Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

trombonist The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the air column inside the instrument to ...

, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombone playing. His theme song was " I'm Getting Sentimental Over You". His technical skill on the trombone gave him renown among other musicians. He was the younger brother of bandleader

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 Peopl ...

. After Dorsey broke with his brother in the mid-1930s, he led an extremely successful band from the late 1930s into the 1950s. He is best remembered for standards such as " Opus One", "

This Love of Mine "This Love of Mine" is a popular Great American Songbook, American song that was first recorded in 1941 by Tommy Dorsey and His orchestra, with a vocal by Frank Sinatra. Frank Sinatra, Sinatra wrote the words and Sol Parker and Hank Sanicola wrote ...

" (no. 3 in 1941) featuring

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 ...

on vocals, " Song of India", "Marie", "On Treasure Island", and his biggest hit single, "

I'll Never Smile Again "I'll Never Smile Again" is a 1939 song which became a 1940 ''Billboard'' chart-topper by Tommy Dorsey written by Ruth Lowe. It has been recorded by many other artists since, becoming a jazz and pop standard. The most successful and best-know ...

" (no. 1 for 12 weeks in 1940).

Early life

Born in Mahanoy Plane, Pennsylvania, Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. was the second of four children born to Thomas Francis Dorsey Sr., a bandleader, and Theresa (née Langton) Dorsey. He and Jimmy, his older brother by slightly less than two years, became known as the Dorsey Brothers. The two younger siblings were Mary and Edward, who died young. Tommy Dorsey studied the trumpet with his father but later switched to trombone. At age 15, Jimmy recommended Tommy to replace Russ Morgan in the Scranton Sirens, a territory band in the 1920s. Tommy and Jimmy worked in bands led by Tal Henry,

Rudy Vallee Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

Vincent Lopez Vincent Lopez (December 30, 1895 – September 20, 1975) was an American bandleader, actor, and pianist. Early life and education Lopez was born of Portuguese immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, Distinguished Americ ...

, and

Nathaniel Shilkret Nathaniel Shilkret (December 25, 1889 – February 18, 1982) was an American musician, composer, conductor and musical director. Early career Shilkret (originally named Natan Schüldkraut) was born in New York City, United States, to parents w ...

. In 1923, Dorsey followed Jimmy to Detroit to play in

Jean Goldkette John Jean Goldkette (March 18, 1893 – March 24, 1962) was a jazz pianist and bandleader. Life Goldkette was reportedly born on March 18, 1893, in Valenciennes, France,Russel B. Nye (1976). Music in the Twenties: The Jean Goldkette Orchestr ...

's band and returned to New York in 1925 to play with

the California Ramblers The California Ramblers were an American jazz group that recorded hundreds of songs for many different record labels throughout the 1920s. Four members of the band –Red Nichols, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, and Adrian Rollini - went on to front b ...

. In 1927, he joined

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...

. In 1929, the Dorsey Brothers had their first hit with "Coquette" for

OKeh Records OKeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name originally was spelled "OkeH" from the init ...

. In 1934, the Dorsey Brothers band signed with

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, record label * Decca Gold, classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, musical theater record label * Decca Studios, recording facility in West ...

, having a hit with "I Believe in Miracles".

Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...

was a member of the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in 1934 and 1935, composing " Annie's Cousin Fanny", " Tomorrow's Another Day", " Harlem Chapel Chimes", and " Dese Dem Dose", all recorded for Decca, for the band. Acrimony between the brothers led to Tommy Dorsey walking out to form his own band in 1935 as the orchestra was having a hit with "Every Little Moment". Dorsey's orchestra was known primarily for its renderings of ballads at dance tempos, frequently with singers such as Jack Leonard and

. On August 21, 1949, Tommy, along with trumpeter

Charlie Shavers Charles James Shavers (August 3, 1920 – July 8, 1971) was an American jazz trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams, Tommy Dorsey, and Billie Holiday. He ...

and singer Red Wooten, survived a plane crash uninjured. The aircraft, departing from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, crash-landed in a cornfield after the engine failed shortly after takeoff, according to the pilot.

