Name	Jane Froman
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Jane Froman
Origin	University City, Missouri
Born	November 10, 1907
Died	April 22, 1980
Voice type	Contralto
Occupation	singer, actress
Url	www.janefroman.com

Jane Froman (November 10, 1907 – April 22, 1980) was an American singer and actress. During her thirty-year career, Froman performed on stage, radio and television despite chronic injuries that she sustained from a 1943 plane crash. The 1952 film, With a Song in My Heart, is based on her life.

Early life

Froman was born in University City, Missouri, the daughter of Elmer Ellsworth Froman and Anna T. Barcafer. Her childhood and adolescence was spent in the small Missouri town of Clinton. She attended Columbia College (Missouri) in the city of Columbia, which she considered her hometown. Her father left her mother when Jane was about 5 years old. She developed a stutter around this time, which plagued her all of her life, except when she sang.

Although she had classical voice training, early in her career she was drawn to the songs of the era's songwriters, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin, who were inspiring a resurgence in popular music. She met vaudeville performer Don Ross when they auditioned for the same job at WLW radio station in Cincinnati. There, she joined Henry Thies' orchestra and was featured vocal on a number of Thies' Victor recordings. Convinced she was star material, Ross became her unofficial manager and persuaded her to move to Chicago where he worked for NBC radio. In 1933 Froman moved to New York City where she appeared on Chesterfield's "Music that Satisfies" radio program with Bing Crosby. She married Don Ross in September 1933. She joined the Ziegfeld Follies the same year where she befriended Fannie Brice. In 1934, at age 27, she became the top-polled "girl singer." The famous composer and producer, Billy Rose, when asked to name the top ten female singers, is reported to have replied, "Jane Froman and nine others."

Movie and show credits

She is credited with three movies, Kissing Time (1933), Stars Over Broadway (1935) and Radio City Revels (1938). From 1952 to 1955, she hosted her own TV show The Jane Froman Show - initially called USA Canteen - on the CBS network. The show was 15 minutes long and initially alternated with The Perry Como Show. The very first hit song to be introduced on television, I Believe, was written for Froman by the show's musicians, Ervin Drake, Irvin Graham, Jimmy Shirl, and Al Stillman and earned her a gold record in 1953.

Plane crash

She was severely injured by an aircraft crash on February 22, 1943, when a USO plane carrying Froman and 38 others crashed into the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal. One of fifteen survivors, Froman sustained severe injuries: a cut below the left knee nearly severing her leg, multiple fractures of her right arm, and a compound fracture of her right leg that doctors threatened to amputate. Froman had given her seat to another passenger, Tamara Drasin, who was killed in the crash, an action which her biographer Ilene Stone said "bothered her her whole life."

The co-pilot, John Curtis Burn, who broke his back in the crash, fashioned a makeshift raft from portions of the wrecked plane to help keep himself and Froman afloat. After being rescued, they were sent to the same convalescent home, where they battled their long recoveries together. After she divorced Don Ross in February 1948, Jane Froman and John Burn were married, only to be divorced eight years later (March 12, 1948–1956).

Froman underwent 39 operations over the years. She fought amputation and wore a leg brace the remainder of her life. However, she returned to Europe and entertained American troops in 1945. Despite having to walk with crutches, she gave 95 shows throughout Europe. During the 40s Froman became addicted to painkillers. Although she successfully underwent detoxification, she later had problems with alcohol addiction.

With a Song in My Heart and later career

Froman's life story was the subject of the movie With a Song in My Heart (1952), starring Susan Hayward as Froman. Froman was deeply involved in the film's production: she supplied Hayward’s singing voice and served as the film's technical advisor. The Capitol album of songs from the movie was the number one best-selling album of 1952 and remained in the catalogue for many years. DRG recently re-issued the album on a compact disc along with the 1952 revival cast album of Pal Joey, in which Froman sang the role made famous by Vivienne Segal, Vera Simpson.

A Choice CD called Jane Froman on Capitol is a collection of her Capitol Records singles and tracks from albums. From 1952-1955 Jane starred on CBS-TV. Her first program, USA Canteen, had servicemen in the audience. The program was renamed The Jane Froman Show and the format was changed to a twice weekly 15 minute program on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After the show was canceled in 1956, Froman appeared on various programs for the next few years. She also appeared on stage in Las Vegas.

Retirement and death

Froman retired to her home town of Columbia in 1961 where she married an old college friend, Rowland Hawes Smith (June 22, 1962 – April 22, 1980). She continued the volunteer work for which she was known throughout her career. In 1980, she died of cardiac arrest due to chronic heart and lung disease in Columbia. She is buried at the Columbia Cemetery.

Legacy

There are three biographies about Froman, the first two written by Ilene Stone: One Little Candle: Remembering Jane Froman and Jane Froman, Missouri's First Lady of Song. In addition, a newer, in-depth biography, Say It With Music - The Life and Legacy of Jane Froman, by Barbara Seuling was published on November 10, 2007 to coincide with the centennial of Froman's birth.

In honor of what would have been Froman's 100th birthday, a gala Jane Froman Centennial Celebration was held in Columbia, Missouri the weekend of November 9–11, 2007. A DVD of the movie, With a Song in my Heart, with added new segments, was premiered on November 9, 2007 and is now widely distributed by Fox Home Entertainment.

References

The Jane Froman Centennial Site

External links

Jane Froman at IMDB

Category:1907 births Category:1980 deaths Category:American contraltos Category:American jazz singers Category:American film actors Category:American female singers Category:American television actors Category:People from Columbia, Missouri Category:People from St. Louis County, Missouri

Name	Sidney Bechet
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Born	May 14, 1897New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	May 14, 1959Garches, France
Instrument	ClarinetSoprano saxophone
Genre	JazzDixieland
Occupation	ClarinetistSaxophonistComposer
Years active	1908–1957
Associated acts	Louis ArmstrongTommy Ladnier

Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.

