Robert Eberly (born Robert Eberle; July 24, 1916 – November 17, 1981) was an American

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...

vocalist best known for his association with

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards " I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary Peop ...

and his duets with

Helen O'Connell Helen O'Connell (May 23, 1920 – September 9, 1993) was an American singer, actress, and hostess, described as "the quintessential big band singer of the 1940s". Early life Born in Lima, Ohio, O'Connell grew up in Toledo, Ohio. By the time ...

. His younger brother

Ray Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (gr ...

was also a big-band singer, making his name with

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the US Army Air Forc ...

and His Orchestra.

Biography

Eberly was born Robert Eberle but changed the spelling of his surname slightly to the homonymous Eberly. His younger brother

was also a big-band singer, most notably with

's orchestra. Their father, John A. Eberle, was a policeman, sign-painter, and tavern-keeper. Another brother, Al, was a Hoosick Falls, New York, village trustee. Eberly was hired by the

Dorsey Brothers Orchestra The Dorsey Brothers were an American studio dance band, led by Tommy Dorsey, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. They started recording in 1928 for OKeh Records. History The Dorsey Brothers recorded songs for the dime store labels (Banner Records, Banner, C ...

in 1935 shortly after winning an amateur hour contest on

Fred Allen John Florence Sullivan (May 31, 1894 – March 17, 1956), known professionally as Fred Allen, was an American comedian. His absurdist, topically pointed radio program ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1932–1949) made him one of the most popular and for ...

's radio show and shortly before

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

left the band to form his own group. Eberly stayed with

and would be a fixture with the orchestra until drafted into the service late in 1943. In the early 1940s the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra scored a string of hits featuring Eberly and

, with Eberly singing a slow, romantic baritone version of songs such as "Amapola" and "Tangerine", followed by a lighter, up-tempo reprise by O'Connell. Eberly also recorded the original version of " I'm Glad There Is You" in 1942 for Dorsey's orchestra on

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American Decca's president. ...

. The song has become a jazz and pop standard. In 1953, Eberly and

headlined a summer replacement program for

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signin ...

's CBS television show. The program also featured Ray Anthony and his orchestra. Eberly was married to Florine Callahan from January 23, 1940 until his death in 1981; the couple had three children, Robert Jr., Kathy and Rene. Robert Jr. went on to sing professionally and although he was talented, he never achieved the popularity of his father which was due, in part, to the changing times and the diminishing nightclub scene. In 1980, Eberly had one lung removed but still continued to sing. He died of cancer in 1981 in Glen Burnie,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

, at the age of 65.

Notable recordings

* " It's the Dreamer in Me" (with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra; 1938) * " Green Eyes" (with Helen O'Connell; 1941) * "

Tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of '' Citrus reti ...

" (with Helen O'Connell; 1941) * " I'm Glad There Is You (In a World of Ordinary People)" (with Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra; 1942) * "

Bésame Mucho "Bésame Mucho" (; "Kiss Me A Lot") is a bolero song written in 1940 by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez. It is one of the most popular songs of the 20th century and one of the most important songs in the history of Latin music. It was re ...

" (with

Kitty Kallen Kitty Kallen (born Katie Kallen; May 25, 1921 – January 7, 2016) was an American popular singer whose career spanned from the 1930s to the 1960s, to include the Swing era of the Big Band years, the post-World War II pop scene and the early ...

; 1944) * " Love Letters in the Sand (Cartas De Amor En La Arena)" (with Enoch Light & His Orchestra; 1957)

References

External links

Bob Eberly recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Eberly, Bob 1916 births 1981 deaths 20th-century American singers Big band bandleaders Big band singers Capitol Records artists Coral Records artists Decca Records artists People from Hoosick Falls, New York Singers from New York (state) Traditional pop music singers