Citizendia

This article is about trombonist and band leader Tommy Dorsey. For the pianist and jazz and gospel composer, see Thomas A. Dorsey. Thomas Andrew Dorsey ( July 1, 1899, Villa Rica Georgia - January 23, 1993, Chicago) is known as "the father
Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey, in The Fabulous Dorseys
Tommy Dorsey, in The Fabulous Dorseys
Background information
Birth nameTommy Dorsey
BornJune 19, 1905(1905-06-19)
OriginShenandoah, Pennsylvania, USA
DiedNovember 26, 1956 (aged 51)
Genre(s)Big band
Swing
Jazz
Occupation(s)Book Writer
Instrument(s)Trombone
Trumpet
Associated actsCalifornia Ramblers
Jimmy Dorsey
Jean Goldkette
Paul Whiteman
Frank Sinatra

Tommy Dorsey (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, and bandleader of the Big Band era. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Shenandoah is a borough located in the lower part of the Anthracite Coal Region, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s The California Ramblers were a popular and prolific Jazz group from the 1920s that recorded hundreds of songs under many different record labels throughout the 1920's James "Jimmy" Dorsey ( February 29, 1904 &ndash June 12, 1957) was a prominent American Jazz Clarinetist John Jean Goldkette ( 18 March, 1893 &ndash March 24, 1962) was a Jazz Pianist and Bandleader born in Patras Paul Whiteman ( March 28, 1890 &ndash December 29, 1967) was an American orchestral Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 1905 ( MCMV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus" Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The trombone is a Musical instrument in the brass family Like all brass instruments it is a lip-reed Aerophone: sound is produced when the player’s A bandleader is the leader of a band of Musicians The term is most commonly though not exclusively used with a group that plays Popular music as A big band is a type of Musical ensemble associated with playing jazz music and which became popular during the Swing Era from the early 1930s until the late He was the younger brother of Jimmy Dorsey. James "Jimmy" Dorsey ( February 29, 1904 &ndash June 12, 1957) was a prominent American Jazz Clarinetist His lyrical trombone style became one of the signature sounds of his band and of the Swing Era. The Swing Era was the period of time (1935&ndash1946 when Big band Swing music was the most popular music in America.

Contents

Early life

Thomas Francis Dorsey, Jr. was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, and started out only 16 years later in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with big band leader Russ Morgan in the famous pick-up band of the 1920s "The Scranton Sirens". Shenandoah is a borough located in the lower part of the Anthracite Coal Region, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. Russ Morgan may also refer to a member of Dance music group K-Klass.

Tommy and his brother Jimmy worked in several bands, including those of Rudy Vallee, Vincent Lopez, and especially Paul Whiteman, before forming the original Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in 1934. Rudy Vallée ( July 28, 1901 - July 3, 1986) was an American Singer, Actor, Bandleader, and entertainer Vincent Lopez ( 30 December, 1895 &ndash 20 September, 1975) was a United States Bandleader and Pianist. Paul Whiteman ( March 28, 1890 &ndash December 29, 1967) was an American orchestral Ongoing acrimony between the brothers, however, led to Tommy Dorsey's walking out to form his own band in 1935, just as the Orchestra was having a hit with "Every Little Moment. "

His own band

Tommy Dorsey's first band formed out of the remnant of the Joe Haymes band, and his smooth, lyrical trombone style – whether on ballads or on no-holds-barred swingers – became one of the signature sounds of both his band and the Swing Era. The new band hit from almost the moment it signed with RCA Victor with "On Treasure Island", the first of four hits for the new band that year. RCA Records (originally The Victor Talking Machine Company, then RCA Victor is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. That led to a run of 137 Billboard chart hits, including his theme song, "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (which showcases his phenomenal range and masterful mute use, reaching up to the high C #), "Marie", "The Big Apple", "Music, Maestro, Please", "I'll Never Smile Again", "This Love of Mine", "On the Sunny Side of the Street", "T. " I'm Getting Sentimental Over You " is a song by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra D. 's Boogie Woogie", "Well, Git 'It", "Opus One", "Manhattan Serenade", and "There Are Such Things" – among many others. Opus #1 is a Popular song composed in 1943 by Sy Oliver, with Lyrics by Sid Garris. " Manhattan Serenade " was composed by Louis Alter in 1928 with lyrics added years later by Harold Adamson. " There Are Such Things " is a popular Song by Stanley Adams, Abel Baer, and George W

The band featured a number of the best instrumentalists in jazz at the time, including trumpeters Bunny Berigan, Ziggy Elman, George Seaberg, Carl "Doc" Severinsen, and Charlie Shavers, pianist Jess Stacy, trumpeter/arranger/composer Sy Oliver (who wrote "Well, Git 'It" and "Opus One"), clarinetists Buddy DeFranco, Johnny Mince and Peanuts Hucko drummers Buddy Rich, Louis Bellson, Gene Krupa and Dave Tough and singers Jo Stafford, Dick Haymes and Frank Sinatra. Rowland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan ( November 2 1908 - June 2, 1942) was an American Jazz Trumpeter Harry Aaron Finkelman ( May 26, 1914 – June 26, 1968) better known by the Stage name Ziggy Elman, was an American Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American pop and Jazz Trumpeter. Charlie James Shavers ( August 3, 1920 to July 8, 1971) was a swing era Jazz Trumpet player who played at one Jess Stacy ( August 11, 1904 – January 1, 1995) was an American jazz pianist who became famous during the Swing Era Melvin "Sy" Oliver (born December 17, 1910 in Battle Creek Michigan &mdash died May 28, 1988 in New York City Opus #1 is a Popular song composed in 1943 by Sy Oliver, with Lyrics by Sid Garris. Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (born February 17, 1923 in Camden New Jersey) is a Jazz Clarinet player Johnny Mince (July 8 1912 Chicago Heights Illinois - 1997 was an American Swing jazz clarinetist Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko ( April 7 1918 - June 19 2003) was an American Big band musician Bernard "Buddy" Rich ( September 30 1917 &ndash April 2 1987) was an American jazz drummer and Bandleader Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni (born 6 July 1924) better known by the Stage name Louie Bellson (his own preferred spelling Gene Krupa ( January 15, 1909 &ndash October 16, 1973) was an influential American Jazz and Big band Drummer Dave Tough ( 26 April, 1907 &ndash 9 December, 1948, sometimes known as Davie or Davey Tough) was an American Jo Elizabeth Stafford ( November 12, 1917  &ndash July 16, 2008) was an American singer of Traditional pop music Dick Haymes ( September 13, 1918 &ndash March 28, 1980) was an Actor and one of the most popular male vocalists of Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor Sinatra achieved his first great success as a vocalist in the Dorsey band and claimed he learned breath control from watching Dorsey play trombone. Dorsey said his trombone style was heavily influenced by that of Jack Teagarden. Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden ( August 20, 1905 &ndash January 15, 1964) was an influential Jazz Trombonist and Another member of the Dorsey band probably spent considerable time observing and listening to Sy Oliver's striking arrangements: trombonist Nelson Riddle, whose later partnership as Sinatra's major arranger and conductor is considered to have revolutionised post-World War II popular music. Nelson Smock Riddle Jr ( June 1, 1921 &ndash October 6, 1985) was a well-known American bandleader arranger and World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Dorsey might have broken up his own band permanently following World War II, as many big bands did due to the shift in music economics following the war, and he did disband the orchestra at the end of 1946. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including But a top-ten selling album (All-Time Hits) made it possible for Dorsey to re-organise a big band in early 1947.

The biographical film of 1947, "The Fabulous Dorseys" describes sketchy details of how the brothers got their start from-the-bottom-up into the jazz era of one-nighters, the early days of radio in its infancy stages, and the onward march when both brothers ended up with Paul Whiteman before 1935 when The Dorsey Brothers' Orchestra split into two.

The Dorsey brothers themselves later reconciled – Jimmy Dorsey had had to break up his own highly successful big band in 1953, and brother Tommy invited him to join up as a feature attraction – but before long Tommy renamed the band the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. The brothers took the unit on tour and onto their own television show, Stage Show, from 1954 to 1956, on which they introduced Elvis Presley to national television audiences, among others.