Band

In 2009, Buddy De Franco recalled recording "Opus One" with Dorsey in the 1940s, commenting on Dorsey's desire to be precise and exact. Expanding on De Franco's opinions about Dorsey, writer Peter Levinson said, "He wanted things to be done his way." The band was popular almost from the moment it signed with RCA Victor for "On Treasure Island", the first of four hits in 1935. After his 1935 recording, however, Dorsey's manager dropped the "hot jazz" that Dorsey had mixed with his own lyrical style, and instead had Dorsey play pop and vocal tunes. Dorsey kept his Clambake Seven as a Dixieland group that played during performances. Dorsey became the co-host of ''The Raleigh-Kool Program'' on the radio with comedian Jack Pearl, then became the host. By 1939, Dorsey was aware of criticism that his band lacked a jazz feeling. He hired arranger

Sy Oliver Melvin James "Sy" Oliver (December 17, 1910 – May 28, 1988) was an American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader. Life Sy Oliver was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. His mother was a piano teacher, and his f ...

away from the

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, ...

band. Sy Oliver's arrangements include "

On the Sunny Side of the Street "On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a 1930 song composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Some authors say that Fats Waller was the composer, but he sold the rights to the song. It was introduced in the Broadway musical '' Lew Lesli ...

" and "T.D.'s Boogie Woogie"; Oliver also composed two of the new band's signature instrumentals, "Well, Git It" and " Opus One". In 1940, Dorsey hired singer

from bandleader

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but ...

. Sinatra made eighty recordings from 1940 to 1942 with the Dorsey band. Two of those eighty songs are " In the Blue of Evening" and "

". Sinatra achieved his first great success as a vocalist in the Dorsey band and claimed he learned breath control from watching Dorsey play trombone. Sy Oliver and Sinatra did a posthumous tribute album to Dorsey on Sinatra's Reprise records. '' I Remember Tommy'' appeared in 1961. Dorsey said his trombone style was heavily influenced by

Jack Teagarden Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an United States, American jazz Trombone, trombonist and singer. He led both of his bands himself and was a sideman for Paul Whiteman's orchestra. From 1946 to 1951, he played ...

. Among Dorsey's staff of arrangers was

Axel Stordahl Axel Stordahl (August 8, 1913 – August 30, 1963) was an American arranger and composer who was active from the late 1930s through the 1950s. He is perhaps best known for his work with Frank Sinatra in the 1940s at Columbia Records. With his ...

who arranged for Sinatra in his Columbia and Capitol years. Another member of the Dorsey band was trombonist

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 ...

, who later had a partnership as one of Sinatra's arrangers and conductors in the 1950s and afterwards. Another noted Dorsey arranger, who, in the 1950s, married and was professionally associated with Dorsey veteran

Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classical tr ...

, was

Paul Weston Paul Weston (né Wetstein; March 12, 1912 – September 20, 1996) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor who worked in music and television from the 1930s to the 1970s, pioneering mood music and becoming known as "the Fathe ...

Bill Finegan William James Finegan (April 3, 1917 – June 4, 2008) was an American jazz bandleader, pianist, arranger, and composer. He was an arranger in the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Life and career Born in Newark, New Jers ...

, an arranger who left Glenn Miller's civilian band, arranged for the Tommy Dorsey band from 1942 to 1950. The band featured a number of instrumentalists, singers, and arrangers in the 1930s and '40s, including trumpeters Zeke Zarchy,

Bunny Berigan Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era. His career and influence were shortened by alcoholism, and ended with his early demise at the ...

Ziggy Elman Harry Aaron Finkelman (May 26, 1914 – June 26, 1968), known professionally as Ziggy Elman, was an American jazz trumpeter associated with Benny Goodman, though he also led his own group, Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra. Early years Elman was b ...

Doc Severinsen Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) ...

, and

, pianists

Milt Raskin Milt Raskin (January 27, 1916 – October 16, 1977) was an American swing jazz pianist. Biography Born in Boston, Mass., Raskin played saxophone as a child before switching to piano at age 11. In the 1930s he attended the New England Conse ...

Jess Stacy Jess Alexandria Stacy (born Jesse Alexander Stacy;B ...

, clarinetists

Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and 1970s. ...

Johnny Mince Johnny Mince (born John Henry Muenzenberger; July 8, 1912 – December 23, 1994) was an American swing jazz clarinetist. Career Mince played with Joe Haymes from 1929 to 1934, and recorded with Red Norvo and Glenn Miller in 1935. He then worked ...