He was one of the first important soloists in jazz (beating cornetist and trumpeter Louis Armstrong to the recording studio by several months and later playing duets with Armstrong), and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist. Forceful delivery, well-constructed improvisations, and a distinctive, wide vibrato characterized Bechet's playing.

Bechet's erratic temperament hampered his career, however, and not until the late 1940s did he earn wide acclaim.

Biography

.]] Bechet (pronounced BAH-shay by the family, most commonly pronounced buh-SHAY) was born in New Orleans to a middle-class Creole of Color family. "Discovered" at the age of six, Sidney Bechet quickly learned the clarinet by picking up his brother's horn and teaching himself. At a family birthday party, Bechet debuted his newly acquired talents. Later in his youth, Bechet studied with such renowned Creole clarinetists as Lorenzo Tio, "Big Eye" Louis Nelson, and George Baquet. Soon after, Bechet would be found playing in many New Orleans ensembles, improvising with what was "acceptable" for jazz at that time (obbligatos, with scales and arpeggios). These ensembles included parade work with Henry Allen's celebrated Brass Band, the Olympia Orchestra, and John Robichaux's "genteel" dance orchestra. In 1911-1912, he performed with Bunk Johnson in the Eagle Band of New Orleans, and in 1913-1914, with King Oliver in the Olympia Band.

Although Bechet spent his childhood and adolescence in New Orleans, from 1914-1917 he was touring and traveling, going as far north as Chicago, and frequently teaming up with another famous Creole musician, Freddie Keppard. In the spring of 1919, he traveled to New York, where he joined Will Marion Cook's Syncopated Orchestra. Soon after, the orchestra journeyed to Europe where, almost immediately upon arrival, they performed at the Royal Philharmonic Hall in London. The group was warmly received, and Bechet was especially popular, attracting attention near and far. Paris on October 2. He then toured Europe with various bands, reaching as far as Russia in mid-1926. In 1928, he led his own small band at the famous Bricktop's Club in Montmartre, Paris.

Bechet was jailed in Paris, France, when a female passer-by was wounded during a shoot-out. After serving jail time, Bechet was deported. The most common version of the story, as related in Ken Burns' jazz documentary, reports that the initial shoot-out started when another musician/producer told Bechet that he was playing the wrong chord. Bechet challenged the man to a duel;

Philip Larkin wrote an ode to Bechet in The Whitsun Weddings.

Bechet is said to have served as a prototype for the saxophonist "Pablo" in the novel Steppenwolf, since it was almost certainly through listening to his playing in Europe in the 1920s that Hermann Hesse became acquainted with the world of jazz music.

Bechet to me was the very epitome of jazz ... everything he played in his whole life was completely original. I honestly think he was the most unique man to ever be in this music. — Duke Ellington.

In the 1997 documentary Wild Man Blues, film maker and clarinet aficionado Woody Allen repeatedly referred to Bechet. One of his adopted children with Soon-Yi Previn also is named Bechet. Raquel Bitton pays tribute to Sydney Bechet in her CD "Paris Blues" singing PETITE FLEUR (2006)

Bechet, portrayed by Jeffrey Wright appeared as a character in two episodes of the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

Bechet performs at an underground Paris jazz club in the novel Replay by Ken Grimwood. This appearance is slightly anachronistic, as the scene takes place in 1963 even though Bechet died in 1959.

Bob Dorough, who played with Bechet, recorded a tribute song, called "Something for Sydney," on his "Right On My Way Home" album.

Discography

Singles

"Texas Moaner Blues" (recorded with Louis Armstrong) - 1924

"Cake Walkin' Babies from Home" (with Red Onion Jazz Babies) - 1925

Footnotes

References

Treat It Gentle by Sidney Bechet (Twayne 1960, Da Capo 1978)

Sidney Bechet the Wizard of Jazz by John Chilton (Macmillan 1987)

American Peoples Encyclopedia Yearbook for 1953, page 542

Metronome Magazine, Dec 1946, Article by George Hoefer

Best of New Orleans

External links

The Sidney Bechet Society, Ltd.

Sidney Bechet on redhotjazz.com

Profile with pictures

Profile of Sidney Bechet from the Association for Cultural Equity

A Bechet discography

Category:1897 births Category:1959 deaths Category:African American musicians Category:American jazz clarinetists Category:American jazz composers Category:American jazz soprano saxophonists Category:Cancer deaths in France Category:Deaths from lung cancer Category:Dixieland clarinetists Category:Gennett recording artists Category:Okeh Records artists Category:Immigrants to France Category:Louisiana Creole people Category:Musicians from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:Jazz musicians from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:People from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:Blue Note Records artists Category:Dixieland saxophonists

Name	Paul Whiteman
Background	non_performing_personnel
Birth name	Paul Samuel Whiteman
Born	March 28, 1890
Died	December 29, 1967
Origin	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Instrument	Violin
Genre	Jazz
Occupation	BandleaderComposer
Associated acts	Bix BeiderbeckeFrankie TrumbauerJoe VenutiEddie Lang
Notable instruments	}}

Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader and orchestral director.

Leader of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s, Whiteman's recordings were immensely successful, and press notices often referred to him as the "King of Jazz." Using a large ensemble and exploring many styles of music, Whiteman is perhaps best known for his blending of symphonic music and jazz, as typified by his 1924 commissioning and debut of George Gershwin's jazz-influenced "Rhapsody In Blue". Whiteman recorded many jazz and pop standards during his career, including "Wang Wang Blues", "Mississippi Mud", "Rhapsody in Blue", "Wonderful One", "Hot Lips", "Mississippi Suite", and "Grand Canyon Suite". His popularity faded in the swing music era of the 1930s, and by the 1940s Whiteman was semi-retired from music.

