothers performed from an early age in vaudeville with their uncle. All of the brothers were talented musicians, but it was the more-or-less accidental discovery that they were hilarious that eventually launched them into super-stardom. Chico adopted a stage persona of a rural Italian who dressed in baggy clothes and Bavarian hat. Continue reading
July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986
Hubert Prior “Rudy” Vallée was a singer, radio host, actor and bandleader perhaps most widely regarded as the first “crooner.” Like many of his successors, his soft, smooth voice was one that would have been completely useless in the days before the invention of the microphone. But, as it were, when you come along during the height of radio, you don’t need to be that loud. Of course, not all live venues at the time had microphones, so Rudy would tend to improvise and sing through a megaphone – something that became a bit of a trademark. Continue reading
May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986
The undeniable “King of Swing,” Benny Goodman was one of the most important and successful musicians and bandleaders of the Big Band jazz era. Throughout the 1920’s and early ’30’s, Goodman played clarinet in bands and as a session musician alongside titanic contemporaries like Bix Beiderbecke, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller. Taking the arrangements of a successful but stalled-out African-American bandleader/arranger named Fletcher Henderson, Goodman was able to bring a broad popularity to what would become Swing music. Continue reading
March 20, 1906 – June 3, 1975
July 18, 1909 – October 2, 1994
Oswald Nelson and Harriet Hilliard were married in 1935. Harriet was a singer in Ozzie’s band (he also sang and played saxophone) and the two began a foray into show business that would entertain millions for decades. Their biggest success was by way of the 1940’s radio program The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet which followed the Nelsons and their two sons, David and Ricky (portrayed by actors until 1949). The popularity of the show and the dawn of a newfangled medium led, of course, to the 14-year running television sitcom of the same name – this time, with each of the four Nelsons portraying him/herself as America watched the family grow up on a box in their living rooms.
November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956
American trombonist and bandleader Tommy Dorsey not only gave the world Big Band era hits like “I’ll Never Smile Again,” “Marie” and “In the Blue of the Evening,” he also stole incorporated a number of huge stars into his band over the years. Drummers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, as well as a little-known vocalist named Frank something-or-other all sat in with Tommy. He also funded a young Glenn Miller’s first band. So, he kind of was a big deal for a while. Dorsey may have been known as “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing” but his perfectionism and unsteady demeanor made him a chore to work with. Or so I’ve heard.