,Harvey Pekar and

Peanuts Hucko Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko (April 7, 1918 – June 19, 2003) was an American big band musician. His primary instrument was the clarinet, but he sometimes played saxophone. Early life and education He was born in Syracuse, New York, United St ...

. Others who played with Dorsey were drummers

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paolino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer ...

Dave Tough David Jarvis Tough (April 26, 1907 – December 9, 1948) was an American jazz drummer associated with Dixieland and swing jazz in the 1930s and 1940s. He has been described as "the most important of the drummers of the Chicago circle"., p. 2 ...

saxophonist

Tommy Reed Tommy may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tommy (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army * Tommy Giacomelli (born 1974), Brazilian fo ...

, and singers Sinatra,

Ken Curtis Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates; July 2, 1916 – April 28, 1991) was an American actor and singer best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the Western television series ''Gunsmoke''. Early years Born the youngest of three boys in ...

, Jack Leonard,

Edythe Wright Edythe Wright (August 16, 1916 – October 27, 1965) was an American singer who performed from 1935 to 1939 with the band led by Tommy Dorsey. Early life Wright grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey. Early career Wright debuted on radio in Mar ...

with

the Pied Pipers The Pied Pipers are an American popular singing group originally formed in the late 1930s. They had several chart hits throughout the 1940s, both under their own name and in association with Tommy Dorsey, with Johnny Mercer and with Frank Sin ...

Dick Haymes Richard Benjamin Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was an Argentine singer, songwriter and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, televi ...

, and

Connie Haines Connie Haines (born Yvonne Marie Antoinette JaMais; January 20, 1921 – September 22, 2008) was an American singer and actress. Her 200 recordings were frequently up-tempo big band songs with the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey orchestras, and Fr ...

. In 1944, Dorsey hired the Sentimentalists, name with which he renamed the already known vocal band The Clark Sisters asking them not to reveal their identity. They replaced the Pied Pipers. Dorsey also performed with singer

Connee Boswell Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell (December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976) was an American vocalist born in Kansas City, Missouri, but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With sisters Martha and Helvetia "Vet", she performed in the 1920s and 1930s ...

He hired ex-bandleader and drummer

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. Krupa is widely regarded as one of the most influential drummers in the history of popular music. His drum solo on Benny Goodman ...

after Krupa's arrest for marijuana possession in 1943. In 1942,

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

broke up his band, and Dorsey hired the Shaw string section. As George T. Simon in ''

Metronome A metronome () is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a uniform interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats per minute (BPM). Metronomes may also include synchronized visual motion, such as a swinging pendulum ...

'' magazine observed at the time: "They're used in the foreground and background (note some of the lovely obbligatos) for vocal effects and for Tommy's trombone." Dorsey made further business decisions in the music industry. He loaned money to

enabling him to launch his band of 1938, but Dorsey saw the loan as an investment, entitling him to a percentage of Miller's income. When Miller balked at this, the angry Dorsey got even by sponsoring a new band led by

Bob Chester Bob Chester (March 20, 1908 – October 29, 1966) was an American jazz and pop music bandleader and tenor saxophonist. Chester was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. His stepfather ran General Motors's Fisher Body Works. He began his care ...

, and hiring arrangers who deliberately copied Miller's style and sound. Dorsey branched out in the mid-1940s and owned two music publishing companies, Sun and Embassy.Dorsey, Thomas Francis Jr. After opening at the Los Angeles ballroom, the

Hollywood Palladium The Hollywood Palladium is a theater (building), theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and ...

on the Palladium's first night, Dorsey's relations with the ballroom soured and he opened a competing ballroom, the Casino Gardens circa 1944. Dorsey also owned for a short time a trade magazine called ''The Bandstand''. Tommy Dorsey disbanded his own orchestra at the end of 1946. Dorsey might have broken up his own band permanently following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, as many big bands did due to the shift in music economics following the war, but Tommy Dorsey's album for

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic ...

, "All Time Hits" placed in the top ten records in February 1947. In addition, " How Are Things in Glocca Morra?", a single recorded by Dorsey, became a top-ten hit in March 1947. As a result, Dorsey was able to re-organize a big band in early 1947. The Dorsey brothers were also reconciling. The biographical film ''

The Fabulous Dorseys ''The Fabulous Dorseys'' is a 1947 American musical biopic film directed by Alfred E. Green. It tells the story of the brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, from their boyhood in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania through their rise, their breakup, and th ...