Whiteman's place in the history of early jazz is somewhat controversial. Detractors suggest that Whiteman's ornately-orchestrated music was jazz in name only (lacking the genre's improvisational and emotional depth), and co-opted the innovations of black musicians. Defenders note that Whiteman's fondness for jazz was genuine (he worked with black musicians as much as was feasible during an era of racial segregation), that his bands included many of the era's most esteemed white jazz musicians, and argue that Whiteman's groups handled jazz admirably as part of a larger repertoire. In his autobiography, Duke Ellington declared, "Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity."

Biography

Early life and career

Whiteman was born in Denver, Colorado. After a start as a classical violinist and violist, he led a jazz-influenced dance band, which became popular locally in San Francisco, California in 1918. In 1920 he moved with his band to New York City where they started making recordings for Victor Records which made the Paul Whiteman Orchestra famous nationally. (In his first five recordings sessions for Victor, Aug 9-Oct 28, 1920, Whiteman used the name "Paul Whiteman and His Ambassador Orchestra," presumably because he had been playing at the Ambassador Hotel in Atlantic City; from Nov. 3, 1920, he started using "Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra.")

Whiteman became the most popular band director of the decade. In a time when most dance bands consisted of six to 10 men, Whiteman directed a much larger and more imposing group of up to 35 musicians. By 1922, Whiteman already controlled some 28 ensembles on the east coast and was earning over a $1,000,000 a year.

He recorded Hoagy Carmichael singing and playing "Washboard Blues" to the accompaniment of his orchestra in 1927.

In May 1928 Whiteman signed with Columbia Records, and stayed with that label until September 1931, when he returned to Victor. He would remain signed with Victor until March 1937.

"The King of Jazz"

(1926)]] In the 1920s the media referred to Whiteman as "The King of Jazz". Whiteman emphasized the way he had approached the already well-established style of music, while also organizing its composition and style in his own fashion. While most jazz musicians and fans consider improvisation to be essential to the musical style, Whiteman thought the genre could be improved by orchestrating the best of it, with formal written arrangements. Whiteman's recordings were popular critically and successful commercially, and his style of jazz music was often the first jazz of any form that many Americans heard during the era.

For more than 30 years Whiteman, referred to as "Pops", sought and encouraged musicians, vocalists, composers, arrangers, and entertainers who looked promising. In 1924 Whiteman commissioned George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, which was premiered by Whiteman's orchestra with George Gershwin at the piano. Another familiar piece in Whiteman's repertoire was Grand Canyon Suite, by Ferde Grofé.

Whiteman hired many of the best jazz musicians for his band, including Bix Beiderbecke, Frankie Trumbauer, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Steve Brown, Mike Pingitore, Gussie Mueller, Wilbur Hall (billed by Whiteman as "Willie Hall"), Jack Teagarden, and Bunny Berigan. He also encouraged upcoming African American musical talents, and initially planned on hiring black musicians, but Whiteman's management eventually persuaded him that doing would be career suicide due to racial tension and America's segregation of that time. However, Whiteman crossed racial lines behind-the-scenes, hiring black arrangers like Fletcher Henderson and engaging in mutually-beneficial efforts with recording sessions and scheduling of tours.

In late 1926 Whiteman signed three candidates for his orchestra: Bing Crosby, Al Rinker, and Harry Barris. Whiteman billed the singing trio as The Rhythm Boys. Crosby's prominence in the Rhythm Boys helped launch his career as one of the most successful singers of the 20th century. Paul Robeson (1928) and Billie Holiday (1942) also recorded with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

Whiteman had 28 number one records during the 1920s and 32 during his career. At the height of his popularity, eight out of the top ten sheet music sales slots were by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.

His recording of José Padilla’s Valencia topped the charts for 11 weeks, beginning 30 March 1926, becoming the #1 record of 1926.

Whiteman signed singer Mildred Bailey in 1929 to appear on his radio program. She first recorded with the Whiteman Orchestra in 1931.

Jazz musician and leader of the Mound City Blue Blowers Red McKenzie and cabaret singer Ramona Davies (billed as "Ramona and her Grand Piano") joined the Whiteman group in 1932. The King's Jesters were also with Paul Whiteman in 1931. (1945)]]

In 1933 Whiteman had a #2 hit on the Billboard charts with the song, "Willow Weep for Me".

In 1934 Paul Whiteman had his last two #1 hits, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", with vocals by Bob Lawrence, which was #1 for six weeks, and "Wagon Wheels", which was #1 for one week, his final hit recording. From 1920 to 1934 Whiteman had 32 #1 recordings, charting 28 of them by 1929. By contrast, during the same period, the 1920s Jazz Age, Louis Armstrong had none.

In 1942 Whiteman began recording for Capitol Records, cofounded by songwriters Buddy DeSylva and Johnny Mercer and music store owner Glenn Wallichs. Whiteman and His Orchestra's recordings of "I Found a New Baby" and "The General Jumped At Dawn" was the label's first single release. (Another notable Capitol record he made is the 1942 "Trav'lin Light" featuring Billie Holiday (billed as "Lady Day", due to her being under contract with another label).

Later career and personal life

Whiteman was married four times; to Nellie Stack in 1908; to Miss Jimmy Smith; to Mildred Vanderhoff in 1922. In 1931 Whiteman married motion picture actress Margaret Livingston following his divorce from Vanderhoff that same year. The marriage to Livingston lasted until his death.

Whiteman resided at Walking Horse Farm near the village of Rosemont in Delaware Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey from 1938 to 1959. After selling the farm to agriculturalist Lloyd Wescott, Whiteman moved to New Hope, Pennsylvania for his remaining years.

Whiteman died at the age of 77 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania on December 29, 1967.

Movie appearances

In 1930 "Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra" starred in the first feature-length movie musical filmed entirely in Technicolor, King of Jazz. The film was technically ahead of its time, with many dazzling camera effects complementing the Whiteman music. Whiteman appeared as himself, and good-naturedly kidded his weight and his dancing skills. A highlight was a concert rendition of Rhapsody in Blue. Unfortunately, by the time King of Jazz was released to theaters, audiences had seen too many "all-singing, all-dancing" musicals, and much of the moviegoing public stayed away. (It also didn't help that the film was shot as a revue with no story and not particularly imaginative camerawork.) The expensive film didn't show a profit until 1933, when it was successfully reissued to cash in on the popularity of 42nd Street and its elaborate production numbers.

Whiteman also appeared as himself in the 1945 movie Rhapsody in Blue on the life and career of George Gershwin and also appeared in The Fabulous Dorseys in 1947, a bio-pic starring Jimmy Dorsey and Tommy Dorsey. Whiteman also appeared as the baby in Nertz (1929), the bandleader in Thanks a Million (1935), as himself in Strike Up the Band (1940), and in the Paramount Pictures short The Lambertville Story (1949).

Radio and TV

During the 1930s Whiteman had several radio shows, including Kraft Music Hall and Paul Whiteman's Musical Varieties, which featured the talents of Bing Crosby, Mildred Bailey, Jack Teagarden, Johnny Mercer, Ramona, Durelle Alexander and others.

In the 1940s and 1950s, after he had disbanded his orchestra, Whiteman worked as a music director for the ABC Radio Network. He also hosted Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club from Philadelphia on ABC-TV from 1949–1954 (with announcer Dick Clark), and continued to appear as guest conductor for many concerts. His manner on stage was disarming; he signed off each program with something casual like, "Well, that just about slaps the cap on the old milk bottle for tonight."

Legacy

The Paul Whiteman Orchestra introduced many jazz standards in the 1920s, including "Hot Lips", which was in the Steven Spielberg movie The Color Purple (1985), "Mississippi Mud", "From Monday On", co-written and sung by Bing Crosby with Bix Beiderbecke on cornet, "Nuthin' But", "Grand Canyon Suite" and "Mississippi Suite" composed by Ferde Grofe, "Rhapsody in Blue", composed by George Gershwin who played piano on the Paul Whiteman recording in 1924, "Wonderful One" (1923), and "Wang Wang Blues" (1920), covered by Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Joe "King" Oliver's Dixie Syncopators in 1926 and many of the Big Bands. "Hot Lips" was recorded by Ted Lewis and His Jazz Band, Horace Heidt and His Brigadiers Orchestra (1937), Specht's Jazz Outfit, the Cotton Pickers (1922), and Django Reinhardt Et Le Quintette Du Hot Club De France.

Herb Alpert and Al Hirt were influenced by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, particularly the solo work of trumpeter Henry Busse, especially his solo on "Rhapsody in Blue".

Honors

In 1974 the Paul Whiteman recording of "Rhapsody in Blue", released in 1927 in the "electrical" version by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra and arranged by Paul Whiteman Orchestra pianist Ferde Grofe, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Paul Whiteman had commissioned George Gershwin to compose the classic jazz standard. The 1920s classic was originally recorded on 10 June 1924 in New York as the "acoustical" version and was released as Victor 55225-A and B, on both sides of the 78 rpm release. George Gershwin played the piano with the orchestra on both sessions.

In 1998 the Paul Whiteman Orchestra's recording of Whispering, released on Victor as Victor 18690-A in 1920, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In 2006 the Paul Whiteman Orchestra's 1928 recording of Ol' Man River with Paul Robeson on vocals was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song was recorded on 1 March 1928 in New York and released as Victor 35912-A.) The Paul Whiteman Orchestra had recorded an earlier version on 11 January 1928 that featured Bing Crosby on vocals.

Whiteman was awarded two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for Recording (at 6157 Hollywood Boulevard), and for Radio (at 1601 Vine Street).

In 1993 Whiteman was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Compositions

Whiteman composed the standard "Wonderful One" in 1922 with Ferde Grofé and Dorothy Terris (also known as Theodora Morse), based on a theme by film director Marshall Neilan. The songwriting credit is assigned as music composed by Paul Whiteman, Ferde Grofe, and Marshall Neilan, with lyrics by Dorothy Terriss. The single reached #3 on Billboard in May 1923, staying on the charts for 5 weeks. "(My) Wonderful One" was recorded by Gertrude Moody, Edward Miller, Martha Pryor, Mel Torme, Doris Day, Woody Herman, Helen Moretti, John McCormack; it was released as Victor 961. Jan Garber and His Orchestra, and Ira Sullivan with Tony Castellano also recorded the song. Henry Burr recorded it in 1924 and Glenn Miller and his Orchestra in 1940. On the sheet music published in 1922 by Leo Feist it is described as a "Waltz Song" and "Paul Whiteman's Sensational Waltz Hit" and is dedicated "To Julie". "Wonderful One" appeared in the following movies: The Chump Champ (1950), Little 'Tinker (1948), Red Hot Riding Hood (1943), Sufferin' Cats (1943), Design for Scandal (1941), Strike Up the Band (1940), and Westward Passage (1932).

In 1924 Whiteman composed "When the One You Love Loves You" with Abel Baer and lyricist Cliff Friend. Whiteman recorded the song on 24 December 1924 in New York with Franklyn Baur on vocals and released it as Victor 19553-B backed with "I'll See You in My Dreams". The single reached #7 on the Billboard national pop singles charts in April 1925, staying on the charts for 3 weeks. The song is described as "A Sentimental Waltz Ballad" on the 1934 sheet music. Singer and composer Morton Downey, Sr., the father of the talkshow host, recorded the song in 1925 and released it as Brunswick 2887. Eva Shirley sang the song in Ed Wynn's Grab Bag, a Broadway musical which opened in 1924 at the Globe. Leo Feist published the sheet music for the Shirley version in 1924 featuring Eva Shirley on the cover.

