Benny Goodman Biography, Photos and Posters

Benny Goodman

Biography

Born: May 30, 1909
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Instrument: Clarinet
Music Training: Kehelah Jacob Synogogue, Schoepp
Bands and Orchestras: Ben Pollack, Benny Goodman Trio, Benny Goodman Quartet, Benny Goodman Orchestra
Signature Song: "Let's Dance"
Benny Goodman biography: He was the son of a poor Russian immigrant Jewish family that lived in a run down section of Chicago. He started studying the clarinet at the age of 10 and by the time he was 14 he was helping to support his family by performing in local dance halls. At 16 he joined the Ben Pollack band in 1925 and made his first recording with that group the following year. When he was 20 he left Pollack and moved to New York where he found work as a sideman in various bands and as a session musician backing up Billy Holiday on her first recording session along with Lionel Hampton and Teddy Wilson. In 1934, he began forming his own pick up bands and had his first hit record "He's Not Worth Your Tears" at that time. In the fall of 1934 he was signed to a recording by Columbia Records. The signing paid immediate dividends with hit singles like "Ain't Cha Glad?" "Riffin' the Scotch," "Ol' Pappy" and "I Ain't Lazy, I'm Just Dreamin'." These successes earned him a spot at Billy Rose's Music Hall where he formed his own orchestra. This led to his first number 1 hit single "Moon Glow" along with 2 more top ten selections "Take My Word" and "Bugle Call Rag." During a 6 month stint on the NBC radio show Let's Dance he scored 6 more top ten hits before switching to the RCA label where he had 5 more top ten offerings. Upon leving the show he embarked on a national tour which was proving far less successful than he would have hoped. Middle America's music tastes were not yet ready for the new up tempo black jazz style known as swing. That was until the group reached the Palomar Ballroom near Los Angeles on August 21, 1935. The response of the audience was simply what legends are made of and marked the official start of the "Swing Era." From here he moved on to his home town Chicago where he did a sixth month stint at the Congress Hotel in 1936. During that year he recorde an astounding 15 hit singles including number 1 hits "It's Been So Long," "Goody-Goody," "The Glory of Love," "These Foolish Things Remind Me of You," and "You Turned the Tables on Me" all with vocals by Helen Ward. After this he became the host of the radio show the Camel Caravan. In 1937 he took up residence at New York's Pennsylvania hotel. In 1938, a year in which he had 14 hit records, he performed at New York's Carnegie Hall. Among those hits were number 1 singles the instrumental Don't Be That Way" and "I Let a Song Go out of My Heart" with a vocal by Martha Tilton, as well as Louis Prima's thrilling instrumental "Sing, Sing, Sing." By 1939, trumpeter Harry James and drummer Gene Krupa had left to form their own bands. Competition from new comers like Artie Shaw and Glen Miller limited him to only 10 hit songs including the great number 1 single "And the Angels Sing" with voacals by Martha Tilton and trumpet solo by the legendary Ziggy Elman. Although he disbanded in 1944, he continued to perform with pick up bands throughout the 40s. Benny Goodman was married to Alice Hammond, who was the sister of Columbia Records music director John Hammond and daughter of Emily Vanderbilt Sloane and John Henry Hammond. By 1950 music tastes had changed and so had the directorship of music at Columbia Records going from John Hammond to Mitch Miller. Miller led the move away from the big bands and canaries of the swing era. Goodman continued to record and perform through the 1970s.
Died: June 13, 1986:

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