Death and aftermath

In 1956, Tommy Dorsey died at age 51 in his Greenwich, Connecticut home, choking in his sleep after a heavy meal following which he had taken sleeping pills. Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Jimmy Dorsey (out of whose band Tommy had walked two decades earlier) led his brother's band until his own death of throat cancer the following year. At that point, trombonist Warren Covington assumed leadership of the band with, presumably, Jane Dorsey's blessing (she owned the rights to her late husband's band and name) and it produced, ironically enough, the biggest selling hit record ever released under the Dorsey name. Billed as the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Starring Warren Covington, they topped the charts in 1958 with Tea For Two Cha-Cha. Covington led the Dorsey band through 1970 (he also led and recorded with his own organisation), after which Jane Dorsey renamed it, simply, The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, which is conducted today by Buddy Morrow, featuring vocalist Rob Zappulla. Buddy Morrow, (born Muni Zudekoff, aka Moe Zudekoff on 8 February 1919 in New Haven Connecticut) is an American Trombonist and bandleader Jane Dorsey died of natural causes around the age of 79 in 2003.

The grave of Tommy Dorsey in Kensico Cemetery
The grave of Tommy Dorsey in Kensico Cemetery

Married life

Dorsey's married life was varied and at times headline making. Towerkensicojpg|thumb|The Tower at the upper entrance to Kensico Cemetery]] Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County New York, was founded His first wife was 16 year old Mildred Kraft with whom he eloped while he was 17 in 1922. They had two children, Patricia and Tom (nicknamed "Skipper"), but divorced in 1943. He then wed movie actress Pat Dane in 1943 and they were divorced in 1947, but not before he gained headlines for striking actor Jon Hall when Hall embraced his wife Pat. Finally Dorsey married Jane Earl New (b. 23 October 1923 in Dublin, Laurens County, Georgia; d. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 24 August 2003 in Bay Harbor Island, Miami-Dade County, Florida) on 27 March 1948 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, and had two children, Catherine Susan and Steve. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 196 BC - Ptolemy V ascends to the throne of Egypt. 1309 - Pope Clement V excommunicates Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. She remained his wife until his death. She had been a dancer at the world-renowned Copacabana. Copacabana (often referred to as The Copa) was a famous New York City Nightclub.

Tommy and Jane Dorsey are interred together in Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. Towerkensicojpg|thumb|The Tower at the upper entrance to Kensico Cemetery]] Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County New York, was founded Valhalla is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP located in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County New York, Sinatra released a tribute album to Dorsey in 1961 entitled I Remember Tommy with arrangements by another Dorsey alumnus, Sy Oliver. Events January 15 - Motown Records signs The Supremes January 20 - Francis Poulenc 's Gloria I Remember Tommy is an album by Frank Sinatra, released in 1961


Discography

Bix Beiderbecke and his Rhythm Jugglers, a pickup band formed, and dissolved, in 1925. From left to right, Howdy Quicksell (banjo), Tom Gargano (drums), Paul Mertz (piano), Don Murray (clarinet), Beiderbecke (cornet), and Tommy Dorsey (trombone).
Bix Beiderbecke and his Rhythm Jugglers, a pickup band formed, and dissolved, in 1925. Leon Bix Beiderbecke ( March 10, 1903 &ndash August 6, 1931) was an American Jazz Cornetist and composer as well A pickup group (also called a pickup band, pickup orchestra, or jobbing band) is a term used to describe a group of Musicians that are hired to From left to right, Howdy Quicksell (banjo), Tom Gargano (drums), Paul Mertz (piano), Don Murray (clarinet), Beiderbecke (cornet), and Tommy Dorsey (trombone). Howard 'Howdy' Quicksell (b 1901 - d October 30 1953, Pontiac Michigan) was an American Composer and Banjoist He was featured Don Murray ( June 7, 1904 - June 2, 1929) was an early Jazz Clarinet and Saxophone player

Filmography

Tommy Dorsey appeared in several films. While not known for his acting skills, his band leader talents stood him well in films. Dorsey and members of his band appeared in the following films:

1940s

1950s

References

External links

History The National Radio Hall of Fame and Museum, located in the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago Illinois, is a Museum dedicated allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide.
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