Glenn Miller

Alton Glenn Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American jazz musician and band leader in the Swing era. In the middle of a very successful career, including many famous recordings, he disappeared under mysterious circumstances during World War II.

Life and career

Glenn Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa in 1904. Several years later, in North Platte, Nebraska, he started his musical career when his father brought home a mandolin. As soon as possible, he traded the instrument for an old, beat up horn which he practiced every waking moment.

Related Topics:
Clarinda, Iowa - 1904 - North Platte, Nebraska - Mandolin

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In 1923, Miller entered the University of Colorado where he joined Sigma Nu Fraternity, but spent most of his time there away from school, attending auditions and playing any gigs he could get. He dropped out of school after flunking three out of five classes one semester and decided to concentrate on making a career out of being a professional musician.

Related Topics:
1923 - University of Colorado - Sigma Nu

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He later studied the Schillinger technique with Joseph Schillinger, who is credited with helping Miller create the "Miller sound".

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He toured with several orchestras playing trombone and landed a good spot in Ben Pollack's group in Los Angeles. Among the members of that band was a guy named Benny Goodman who played the clarinet. During his stint with Pollack, Miller had the opportunity to write several musical arrangements of his own. In 1928, when the band arrived in New York City, he sent for and married his college sweetheart, Helen Burger.

Related Topics:
Trombone - Ben Pollack - Los Angeles - Benny Goodman - Clarinet - 1928 - New York City - Helen Burger

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During the 1930s, Miller earned a living working as a freelance trombonist in several bands, and compiling several musical arrangements before forming his first band in 1936, but it failed to distinguish itself from the many others of the era and fell apart. Jerry Jerome, Hal McIntyre, Charlie Spivak, Sterling Bose, and Irving Fazola were some of the musicians in the band. Kathleen Lane was the singer.

Related Topics:
1930s - Freelance - Trombonist - Musical arrangement - 1936

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Discouraged, he returned to New York after it broke up and realised the problem: he needed a unique sound and dedicated himself to finding it. After a lot of work, he decided to make the clarinet play a melodic line with a tenor sax on the same note, while three saxophones harmonised. With this sound, the Miller band was born in 1937. This unique sound would lift his band above other bands of the era. Tex Beneke, Al Klink, Chummy MacGregor, Billy May, Johnny Best, Maurice Purtill, and Wilbur Schwartz were some of the musicians in the band. Ray Eberle, Marion Hutton and the Modernaires were the singers.

Related Topics:
New York - Tenor sax - Harmonise

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His new band immediately attracted attention and big crowds to venues and a series of recordings followed. Beginning in June 1938, Miller dominated the top spot on the various popular music charts for over a year, with "In the Mood" holding the top spot for over fifteen weeks at the beginning of 1940 and "Tuxedo Junction" taking over and keeping Miller at number one into the summer. On February 11 1942, Miller was presented with the first ever Gold record for "Chattanooga Choo Choo".

Related Topics:
1938 - 1940 - Tuxedo Junction - February 11 - 1942 - Gold record - Chattanooga Choo Choo

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"(Glenn Miller?s) arrangements are inventive and refreshing. He never forgets the melodic line. He lets you recognize the tune." — New York Times, January 1940

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His other popular hits included "A String Of Pearls", "Moonlight Serenade", and "Pennsylvania 6-5000" (which was, and still is, the real telephone number of the Hotel Pennsylvania in Manhattan).

Related Topics:
Hotel Pennsylvania - Manhattan

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