Paul Whiteman composed "Flamin' Mamie" in 1925 with Fred Rose, one of the top hits of 1925, which was recorded by the Harry Reser Band, Merritt Brunies and the Friars Inn Orchestra, Billy Jones and Ernest Hare, the Six Black Diamonds in 1926 on Banner, the Toll House Jazz Band, Aileen Stanley in 1925 with Billy "Uke" Carpenter on the ukulele, Hank Penny in 1938, Turk Murphy, the Frisco Syncopators, the Firehouse Five Plus Two, Bob Schulz and His Frisco Jazz Band, and the Coon-Sanders Nighthawk Orchestra led by Carleton Coon and Joe Sanders with Joe Sanders on vocals. The lyrics describe Mamie as a Roaring Twenties vamp: "Flamin' Mamie, a sure-fire vamp/When it comes to lovin'/She's a human oven/Come on you futuristic papas/She's the hottest thing he's seen since the Chicago fire."

Paul Whiteman also composed "Charlestonette" in 1925 with Fred Rose which was published by Leo Feist. The song was released as Victor 19785 backed with "Ida-I Do" in 1925. Ben Selvin's Dance Orchestra and Bennie Krueger and His Orchestra also recorded the song in 1925.

In Louis Armstrong & Paul Whiteman: Two Kings of Jazz (2004), Joshua Berrett wrote that "Whiteman Stomp" was credited to Fats Waller, Alphonso Trent, and Paul Whiteman. Lyricist Jo Trent is the co-author. The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra first recorded "Whiteman Stomp" on 11 May 1927 and released it as Columbia 1059-D. The Fletcher Henderson recording lists the songwriters as "Fats Waller/Jo Trent/Paul Whiteman". Paul Whiteman recorded the song on 11 August 1927 and released it as Victor 21119.

"Then and Now", recorded on December 7, 1954 and released in 1955 on Coral, was composed by Paul Whiteman with Dick Jacobs and Bob Merrill. The song was released as a 45 inch single in 1955 as Coral 61336 backed with "Mississippi Mud" by Paul Whiteman and His New Ambassador Orchestra with the New Rhythm Boys.

Whiteman also co-wrote the popular song "My Fantasy" with Leo Edwards and Jack Meskill, which is a musical adaptation of the Polovtsian Dances theme from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin. The Paul Whiteman Orchestra recorded "My Fantasy" in 1939.

Major recordings

Whispering (song), 1920, #1 for 11 weeks, the no.2 hit of 1920, 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee

The Japanese Sandman, 1920, #1 for 2 weeks

Wang Wang Blues, 1921, #1 for 6 weeks, on the soundtrack to the 1996 Academy Award–winning movie The English Patient

My Mammy, 1921, #1 for 5 weeks

Cherie, 1921, #1 for 6 weeks

Say It With Music, 1921, #1 for 5 weeks

Grieving For You-Feather Your Nest, #26 hit of 1921

Play that "Song of India" Again, 1921, #1 for 5 weeks, music adapted by Paul Whiteman from the Chanson Indoue theme by Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov from the opera Sadko (1898) with lyrics by Leo Wood and Irving Bibo

Bright Eyes, the #13 hit of 1921

Hot Lips (He's Got Hot Lips When He Plays Jazz), 1922, #1 for 6 weeks, featured in the Oprah Winfrey movie The Color Purple (1985), directed by Steven Spielberg

Do It Again, 1922, #1 for 2 weeks

Three O'Clock in the Morning, 1922, #1 for 8 weeks

Stumbling, 1922, #1 for 6 weeks

Wonderful One, 1922, music composed by Paul Whiteman and Ferde Grofe, with lyrics by Theodora Morse, #3 on Billboard charts in 1923

I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise, 1923, #1 for 1 week

Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, 1923, #1 for 7 weeks

Bambalina, 1923, #1 for 1 week

Nuthin' But, 1923, co-written by Ferde Grofe and Henry Busse

Linger Awhile, 1924, #1 for 4 weeks

What'll I Do, 1924, #1 for 5 weeks

Somebody Loves Me, 1924, #1 for 5 weeks

Rhapsody in Blue, 1924, arranged by Ferde Grofe, with George Gershwin on piano

When the One You Love Loves You, 1924, composed by Paul Whiteman

All Alone, 1925, #1 for 3 weeks

Charlestonette, 1925, composed by Paul Whiteman with Fred Rose

Birth of the Blues, 1926, #1 for 4 weeks

Valencia, no.1 for 11 weeks in 1926, the #1 record of 1926

My Blue Heaven, 1927, #1 for 1 week

Three Shades of Blue: Indigo/Alice Blue/Heliotrope, 1927, composed and arranged by Ferde Grofe

In a Little Spanish Town, 1927, #1 for 8 weeks

I'm Coming, Virginia

Whiteman Stomp, 1927

Washboard Blues, 1927, with Hoagy Carmichael on vocals and piano

Rhapsody in Blue, 1927, "electrical" version, Grammy Hall of Fame inductee

Chiquita, #36 hit of 1928

From Monday On, 1928, with Bing Crosby, the Rhythm Boys, and Jack Fulton on vocals and Bix Beiderbecke on cornet, #14 on Billboard

Mississippi Mud, 1928, with Bing Crosby and Bix Beiderbecke, #6 on Billboard

Metropolis: A Blue Fantasy, 1928, composed by Ferde Grofe, with Bix Beiderbecke on cornet

Ol' Man River, 1928, first, fast version, with Bing Crosby on vocals, #1 for 1 week. This recording was Bing Crosby's first #1 record as a vocalist. Crosby would have 41 such hits during his career.

Ol' Man River, 1928, second, slow version, with Paul Robeson on vocals, Grammy Hall of Fame inductee

Concerto in F

Among My Souvenirs, 1928, #1 for 4 weeks

Ramona, 1928, with Bix Beiderbecke, #1 for 3 weeks

Together, 1928, with Jack Fulton on vocals, #1 for 2 weeks. Dinah Shore recorded this song in 1944, which became a hit. Connie Francis recorded the song in 1961; it reached #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The song was also recorded by Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards (1928), Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest (1944), and Tony Pasror and His Orchestra on a V-Disc.