'' (1947) describes sketchy details of how the brothers got their start from-the-bottom-up into the jazz era of one-nighters, the early days of radio in its infancy stages, and the onward march when both brothers ended up with Paul Whiteman before 1935 when The Dorsey Brothers' Orchestra split into two. In the early 1950s, Tommy Dorsey moved from RCA Victor back to Decca."Tommy Dorsey" Billboard He was promised $2,000 if he switched to their label. However, he was reported to have collected $2,500 instead. Jimmy Dorsey broke up his big band in 1953. Tommy invited him to join as a feature attraction. In 1953, the Dorseys focused their attention on television. On December 26, 1953, the brothers appeared with their orchestra on

Jackie Gleason Herbert John Gleason (born Herbert Walton Gleason Jr.; February 26, 1916June 24, 1987), known as Jackie Gleason, was an American comedian, actor, writer, and composer also known as "The Great One". He developed a style and characters from growin ...

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

television show, which was preserved on

kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940s ...

and later released on home video by Gleason. The brothers took the unit on tour and onto their own television show, ''

Stage Show A theatrical production is any work of theatre, such as a staged play, musical, comedy or drama produced from a written book or script. Theatrical productions also extend to other performance designations such as Dramatic and Nondramatic theatre, ...

'', from 1954 to 1956. In January 1956, The Dorseys made rock music history introducing

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

on his national television debut. Presley, then a regional country singer, made six guest appearances on ''Stage Show'' promoting his first releases for RCA Victor several months before his more familiar visits to the

Milton Berle Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over eight decades, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and ...

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television and radio personality, comedian, musician, composer, writer, and actor. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-creator and ...

, and

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television host, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York News ...

variety programs.

Personal life

Dorsey was married three times. His first wife was 16-year-old Mildred "Toots" Kraft, with whom he eloped in 1922, when he was 17. The couple had two children, Patricia and Thomas F. Dorsey III (nicknamed "Skipper"). In 1935, they moved to "Tall Oaks", a estate in

Bernardsville, New Jersey Bernardsville (Melisurgo, Len NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 23, 2017. Accessed December 1, 2024. "Same goes with the neighboring borough of Bernardsville. (It should be pronounced BERN-ards-vil.)") is the northernmost borough in Somerset C ...

. They divorced in 1943 after Dorsey's affair with his former singer

. Dorsey's second wife was film actress

Patricia Dane Patricia Dane (born Thelma Patricia Pippins, August 4, 1917 – June 5, 1995) was an American film actress of the 1940s. Early life Dane was born Thelma Patricia Pippins to William Pippins and Emma F. Montford. Sources differ as to her bi ...

in 1943, and they were divorced in 1947, but not before he gained headlines for striking actor Jon Hall when Hall embraced her. Finally, Dorsey married Jane Carl New on March 27, 1948, in Atlanta, Georgia. She had been a dancer at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City. Tommy and Jane Dorsey had two children, Catherine Susan and Steve.

Death and aftermath

Dorsey died on November 26, 1956, at his home in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich ( ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 63,518. It is the largest town on Gold Coast (Connecticut), Connectic ...

, a week after his 51st birthday. He had begun taking sleeping pills regularly at this time, causing him to become heavily sedated; he choked to death in his sleep after eating a large meal. Jimmy Dorsey led his brother's band until his own death from

throat cancer Head and neck cancer is a general term encompassing multiple cancers that can develop in the head and neck region. These include cancers of the mouth, tongue, gums and lips ( oral cancer), voice box ( laryngeal), throat ( nasopharyngeal, orophar ...

the following year. At that point, trombonist

Warren Covington Warren Covington (August 7, 1921 – August 24, 1999) was an American big band trombonist. He was active as a session musician, arranger, and bandleader throughout his career. Biography Covington, who was born in Philadelphia, played early ...

became leader of the band with Jane Dorsey's blessing as she owned the rights to her late husband's band and name. Billed as the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Starring Warren Covington, they reached #7 on the Billboard charts and earned a gold record in the fall of 1958 with the hit single "Tea for Two Cha-Cha". The band was also fronted by

Urbie Green Urban Clifford "Urbie" Green (August 8, 1926 – December 31, 2018) was an American jazz trombonist who toured with Woody Herman, Gene Krupa, Jan Savitt, and Frankie Carle. He played on over 250 recordings and released more than twenty albums a ...

