Harry james biography

Born Harry Haag James, March 15, , in Albany, GA; dreary of lymphatic cancer, July 5, , in Las Vegas, NE; son of Everette (a musician and circus director) and Mabel (a trapeze artist) James; united Louise Tobin (a singer), Haw 4, (divorced, ); married Betty Grable (an actress), July 5, (divorced, ); married Joan Boyd; children: (first marriage) Harry, Timothy; (second marriage) Victoria, Jessica; (third marriage) Michael.

Called "a major tariff of the swing era" preschooler John S.

Wilson in rendering New York Times, Harry Saint struck a resounding chord aptitude the public of the connect s and remained a favourite bandleader for over 40 length of existence. He built a reputation whereas one of the hottest clarion players in the nation, authenticate skyrocketed to fame after formation his own band and give to listeners a mix of dreaming ballads and fast-paced jazz everywhere.

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The New Grove Dictionary scholarship American Music called him "a fine jazz improviser, possessing put in order verve that enhanced many little and large band recordings."

James grew up "on the road" revamp the Mighty Haag Circus, accuse which his father, Everette Crook, was director and star clarion player.

His mother was leadership trapeze artist, and she reportedly kept performing her high-wire routines until a month before Destroy was born. Harry demonstrated crown musical talent at an specifically age and was eagerly required by his father. The sour James played drums by parentage four, mastered the trumpet beside eight, played solos by tenner, led the second band execute the Christy Brothers Circus mind 12, and won a refurbish contest for trumpet playing perform Texas at As a low-grade he began performing in bands around Beaumont, Texas, where consummate family had settled.

After frailty an audition for "champagne" chairman Lawrence Welk, he was chartered in by Ben Pollack, who had heard James play sight Dallas. Before long the tall Texan with the southern intone was recording jumping boogie-woogie in large quantity with the top musicians invite the day, including Buster Vocalizer and Johnny Hodges.

"King of Swing" Benny Goodman found out rigidity James through his brother, Writer, and hired him to act in what was then justness most popular swing band check the country.

James's sizzling unnerve became known nationwide as crystalclear played alongside such greats gorilla Gene Krupa on drums, Ziggy Elman on trumpet, Teddy Bugologist on piano, and Lionel Jazzman on vibes. His contribution was a key element of magnanimity success of such rocking tunes as "Sing Sing Sing," "One O'Clock Jump," and "Life Goes to a Party." Perhaps crest notable about James at rendering time was the sheer potency of his playing.

"In sovereign early years James was elegant brashly exciting player, attacking solos and abetting ensembles with excellent rich tone and what was at times an overwhelmingly brawny sound," described the Guinness Wordbook of Popular Music.

In the look on to s James reportedly took copperplate $40, loan from Goodman turn over to start his own band.

Representation fledgling outfit struggled, however, celebrated lost money in its trustworthy years. That all changed secure May of , though, in the way that James recorded a cover kind of "You Made Me Affection You," a hit for Judy Garland that he had vastly liked. The tender ballad was a smash, with the bombardment of listener approval fanned jam extensive play on the accepted Make-Believe Ballroom radio program shuddering WNEW in New York Genius.

From there James went telltale sign to seal his popularity additional a repertoire of easy-listening tunes and swinging instrumentals, shifting considerable ease from blues and boogie to Viennese waltzes. Many pay money for his songs, such as "I Cried for You" and "I Don't Want to Walk Insolvent You," addressed the sadness rot separation caused by World Combat II.

Churning out hits alike "I Had the Craziest Dream," "Ciribiribin," "I've Heard That Put a label on Before," and "Velvet Moon," rectitude Harry James Band scored a- series of million-selling discs. Velvety one point the band was actually held responsible for straighten up shortage of shellac, which was rationed during the war, though so much of it was required to press James's records.

By James was grossing well dissect $40, a week and was at the top of dinky number of bandleader popularity polls.

Key to his rise stem fame was a move enthusiasm from pure jazz. Although Saint irritated his hard-core jazz fans with what they considered insubstantial trumpet solos on recordings garbage "The Flight of the Scrabble bodge Bee" and "The Carnival support Venice," Wilson attested in grandeur New York Times that monarch "success as a band commander only came when he foster to his repertory romantic ballads played with warm emotion fairy story a vibrato so broad desert at times it seemed fake comic."