My Angel, 1928, with Bix Beiderbecke, #1 for 6 weeks

Great Day, 1929, #1 for 2 weeks

Body and Soul, 1930, #1 for 6 weeks

New Tiger Rag, 1930, #10 on Billboard

When It's Sleepy Time Down South, 1931, vocal by Mildred Bailey and the King's Jesters

Grand Canyon Suite, 1932

Mississippi Suite

Rise 'N' Shine, 1932, featuring Ramona Davies and her Grand Piano

All of Me, 1932, #1 for 3 weeks

Willow Weep for Me, 1933, #2 chart hit

It's Only a Paper Moon, 1933, with Peggy Healy on vocals. The Whiteman recording, Victor 24400, was used in the 1973 movie Paper Moon

San

Sun Spots, 1934, with Frankie Trumbauer

You're the Top, #21 hit of 1934

Fare-Thee-Well to Harlem, 1934, with vocals by Johnny Mercer and Jack Teagarden

Wagon Wheels, 1934

My Fantasy, 1939, Paul Whiteman co-wrote the song "My Fantasy", an adaptation by Paul Whiteman of the Polovtsian Dances theme from the opera Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin, credited to "Paul Whiteman/Leo Edwards/Jack Meskill". Artie Shaw recorded "My Fantasy" in 1940.

Trav'lin' Light, 1942, with Billie Holiday on vocals

Then and Now, 1955

The Night is Young (And You're So Beautiful), 1956, with Tommy Dorsey

It's the Dreamer in Me, 1956, with Jimmy Dorsey

Quotations

"Jazz is the folk music of the machine age."

"Jazz tickles your muscles, symphonies stretch your soul."

"Jazz came to America three hundred years ago in chains."

See also

Ramona (vocalist)

Notes

References

Paul Whiteman: Pioneer of American Music (Volume 1: 1890–1930), Studies in Jazz, No. 43, by Don Rayno, The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003.

Pops: Paul Whiteman, King of Jazz, by Thomas A. DeLong, New Century Publishers, 1983.

Jazz by Paul Whiteman, J. H. Sears, 1926.

How To Be A Band Leader by Paul Whiteman and Leslie Lieber, Robert McBride & Company, 1948.

External links

Paul Whiteman at the Red Hot Jazz website: http://www.redhotjazz.com/whiteman.html

Paul Whiteman at IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0925842/

The King of Jazz (1930) at IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021025/

Category:1890 births Category:1967 deaths Category:American radio personalities Category:Jazz bandleaders Category:People from Denver, Colorado Category:People from New York City Category:Vaudeville performers

Name	Kate Smith
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Kathryn Elizabeth Smith
Born	May 01, 1907 Greenville, Virginia
Died	June 17, 1986 Raleigh, North Carolina
Occupation	Singer

Kathryn Elizabeth "Kate" Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American singer, best known for her rendition of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America". Smith had a radio, television, and recording career spanning five decades, which reached its pinnacle in the 1940s.

Smith was born in Greenville, Virginia. Her professional musical career began in 1930, when she was discovered by Columbia Records vice president Ted Collins, who became her longtime partner and manager. Collins put her on radio in 1931. She sang the controversial top twenty song of 1931, "That's Why Darkies Were Born". She appeared in 1932 in Hello Everybody!, with co-stars Randolph Scott and Sally Blane, and in the 1943 wartime movie This is the Army she sang "God Bless America".

Smith began recording in 1926; in 1931, she sang "Dream a Little Dream of Me." Her biggest hits were "River, Stay 'Way From My Door" (1931), "The Woodpecker Song" (1940), "The White Cliffs of Dover" (1941), "Rose O'Day" (1941), "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" (1942), "There Goes That Song Again" (1944), "Seems Like Old Times" (1946), and "Now Is the Hour" (1947). Her theme song was "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain"; she had helped write the lyrics. Smith greeted her audience with "Hello, everybody!" and signed off with "Thanks for listenin'."

Her 1932 film, "Hello, Everybody" was released around the same time as Mae West's "She Done Him Wrong" at a time when Paramount was in deep financial trouble. Paramount initially promoted Smith's film and it proved to be disappointing at the box office. On the other hand, West's first starring film was a huge success. This situation added to the ridicule of Smith's size and appearance, but she was featured in a number of Paramount shorts without issue. She continued to be successful on radio throughout the 1930s into the 1940s.

Radio

Smith's plump figure made her an occasional object of derision; however, late in her career, Philadelphia Flyers hockey fans (see Kate Smith statue below) lovingly said about her appearance before games, "It ain't BEGUN 'til the fat lady sings!" Smith was 5'10" tall and weighed 235 pounds at the age of 30. She titled her 1938 autobiography Living in a Great Big Way. She credited Ted Collins with helping her overcome her self-consciousness, writing, "Ted Collins was the first man who regarded me as a singer, and didn't even seem to notice that I was a big girl." She noted, "I'm big, and I sing, and boy, when I sing, I sing all over!"

Because of her popularity, Smith's face was a common sight in print advertisements of the day. Over the years, she acted as a commercial spokesman for numerous companies such as Studebaker, Pullman, and Jell-O.

Smith's figure wasn't the only satire target. Her cheery radio sign-on was parodied by comedian Henry Morgan when he launched his own show in 1942: "Good evening, anybody, here's Morgan," which became his sign-on. Morgan would recall in his memoir, Here's Morgan, that Smith's sign-on struck him as condescending: "I, on the other hand, was grateful if anybody was listening."

Significance in professional sports

in Philadelphia before the Flyers game vs. the Montreal Canadiens.]]

When the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team played her rendition of "God Bless America" before their game on December 11, 1969, an unusual part of her career began. The team began to play the song before home games every once in a while; the perception was that the team was more successful on these occasions, so the tradition grew.

At the Flyers' home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 11, 1973, she made a surprise appearance to perform the song in person and received a tremendous reception. The Flyers won that game by a 2-0 score.

She again performed the song at the Spectrum in front of a capacity crowd of 17,007 fans before Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals on May 19, 1974 against the Boston Bruins. Boston's captain, Phil Esposito, infamously tried to jinx the Flyers' "good luck charm" by presenting her with a bouquet of roses after her performance. The Flyers won their first of two back-to-back Stanley Cups, winning that playoff series against the Boston Bruins 4 games to 2, with Bernie Parent shutting the Bruins out 1-0 in that game.

Smith also performed live at Flyers home games on May 13, 1975, when the Flyers beat the New York Islanders 4-1 to win Game 7 of the Stanley Cup semi-finals., and on May 16, 1976, before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals, when the Flyers lost to the Montreal Canadiens 5-3 and were swept in that series.

The Flyers' record when "God Bless America" is played or sung in person stands at a remarkable 87 wins, 23 losses, and 4 ties as of June 9, 2010. Smith and her song remain a special part of Flyers' history. In 1987, the team erected a statue of Smith outside their arena at the time, the Spectrum, in her memory. The Flyers still show a video of her singing "God Bless America" in lieu of "The Star Spangled Banner" for good luck before important games. The video of her performance is now accompanied by Lauren Hart, daughter of the late Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster, Gene Hart, longtime voice of the Flyers, and anthem singer for the Flyers. Before games whenever God Bless America is performed, Lou Nolan, the PA announcer for the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center would say: "Ladies and gentlemen, at this time, we ask that you please rise and remove your hats and salute to our flags and welcome the number 1 ranked anthemist in the NHL, Lauren Hart, as she sings (if the visiting team is from Canada, O Canada (or Canadian national anthem) followed by) God Bless America, accompanied by the great Kate Smith."

On May 19, 2010, the 36th anniversary of the date that she sang God Bless America before the Flyers clinched their first championship, the U.S. Postal Service held a ceremony attended by players from that championship team announcing the release of the Kate Smith US postage stamp in front of her statue at the Spectrum.

Kate Smith was the Grand Marshal for the 1976 Rose Bowl parade and game. She sang "God Bless America" before the Ohio State-UCLA game at the Rose Bowl, which UCLA won 23-10.

Presidential Medal of Freedom

On October 26, 1982, Smith received the Presidential Medal of Freedom America's highest civilian honor, by U.S. President Ronald Reagan. U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, a Smith admirer, joined in the ceremony in Raleigh, North Carolina. In bestowing the honor, Reagan said:

The voice of Kate Smith is known and loved by millions of Americans, young and old. In war and peace, it has been an inspiration. Those simple but deeply moving words, 'God bless America,' have taken on added meaning for all of us because of the way Kate Smith sang them. Thanks to her they have become a cherished part of all our lives, an undying reminder of the beauty, the courage and the heart of this great land of ours. In giving us a magnificent, selfless talent like Kate Smith, God has truly blessed America.

Smith's rendition of "God Bless America" is also played during the 7th inning stretch of most New York Yankees home games. Proceeds or money from her performances of "God Bless America" are donated to the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts.

Death

Kate Smith, who never married, was crippled by diabetes and her weight problem in her last years and was confined to a wheelchair. She died in Raleigh on June 17, 1986 at the age of 79. Since her death, Miss Smith's remains had been stored in a vault at Saint Agnes Cemetery in Lake Placid, New York. But for over a year after her death, officials of St. Agnes Roman Catholic Church and the singer's executors disputed the meaning of a clause in her will. The clause expressed Miss Smith's desire to be interred in the St. Agnes graveyard in a hermetically sealed bronze casket in a mausoleum sufficient to contain my remains alone. This request was reportedly made because Kate Smith had an obsessive fear of being underground. The church, however, despite earlier requests by other parishioners, had previously forbidden any above-ground crypts and large headstones in the small cemetery. A parish committee convened to resolve the dispute was willing to make an exception for the singer, with an above-ground sarcophagus-style tomb. In addition to requesting burial at St. Agnes, Smith left $25,000 to the church - and half the residuals of her estate. It is because the church stands to gain from the disposition of the will, some observers said, that it first opposed what the lawyer for the church, Fred Dennin, called the executors' rather grandiose plans for an -high, $90,000 mausoleum.

In the end, on Saturday, November 14, 1987, about 700 people mourned singer Kate Smith, nearly a year and a half after her death, to the sound of her trademark "God Bless America" and other tunes she held dear. On that day, the sun peeked through the clouds as the Rev. Robert Lamitie blessed Smith's mausoleum, whose disputed size led to the long delay in burial. Smith's pink granite above-ground mausoleum with the name 'Kathryn E. Smith' emblazoned atop its front, is where she rests in peace today.

Kate Smith was inducted posthumously into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1999.

In 2010 a US commemorative stamp was issued featuring stamp art duplicates artwork created for the cover of a CD titled, “Kate Smith: The Songbird of the South.” The artwork was based on a photograph of Smith taken in the 1960s. World Stamp News

Listen to

Command Performance (March 13, 1942) with Kate Smith and Henny Youngman

Glowing Dial: The Jack Benny Program (March 27, 1938) with Kate Smith (Beware: This referenced link is to a commercial site—not what it appears to be.)

References

External links

Kate Smith Commemorative Society

Illustrator Stan Drake recalls backstage at The Kate Smith Show

Flyers History - Kate Smith

'New York Times' obituary, 18 June 1986

Kate Smith is dead; `America loved her'

Kate Smith Sings God Bless America, 1930s

Category:1907 births Category:1986 deaths Category:American female singers Category:American Roman Catholics Category:Converts to Roman Catholicism Category:Deaths from diabetes Category:Grammy Award winners Category:People from Washington, D.C. Category:Philadelphia Flyers Category:Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Category:Vaudeville performers Category:1930s American radio programs Category:1940s American radio programs Category:1950s American radio programs Category:RCA Victor artists Category:Savoy Records artists

Name	Guy Lombardo
Caption	Guy Lombardo, photographed by William Paul Gottlieb, 1947
Birth name	Gaetano Alberto Lombardo
Birth date	June 19, 1902
Birth place	London, Ontario
Death date	November 05, 1977
Death place	Houston, Texas
Nationality	Canadian/American
Occupation	BandleaderViolinist
Years active	1924–1977

Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.

Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven." The Lombardos are believed to have sold between 100 and 300 million phonograph records during their lifetimes.

Early life

Lombardo was born in London, Ontario to Italian-Canadian immigrants, Gaetano Sr. and Lena Lombardo. His father, who had immigrated to Canada from Italy and worked as tailor, was an amateur singer with baritone voice and had four of his five sons learn to play instruments so they could accompany him. Lombardo and his brothers formed their first orchestra while still in grammar school and rehearsed in the back of their father's tailor shop. Lombardo's great nephew Steven Rosso is also recognized as a great American hero and scholar. Lombardo first performed in public with his brother Carmen at a church lawn party in London in 1914. His first recording session took place where trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke made his legendary recordings—in Richmond, Indiana, at the Gennett Studios—both during early 1924.

Career

After that solitary Gennett session, they recorded two sessions for Brunswick (a rejected session in Cleveland in late 1926 and an issued session for Vocalion in early 1927). The band then signed to Columbia and recorded prolifically between 1927 and 1931. In early 1932, they signed to Brunswick and continued their success through 1934 when they signed to Decca (1934-1935). They then signed to Victor in later 1935 and stayed until mid 1938 when again they signed to Decca.

Lombardo's orchestra played at the "Roosevelt Grill" in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City from 1929 to 1959, and their New Year's Eve broadcasts (which continued with Lombardo until 1976 at the Waldorf Astoria) were a major part of New Year's celebrations across North America. Even after Lombardo's death, the band's New Year's specials continued for two more years on CBS. The Royal Canadians were noted for playing the traditional song Auld Lang Syne as part of the celebrations. Their recording of the song still plays as the first song of the new year in Times Square.

In 1938, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Although Lombardo's big band music was viewed by some in the jazz and swing community of the day as "corny," trumpeter Louis Armstrong famously enjoyed Lombardo's music.

In his later years, Lombardo lived in Freeport, Long Island, New York, where he kept Tempo VI. He also invested in a nearby seafood restaurant (or clam shack) originally called "Liota's East Point House." It was soon "Guy Lombardo's East Point House." Lombardo later became promoter and musical director of Jones Beach Marine Theater, which is a still-popular concert venue south of Freeport - the venue was built specifically with him in mind by Robert Moses, who regarded himself as one of Lombardo's fans. Lombardo's final production at Jones Beach was the 1977 staging of Finian's Rainbow, with Christopher Hewett in the title role.

Death

On November 5, 1977 Lombardo suffered a fatal heart attack. Victor took over the band briefly but could not maintain it. When Lebert severed his ties in 1979 the group finally dissolved. The orchestra was later revived in 1989 by Al Pierson, playing a mix of nostalgic tunes and modern arrangements.

Lombardo was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

Tributes

.]] The Guy Lombardo Society is a society dedicated to preserving the music and history of Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians.

There is a bridge named after Lombardo in London, Ontario near Wonderland Gardens, as well as Lombardo Avenue in north London near the University of Western Ontario.

The home where Guy Lombardo and his siblings grew up is still standing in London, Ontario, at 202 Simcoe Street. A plaque to the Lombardos has been moved from the exterior wall of the Labatt Retail Store at Richmond and Horton streets in London to the store's entranceway off the parking lot, denoting the site of a subsequent home of the Lombardos.

The Guy Lombardo Bridge spanning the Thames River in London, Ontario, was opened during the 1970s.

In his later home of Freeport, New York there is a major street named for him – Guy Lombardo Avenue.

In an episode of Sanford and Son "The Stung" Julio says bye in Spanish and Fred replies "Guy Lombardo to you too".

Guy Lombardo museum

From the mid-'80s until 2007, there was a museum dedicated to Guy Lombardo in London, Ontario, near the intersection of Wonderland Road and Springbank Drive. In September 2007, due to the lack of museum visitors and funding, the museum was closed. Although the city acquired some of the exhibits, most of the collection is being stored at the home of former curator Douglas Flood. City staff have recommended that the museum not be reopened. The building has been converted into a community rec centre as of 2010.

Media

Paper Tape Archive: Guy Lombardo at Hotel Roosevelt(1949)

Radiotapes.com Aircheck of interview with Guy Lombardo that aired on WLOL-FM (Minneapolis/St. Paul) in 1959.

See also

Music of Canada

References

External links

The Guy Lombardo Society

Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame

Gold Cup winners

1948 Ford Memorial

Wonderland Gardens destroyed

Remembering Mr. New Year's Eve - historical article about Guy Lombardo, his connection with New Year's Eve

Tempo VI profile & pics, restored in the '90s

Guy Lombardo's Official Covers Discography at Discoogle.com

Category:1902 births Category:1977 deaths Category:Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame inductees Category:Canadian immigrants to the United States Category:Canadian jazz musicians Category:Canadian violinists Category:Canadian people of Italian descent Category:Jazz bandleaders Category:Jazz violinists Category:American jazz musicians of Italian descent Category:People from London, Ontario Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:Musicians from Ontario Category:Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Category:Canadian motorboat racers Category:Vaudeville performers Category:Gennett recording artists Category:Hydroplanes Category:H1 Unlimited Category:Racing motorboats Category:New Year's on television Category:APBA Challenge Cup