after Dorsey's death in 1956. After Covington left the band, tenor saxophonist

Sam Donahue Samuel Koontz Donahue (March 18, 1918 – March 22, 1974) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, and musical arranger. He performed with Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Billy May, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. Biography Donahue ...

led it from 1961, continuing until 1966. Frank Sinatra Jr. made his professional singing debut with the band at Dallas Memorial Theater in Texas in 1963. Later, trombonist and bandleader

Buddy Morrow Buddy Morrow (born Muni Zudekoff; February 8, 1919 – September 27, 2010), also known as Moe Zudekoff, was an American trombonist and bandleader. Career On a scholarship at age 16, Morrow studied trombone with Ernest Horatio Clarke (1865–194 ...

led the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra from 1977 until his death on September 27, 2010. Jane Dorsey died of natural causes at the age of 79, in Miami, Florida, in 2003. Tommy and Jane Dorsey are interred together in

Kensico Cemetery Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, New York, Valhalla, Westchester County, New York was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the railroads that served the city ...

in Valhalla, New York. 1 Dorsey best 800

Number-one hits

Tommy Dorsey had a run of 286 ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' chart hits. The Dorsey band had seventeen number-one hits with his orchestra in the 1930s and 1940s including: "On Treasure Island", "The Music Goes 'Round and Around", "You", "Marie" (written by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...

), "Satan Takes a Holiday", "The Big Apple", "Once in a While", "The Dipsy Doodle", "Our Love", "All the Things You Are", "Indian Summer", and "Dolores". He had two more number one hits in 1935 when he was a member of the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra: "Lullaby of Broadway" (written by

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

), number one for two weeks, and "Chasing Shadows", number one for three weeks. His biggest hit was "I'll Never Smile Again", featuring Frank Sinatra on vocals, which was number one for twelve weeks on the Billboard pop singles chart in 1940. "RCA Victor ... scored with 'There Are Such Things', which had a Sinatra vocal; it hit number one in January 1943, as did 'In the Blue of the Evening', another Dorsey record featuring Sinatra, in August, while a third Dorsey/Sinatra release, 'It's Always You,' hit the Top Five later in the year, and a fourth, 'I'll Be Seeing You', reached the Top Ten in 1944." It should be added that these 1943 and 1944 Sinatra hits were older recordings reissued because the

1942–44 musicians' strike Year 194 ( CXCIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Septimius and Septimius (or, less frequently, year 947 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 194 for thi ...

prevented Sinatra, now a popular singer, from recording new material. The website "Tommy Dorsey A Songwriter's Friend" says, "the orchestra had over 200 top twenty recordings including the No. 1 hits 'The Music Goes Round and Round' (1935), 'Alone' (1936) 'You' (1936), '

Marie Marie may refer to the following. People Given name * Marie (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** List of people named Marie * Marie (Japanese given name) Surname * Jean Gabriel-Marie, French compo ...

' (1937), 'Satan Takes a Holiday' (1937), 'The Big Apple' (1937), 'Once in a While' (1937), 'The Dipsy Doodle' (1937), 'Music, Maestro, Please' (1938), 'Our Love' (1939), 'Indian Summer' (1939), 'All the Things You Are' (1939), 'I'll Never Smile Again' (1940), 'Dolores' (1941), 'There are Such Things' (1942), and 'In the Blue of the Evening' (1943)."

Songs written by Tommy Dorsey

* 1929: "You Can't Cheat a Cheater" with Phil Napoleon and Frank SignorelliTommy Dorsey
at Red Hot Jazz * 1932: "Three Moods"; NB. Dorsey recorded two takes of this song for OKeh Records, on August 6, 1932, in New York City. * 1937: " The Morning After" * 1938: "Chris and His Gang" with Fletcher and Horace Henderson * 1938: Tommy Dorsey wrote the song "Peckin' With Penguins" for a 1938

Frank Tashlin Frank Tashlin (born Francis Fredrick von Taschlein, February 19, 1913 – May 5, 1972), also known as Tish Tash and Frank Tash, was an American animator and filmmaker. He was best known for his work on the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' ...

-directed

Porky Pig Porky Pig is a cartoon character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his celebrity, star power, and the animators created man ...

cartoon, "Porky's Spring Planting" for the studio

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

* 1939: " To You" *1939: " This Is No Dream" *1939: " You Taught Me to Love Again" *1939: " In the Middle of a Dream" *1939: "Night in Sudan" *1939: "Dark Laughter" with

Juan Tizol Juan Tizol Martínez (22 January 1900 – 23 April 1984) was a Puerto Rican jazz trombonist and composer. He is best known as a member of Duke Ellington's big band, and for writing the jazz standards " Caravan", "Pyramid", and " Perdido". ...

* 1945: "Fluid Jive" * 1946: "Nip and Tuck" * 1947: "Trombonology" ''Written with Fred Norman'' *"Bunch of Beats" *"Mid Riff" *"Candied Yams"

Awards and honors

In 1982, the 1940 Victor recording "

" was the first of a trio of Tommy Dorsey recordings to be inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

. His theme song, " I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" was inducted in 1998, along with his recording of "Marie" written by

in 1928. In 1996, the U.S. Postal Service issued a Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey commemorative postage stamp. Tommy Dorsey was posthumously inducted into the

, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance".

Movie Appearances

Tommy Dorsey appeared in the following movies and film shorts *''Universal Name Band Musical 7301: Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra'', 1951, film short *''Disc Jockey'', 1951 *''

A Song Is Born ''A Song Is Born'' (also known as ''That's Life''), starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, is a 1948 Technicolor musical film remake of Howard Hawks' 1941 movie '' Ball of Fire'' with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. This version was also dir ...

'', 1948 *''

'', 1947 *'' Thrill of a Romance'', 1945 *''

Broadway Rhythm ''Broadway Rhythm'' (1944) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Technicolor musical film, produced by Jack Cummings and directed by Roy Del Ruth. It was originally announced as ''Broadway Melody of 1944'' to follow MGM's ''Broadway Melody'' films of 1929, ...

'', 1944 *''Girl Crazy'', 1943 *''

Swing Fever ''Swing Fever'' is a 1943 American musical comedy film directed by Tim Whelan. Kay Kyser plays an ambitious music composer, also gifted with a hypnotic "evil eye", who gets mixed up with promoting a boxer. The film also features Marilyn Maxwe ...

'', 1943 *''

I Dood It ''I Dood It'' (UK title ''By Hook or by Crook'') is a 1943 American musical comedy film starring Red Skelton and Eleanor Powell, directed by Vincente Minnelli, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay is by Fred Saidy and Sig Herzig ...

'', 1943 *'' Du Berry Was a Lady'', 1943 *'' Presenting Lily Mars'', 1943 *''Ship Ahoy'', 1942 *''Birth of the Blues'', 1941 *'' Las Vegas Nights'', 1941 *''A Night in a Dormitory'', 1930, film short

Discography

* ''Up Swing'' (

Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer, incorporated in 1901. Victor was an independent enterprise until 1929 when it was purchased by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) and became ...

, 1944) * ''Tommy Dorsey Plays Tchaikovsky Melodies for Dancing'' (

, 1947) * ''Tommy Dorsey'' (RCA Victor, 1949) * ''Tommy Dorsey Plays Cole Porter for Dancing'' (RCA Victor, 1950) * ''Tommy Dorsey's Dixieland for Dancing'' (RCA Victor, 1950) * ''The Later Tommy Dorsey Volume 2'' (Ajaz, 1950) * ''Ecstasy'' (

, 1951) * ''Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey with the California Ramblers'' ( Riverside, 1955) * ''That Sentimental Gentleman'' (RCA Victor, 1957) * ''The Golden Age of the Dance Bands'' (Somerset, 1957) * ''The Dorsey Touch'' (Riviera, 1959) * ''Tribute to Tommy Dorsey'' (Broadway, 1959) * '' The One And Only Tommy Dorsey'' (

RCA Camden RCA Camden was a budget record label of RCA Victor, originally created in 1953 to reissue recordings from earlier 78rpm releases. The label was named "Camden", after Camden, New Jersey where the offices, factories and studios of RCA Victor and its ...

, 1961) * '' Tommy Dorsey's Dance Party'' (Ace of Hearts, 1961) * ''Dedicated to You'' (RCA Camden, 1964) * ''A Man and His Trombone'' (

Colpix Colpix Records was the first recording company for Columbia Pictures–Screen Gems. Colpix got its name from combining Columbia (Col) and Pictures (Pix). CBS, which owned Columbia Records, then sued Columbia Pictures for trademark infringement o ...

, 1966) * ''Here are Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey at Their Rare of All Rarest Performance Vol. 1'' (Kings of Jazz, 1975) * ''Tommy Dorsey On Radio/Eddie Condon's Jazz Concert'' (Radiola, 1975) * '' Tommy Dorsey (1937 – 1941)'' (AMIGA, 1976) * ''One Night Stand'' (Sandy Hook, 1976) * ''Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey'' (Durium, 1976) * '' The Dorsey/Sinatra Sessions'' (RCA, 1982) * ''The Tommy Dorsey/Frank Sinatra Radio Years and the Historic Stordahl Session'' (RCA, 1983) * ''The End of the Big Band Era!'' (Sandy Hook, 1983) * ''Ship Ahoy/Las Vegas Nights'' (Hollywood Soundstage, 1983) * ''A Tribute'' (Star Line Productions, 1987) * '' All-Time Greatest Dorsey/Sinatra Hits, Vol. 1-4'' (RCA, 1988) * ''Plays Sweet & Hot'' (Tax, 1989) * ''Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra/And His Clambake Seven'' (LaserLight, 1990) * ''Tea for Two'' (Jazz Collection, 1990) * '' Yes Indeed!'' ( Bluebird/RCA, 1990) * '' Music Goes Round and Round'' (Bluebird/RCA, 1991) * '' Stop, Look and Listen'' ( ASV/Living Era, 1994) * ''Kings of Trombone'' (Hallmark, 1995) * ''Dorsey-itis'' (Drive Archive, 1996) * ''Saturday Afternoon at the Meadowbrook 1940'' (Jazz Band, 2000) * '' This Is Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra, Vol. 1'' (

Collectables A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...

, 2001) * '' The Early Jazz Sides 1932–1937'' (Jazz Legends, 2004) * ''

It's D'Lovely 1947–1950 ''It's D'Lovely 1947–1950'' is a 2004 album consisting of a series of recordings by Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandle ...

'' ( Hep, 2004)

Filmography

* ''Segar Ellis and His Embassy Club Orchestra'' (1929) * ''Alice Bolden and Her Orchestra'' (1929) Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra appear in the following films for Paramount, MGM, Samuel Goldwyn, Allied Artists, and United Artists: * '' Las Vegas Nights'' (1941)"Tommy Dorsey" IMDb * '' Ship Ahoy'' (1942) * '' Presenting Lily Mars''(1943) * ''

Girl Crazy ''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Co-leads Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman made their stage debuts in the first production and Rogers became an overnight sta ...

'' (1943) * ''

Du Barry Was a Lady ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva.

'' (1943) * ''

'' (1944) * '' Thrill of a Romance'' (1945) * ''

The Great Morgan ''The Great Morgan'' is a 1945 American musical-comedy film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film is considered one of the more unusual in the MGM canon in that it is a compilation film built around a slight plot line, with a running time ...

'' (1946) * ''

'' (1947) * ''

'' (1948) * ''

Disk Jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at nightclubs or music festivals), mobile ...

'' (1951)

Notes

References

* Peter J. Levinson, ''Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way: a Biography'' (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2005) * Robert L. Stockdale, ''Tommy Dorsey: On the Side'' (Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1995)

External links

STEREO FILM RECORDINGS (1942–44):
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in High-Fidelity STEREO performing "Opus One"
audio only.
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in High-Fidelity STEREO on film performing "Well, Git It!"
from the 1943 MGM film

Du Barry was a Lady ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva.

featuring

on drums. ADDITIONAL LINKS
Tommy Dorsey recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

.
Website shows details of the CBS Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey television show in 1956

The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Tommy 1905 births 1956 deaths People from Bernardsville, New Jersey Musicians from Greenwich, Connecticut Jazz musicians from Connecticut Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American trombonists 20th-century American trumpeters Accidental deaths in Connecticut Deaths from choking Drug-related deaths in Connecticut Burials at Kensico Cemetery American jazz bandleaders American jazz trombonists American big band bandleaders American male jazz musicians American male trombonists Bell Records artists Decca Records artists RCA Victor artists Swing bandleaders Swing trombonists Swing trumpeters Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players The Dorsey Brothers members Original Memphis Five members The California Ramblers members United States Army Band musicians Victor Recording Orchestra members Hep Records artists