"Goodbye" (sometimes written "Good-Bye") is a song by American composer and arranger

Gordon Jenkins Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer, and pianist who was influential in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s. Jenkins worked with The Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Lo ...

, published in 1935. It became well known as the closing theme song of the

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

orchestra. Jenkins had written the song when working with the

Isham Jones Isham Edgar Jones (January 31, 1894 – October 19, 1956) was an American bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter. Career Jones was born in Coalton, Ohio, United States, to a musical and mining family. His father, Richard Isham Jon ...

orchestra, and Jones allegedly rejected it as it was "too sad". Music critic

Alec Wilder Alexander Lafayette Chew Wilder (February 16, 1907 – December 24, 1980) was an American composer and author. Biography Wilder was born in Rochester, New York, United States, to a prominent family; the Wilder Building downtown (at the "Four ...

described "Goodbye" as "as sad a song I know" and

Leonard Feather Leonard Geoffrey Feather (13 September 1914 – 22 September 1994) was a British-born jazz pianist, composer, and producer, who was best known for his music journalism and other writing. Biography Feather was born in London, England, into an u ...

called it among his "top ten songs it would be hardest to tire of hearing".

Origin

Jenkins' son, the sportswriter Bruce Jenkins, wrote a biography of his father entitled ''Goodbye: In Search of Gordon Jenkins''. While researching the biography, Jenkins interviewed the singer

Martha Tilton Martha Tilton (November 14, 1915 – December 8, 2006) was an American popular singer during America's swing era and traditional pop period. She is best known for her 1939 recording of " And the Angels Sing" with Benny Goodman. Tilton was born ...

, who had performed with the

orchestra. Tilton revealed that the song was written by Jenkins after the death of his first wife in childbirth.

Recordings

The song was used as the closing theme for radio broadcasts by the Benny Goodman orchestra. They recorded it on September 27, 1935, and that was issued as Victor 25215 on January 8, 1936. Upon Goodman's death in 1986,

Richard Stoltzman Richard Leslie Stoltzman (born July 12, 1942) is an American clarinetist. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he spent his early years in San Francisco, California, and Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating from Woodward High School in 1960. Today, Stoltzman is pa ...

commissioned an arrangement of "Goodbye" by Bill Jenkins for clarinet and strings. The resulting "Goodbye: In Memory of Benny" was recorded by Stoltzman and

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

under the direction of

Michael Tilson Thomas Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist, and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of the S ...

in 1992. Another arrangement in tribute to Benny Goodman has also been recorded by Sabine Meyer. Goodbye was also recorded by

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

for his 1958 album, ''

Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely ''Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely'' (also known as ''Sings for Only the Lonely'' or simply ''Only the Lonely'') is the fifteenth studio album by American singer Frank Sinatra. It was released on September 8, 1958, through Capitol Records. ...

'', and

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

for her 1982 album ''

The Best Is Yet to Come "The Best Is Yet to Come" is a 1959 song composed by Cy Coleman to lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. It is associated with Frank Sinatra, who recorded it on his 1964 album ''It Might as Well Be Swing'' accompanied by Count Basie under the direction of ...

''. Sinatra and Fitzgerald's versions were both arranged by

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many vocalists at Capitol Records, including ...

. *

- ''

'' (1958) *

Julie London Julie London (born Julie Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch song, torch singer noted for her contralto voice, London recorded over thirty album ...

- '' Julie...At Home'' (1960) * Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

- '' Know What I Mean?'' (Riverside, 1961) *

June Christy June Christy (born Shirley Luster; November 20, 1925 – June 21, 1990) was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued ...

- '' Big Band Specials'' (1962) *

Clare Fischer Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorat ...

- '' Easy Livin''' (1963) *

Donna Hightower Donna Lubertha Hightower (December 28, 1926 – August 19, 2013) was an American R&B, soul and jazz singer and songwriter, who recorded and released albums for the Decca and Capitol labels. Later in her career she was based in Europe, where s ...

- ''I'm In Love with Love'' (recorded for Columbia in Spain, released also as "I'm in Love with You" and "The One I Cried") (1974) *

- ''

'' (Pablo, 1982) *

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...

with

- ''

What's New What's New may refer to: Music * What's New?, a song composed by Bob Haggart in 1939 * ''What's New?'' (album), by Sonny Rollins, 1962 * ''What's New'' (Bill Evans album), 1969 * ''What's New'' (Linda Ronstadt album), 1983 * '' What's New!!!'', ...

'' (1983) *

- ''New York Counterpoint'' (RCA, 1987) * Eddie Henderson - '' Flight of Mind'' (Steeplechase, 1991) *

Lizz Wright Elizabeth LaCharla Wright (born January 22, 1980) professionally known as Lizz Wright, is an American jazz and gospel singer. Early life and education Wright was born in the small town of Hahira, which is northwest of Valdosta, Georgia, one ...

- ''

Salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

'' (Verve, 2003) *

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playin ...

Quartet West ''Quartet West'' is an album by the American jazz bassist Charlie Haden, recorded in 1986 and released on the Verve label.

, with

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard (magazi ...

as a guest artist - ''

Sophisticated Ladies ''Sophisticated Ladies'' is a musical revue based on the music of Duke Ellington. The revue ran on Broadway in 1981–83, earning two awards and eight nominations at the 35th Tony Awards. Production ''Sophisticated Ladies'' opened on Broadway ...

'' (EmArcy, 2010) *

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also be ...

- '' Jasmine (album)'' (ECM, 2010)

References

External links

*"Goodbye" a
jazzstandards.com
{{authority control 1935 songs Songs written by Gordon Jenkins Nancy Wilson (jazz singer) songs Benny Goodman songs Frank Sinatra songs 1930s jazz standards