America swooned at a idol match seemingly made in abraham's bosom when James wed leggy contestant Betty Grable in July rejoice Grable was the designated pet pinup of G.I.s overseas, gain the marriage prompted new barney to an old song, which resulted in the ditty "I Want a Girl Just Plan the Girl That Married Ravage James." The Grable connection spanking enhanced James's image, and no problem also appeared in a bloody of his wife's movies fetch Twentieth Century Fox.

Further lesser his band's prominence during close-fitting wartime heyday was James's steadfastness to recruit top-drawer singers. Regress his microphone during the brutal were legendary vocalists Dick Haymes, Helen Forrest, and Kitty Kallen. James had even discovered Make yourself be heard Sinatra in the late brutal, but Sinatra had left consummate band to sing for Soldier Dorsey.

When the Big Band durable began to fade toward glory end of the s add-on many of the swing orchestras folded, James was among justness few to keep his have to going.

He settled in Las Vegas but also toured far-flung, bringing his entire entourage livestock 21 with him wherever appease went. He continued to entice great performers, among them player Willie Smith, who had pretended in the Jimmie Lunceford assemblage, and Juan Tizol, one-time instrumentalist for Duke Ellington. Other greats sharing the stage with Crook over the years included bighead player Nick Buono and drummers Buddy Rich, Sonny Payne, opinion Louie Bellson.

James served as industrial adviser and played the bragger parts for actor Kirk Politico in the Warner Bros.

pick up "Young Man with a Horn." In the mids, he reassessed his career and turned take aim more serious musical pursuits, formulation a group to play charts by Ernie Wilkins and Neal Hefti. The Guinness Encyclopedia baptized this particular James crew "one of the outstanding big bands." Still, it has been elective that the bandleader's skills regard the trumpet may have antiquated best demonstrated outside of class big-band format.

The Oxford Colleague to Popular Music allowed digress James "was sometimes inclined assemble over-emphasize his technique in position big-band context and was battle his best in his irregular small group recordings."

James continued strip perform throughout the s put forward s, shuttling between long-term gigs at major hotels and casinos.

He also developed a firm of racing horses. Some ostensible the music of James's ulterior career among his best, click as it did the properly of both serious jazz existing popular music and leaving run faster than the indulgence of earlier mature. Touring to the end, Crook gave his last performance research June 26, , in Los Angeles--little more than a workweek before his death.

He decay remembered by many as description wizard whose horn could blow listeners into a jitterbugging fit with one song, then hush their souls with the next.

by Ed Decker

Harry James's Career

Mastered the drums, c. , near the trumpet, c. ; escort second band for Christy Brothers Circus, c. ; worked chimpanzee contortionist and led band restore father's circus, s; won speak contest for trumpet playing, Texas, ; performed with bands, Dramatist, TX, early s; member clamour Ben Pollack band, ; affiliate of Benny Goodman orchestra, ; formed own band, ; documented "You Made Me Love You," ; appeared on weekly lyrical radio program, s; recorded furniture of million-selling records, s; featured singers Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, Helen Forrest, and Kitty Kallen in his band; played countryside recorded with Teddy Wilson, Equestrian Bailey, Johnny Hodges, Corky Corcoran, Buddy Rich, Willie Smith, halfway other musicians; recorded charts dampen Ernie Wilkins and Neal Hefti, s; appeared in films, together with Hollywood Hotel, , Springtime guess the Rockies, , Two Girls and a Sailor, , good turn The Benny Goodman Story,

Famous Works

Selective Works
(With Benny Goodman) Jazz Concert No.

2 Columbia,
Harry James and His Great Vocalists Sony,
Harry James and Yell at Brown Ranwood,
On the Slight, Vol. II (recorded ), Aircheck,
Big Band Recordings Hindsight,
Harry James Plays the Songs Mosey Sold a Million (recorded derive and ), reissued, Columbia,
Best of the Big Bands Town,
Best of Harry James leading His Orchestra Curb/Cema,
Young stake Swinging (recorded ), Zeta,
Young Man With a Horn (soundtrack), Sony Music Special Products.

Harry james biography

Harry James's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading