Fredrick Malcolm Waring Sr. (June 9, 1900 – July 29, 1984) was an American musician, bandleader, and radio and television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing". He was also a promoter, financial backer and eponym of the Waring Blendor, the first modern electric blender on the market.

Biography

Fredrick Malcolm Waring was born in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, on June 9, 1900, to Jesse Calderwood and Frank Waring. During his teen years, Waring, his brother Tom ''(né'' Thomas Lincoln Waring; 1902–1960), and their friend

Poley McClintock James Roland "Poley" McClintock (September 22, 1900 in Tyrone, PA -January, 1980, in East Stroudsburg, PA) was a member of Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians, a popular jazz band of the 1920s. As a child, McClintock was a neighbor of Waring in Tyrone, ...

founded the Waring-McClintock Snap Orchestra, which evolved into Fred Waring's Banjo Orchestra. The band often played at fraternity parties, proms, and dances, and achieved local success. Waring attended Penn State University, where he studied architectural engineering. He aspired to be in the Penn State Glee Club, but he was rejected with every audition. His Banjo Orchestra became so successful that he decided to abandon his education to tour with the band, which eventually became known as Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians. He married Dorothy McAteer, his college sweetheart, in 1923 but divorced her in 1929. He remarried in 1933 to Evelyn Nair (1910-2004) and had three children, but in 1954 they divorced. Their children were Dixie, Fred Waring Jr., William "Bill". He married Virginia Clotfelter (died 2013) and adopted Paul from Virginia's marriage to Livingston Gearhart, and had Malcolm. Fred Waring Jr. was a conductor and jazz trombonist. Grandson Jordan Waring is an orchestral composer.

Career

Records and radio

From 1923 until late 1932, "

Waring's Pennsylvanians Waring's Pennsylvanians was a dance band that was founded at Penn State University by Fred Waring. First named the Collegians, the group was formed in 1918 at Penn State by the brothers Fred and Tom Waring and their friends Freddy Buck and Pole ...

" were among

Victor Records The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidi ...

' best-selling bands. In late 1932, Waring abruptly quit recording, although his band continued to perform on radio. In 1933, "

You Gotta Be a Football Hero "You Gotta Be a Football Hero" is a song written by Al Sherman, Buddy Fields and Al Lewis in 1933. It is one of the most widely recorded and performed American football anthems of all time. Recording artists *Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanian ...

" was performed on radio to great acclaim. His 1930 recording of " Love for Sale" by Cole Porter is one of the few period versions of this popular song. ''

The Fred Waring Show ''The Fred Waring Show'' is an American television musical variety show that ran from April 17, 1949 to May 30, 1954 on CBS. The show was hosted by Fred Waring and featured his choral group "The Pennsylvanians". Synopsis Sponsored by General Ele ...

'' was heard on radio in various forms from 1933 to 1957. Adding a men's singing group to his ensemble, he recruited Robert Shaw, recently out of the

Pomona College Pomona College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California. It was established in 1887 by a group of Congregationalists who wanted to recreate a "college of the New England type" in Southern California. In 1925, it became t ...

glee club, to train his singers. Shaw later founded the

Robert Shaw Chorale The Robert Shaw Chorale was a renowned professional choir founded in New York City in 1948 by Robert Shaw, a Californian who had been drafted out of college a decade earlier by Fred Waring to conduct his glee club in radio broadcasts. History ...

and directed the

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The ASO's main concert venue is Atlanta Symphony Hall in the Woodruff Arts Center. History Though earlier organizations bearing the same name date b ...

and Chorus. Pembroke Davenport (1911–1985) was Waring's pianist and arranger. During World War II, Waring and his ensemble appeared at

war bond War bonds (sometimes referred to as Victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an unpopular level. They are ...

rallies and entertained the troops at training camps. He composed and performed dozens of patriotic songs, his most famous being "My America". In 1943, he acquired the

Buckwood Inn The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort is a resort in the village of Shawnee on Delaware, located in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The hotel is a Spanish colonial revival building with white-Moorish architecture an ...

in Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania, and renamed the resort the Shawnee Inn. To promote the inn, he centered his musical activities at the inn itself. He created, rehearsed, and broadcast his radio programs from the stage of Shawnee's Worthington Hall throughout the 1950s. Frank Sinatra and Fred Waring in-studio

During the 1940s and early 1950s, Waring and His Pennsylvanians produced a string of hits, selling millions of records. A few of his many choral hits include "

Sleep Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a de ...

", "

Battle Hymn of the Republic The "Battle Hymn of the Republic", also known as "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" or "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" outside of the United States, is a popular American patriotic song written by the abolitionist writer Julia Ward Howe. Howe wrote her l ...

", "

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" is a show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for the 1933 musical '' Roberta''. The song was sung in the Broadway show by Tamara Drasin. Its first recorded performance was by Ge ...

", "

Button Up Your Overcoat "Button Up Your Overcoat" is a popular song. The music was written by Ray Henderson, the lyrics by B.G. DeSylva and Lew Brown. The song was published in 1928, and was first performed later that same year by vocalist Ruth Etting. However, the mos ...

", " White Christmas", "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor", and " Dancing in the Dark". In 1964 he recorded two albums with Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, '' America, I Hear You Singing'' and '' 12 Songs of Christmas'', for Sinatra's

Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...

label. The song, "

Breezin' Along with the Breeze "Breezin' Along with the Breeze" is a popular song written by Haven Gillespie, Seymour Simons, and Richard Whiting; it was published in 1926. Popular versions in 1926 and 1927 were by Johnny Marvin, Abe Lyman, the Revelers and Hoosier Hot Shots. ...

" was used as a signature tune by Fred Waring.

Choral workshops

In 1947, Waring organized the Fred Waring Choral Workshop at his Pennsylvania headquarters in the old Castle Inn in

Delaware Water Gap Delaware Water Gap is a water gap on the border of the U.S. states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains. The gap makes up the southern portion of the Delaware Water Gap ...

, Pennsylvania, which was also the home of

Shawnee Press Shawnee Press, Inc., was an independent print and recorded music publisher and for a time, the largest educational music publisher in the world. The Company published several music types including choral, vocal, instrumental, and classroom in a ...

, the music publisher which he founded. At these sessions, musicians learned to sing with precision, sensitivity, and enthusiasm. When these vocalists returned home and shared what they had learned with fellow musicians, Waring's approach to choral singing spread throughout the nation. The first Fred Waring Music Workshop in the western United States was held in June 1968 as part of the University of Nevada's Summer Session curriculum in Reno, Nevada. Waring taught and supervised these summer workshop for 37 years until he died.

Television

Waring expanded into television with ''

'', which ran on CBS Television from June 20, 1948, to May 30, 1954, and received several awards for Best Musical Program. (The show was 60 minutes long until January 1952, and 30 minutes thereafter.) In the 1960s and 1970s, popular musical tastes turned from choral music, but Waring changed with the times, introducing his Young Pennsylvanians, a group of fresh-faced, long-haired, bell-bottomed performers who sang old favorites and choral arrangements of contemporary songs. In this way he continued as a popular touring attraction, logging some 40,000 miles a year.

Waring blender

In the 1930s, inventor Frederick Jacob Osius went to Waring for financial backing for an electric

blender A blender (sometimes called a mixer or liquidiser in British English) is a kitchen and laboratory appliance used to mix, crush, purée or emulsify food and other substances. A stationary blender consists of a blender container with a rotating me ...

he had patented. The Osius patent (#2,109,501) was filed March 13, 1937, and awarded March 1, 1938. After an initial $25,000 investment, the Waring-owned Miracle Mixer was introduced to the public at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago retailing for $29.75. In 1938, Fred Waring renamed his Miracle Mixer Corporation as the Waring Corporation, and the mixer's name was changed to the Waring Blendor (the "o" in blendor giving it a slight distinction from "blender"). The Waring Blendor became an important tool in hospitals for the implementation of specific diets, as well as a vital scientific research device.

Jonas Salk Jonas Edward Salk (; born Jonas Salk; October 28, 1914June 23, 1995) was an American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. He was born in New York City and attended the City College of New ...

used it while developing his

polio vaccine Polio vaccines are vaccines used to prevent poliomyelitis (polio). Two types are used: an inactivated poliovirus given by injection (IPV) and a weakened poliovirus given by mouth (OPV). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends all chi ...

. In 1954, the millionth Waring Blendor was sold. Waring is now a division of the

Conair Corporation Conair Corporation is an American company based in Stamford, Connecticut which sells small appliances, personal care products, and health and beauty products for both professionals and consumers. It was founded in 1959 and has since expanded to ...

Death

Waring died of a stroke at his summer home on July 29, 1984, in State College, Pennsylvania, after videotaping a concert with his ensemble and completing his annual summer choral workshop. He conducted many such workshops at Penn State in his later years, and in 1984, designated Penn State to house his collection of archives and memorabilia. He also served his alma mater as a trustee and was named a distinguished alumnus of the university.

Awards and honors

In 1983, the 83-year-old Waring was awarded the

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...

, the nation's highest honor for a civilian. Although many believe that Waring Commons at Penn State is named for him, it is actually named for his grandfather, William Waring. In

Long Beach Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, California, Fred Waring Drive is named for him. Another Fred Waring Drive is a major arterial road in the

Palm Desert Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs, northeast of San Diego and east of Los Angeles. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census. The city has been ...

–

Indio Indio may refer to: Places * Indio, Bovey Tracey, an historic estate in Devon, England * Indio, California, a city in Riverside County, California, United States People with the name * Indio (musician), Canadian musician Gordon Peterson * Índio ...

area of Southern California where many major roads are named for post-World War II-era entertainers. Waring Drive in Delaware Water Gap which runs alongside the Castle Inn, Waring's base of operations for over 50 years, was named for Waring in 1991. The Waring Golf Course north of

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

, Pennsylvania, was named after Waring, and he had an ownership interest in it. It ceased operation around 1960. Waring was the Shepherd (president) of

The Lambs The Lambs, Inc. (also known as The Lambs Club) is a social club in New York City for actors, songwriters, and others involved in the theatre. It is America's oldest theatrical organization. "The Lambs" is a registered trademark of The Lambs, Inc ...

from 1939 to 1942. In 1997, a Golden Palm Star on the

Palm Springs Walk of Stars The Palm Springs Walk of Stars is a walk of fame in downtown Palm Springs, California, where "Golden Palm Stars", honoring various people who have lived in the greater Palm Springs area, are embedded in the sidewalk pavement. The walk includes po ...

was dedicated to him.

Comic strip collection

Waring was a cartoon and comic strip collector. A Penn State meeting room by the West Wing restaurant has dozens of cartoons drawn by artists such as Al Hirschfeld in Waring's honor. From 1943 to 1974, Waring owned the Shawnee Inn and Country Club, a golf resort located at Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania near

Stroudsburg Stroudsburg is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. It lies within the Pocono Mountains, Poconos region, approximately five miles (8 km) from the Delaware Water Gap at the confluence ...

. In 1948, two years after the National Cartoonists Society was formed, Waring invited members of that organization to spend a day at the Shawnee Inn. It became an annual event, held each June for the next 25 years, resulting in a huge collection of artwork created for Waring by the cartoonists, including many drawn on Shawnee Inn stationery. The Fred Waring Collection has more than 600 cartoon originals, including over 50 of the laminated table tops. Artists who contributed to the Waring Collection included Jay Alan, Alfred Andriola (''

Kerry Drake ''Kerry Drake'' is the title of a comic strip created for Publishers Syndicate by Alfred Andriola as artist and Allen Saunders as uncredited writer. It debuted on Monday, October 4, 1943, replacing Norman Marsh's ''Dan Dunn'', and was syndica ...

''), Jim Berry ('' Berry's World''),

Charles Biro Charles Biro (May 12, 1911 – March 4, 1972) was an American comic book creator and cartoonist. He is today chiefly known for creating the comic book characters Airboy and Steel Sterling, and for his work at Lev Gleason Publications on '' Dared ...

(''Squeeks'', ''Crimebuster'', '' Daredevil''),

Martin Branner Martin Michael Branner (December 28, 1888 – May 19, 1970), known to his friends as Mike Branner, was a cartoonist who created the popular comic strip ''Winnie Winkle''. Early life Branner was born in Manhattan, New York City on December 2 ...

('' Denny Dimwit''),

Ernie Bushmiller Ernest Paul Bushmiller Jr. (August 23, 1905 – August 15, 1982) was an American cartoonist, best known for creating the daily comic strip '' Nancy'', which premiered in 1938 and features the title character who has remained in print for over 85 ...

('' Nancy''),

Milton Caniff Milton Arthur Paul Caniff (; February 28, 1907 – April 3, 1988) was an American cartoonist famous for the ''Terry and the Pirates'' and ''Steve Canyon'' comic strips. Biography Caniff was born in Hillsboro, Ohio. He was an Eagle Scout and a r ...

('' Steve Canyon''),

Mel Casson Mel Casson (July 25, 1920 – May 21, 2008) was an American cartoonist with a 50-year career. He is primarily remembered for his work on the daily comic strips ''Sparky'', ''Angel'', ''Mixed Singles''/''Boomer'' and '' Redeye'', plus numerous ...

(''Jeff Crockett''),

Chon Day Chauncey Addison Day, better known as Chon Day, (April 6, 1907 – Jan 1, 2000) was an American cartoonist whose cartoons appeared in ''The New Yorker'' and other magazines. Born in Chatham, New Jersey, Day attended Lehigh University in 1926, whe ...

, Steve Douglas, Bill Dyer (''

Patsy Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...

''),

Gus Edson Gus Edson (September 20, 1901 - September 26, 1966) was an American cartoonist known for two popular, long running comic strips, '' The Gumps'' and ''Dondi''. Born to Max and Emma Edson in Cincinnati, Ohio, Gus Edson dropped out of school at a ...

(''

The Gumps ''The Gumps'' is a comic strip about a middle-class family. It was created by Sidney Smith in 1917, launching a 42-year run in newspapers from February 12, 1917, until October 17, 1959. According to a 1937 issue of ''Life'', ''The Gumps'' was i ...

''), Eric Ericson, Gill Fox (''Foodini'').

Frank Godwin Francis Godwin (October 20, 1889 – August 5, 1959) was an American illustrator and comic strip artist, notable for his strip '' Connie'' and his book illustrations for ''Treasure Island'', ''Kidnapped'', ''Robinson Crusoe'', ''Robin Hood'' ...

('' Rusty Riley'', ''Patty Miles''),

Irwin Hasen Irwin Hasen (July 8, 1918 – March 13, 2015) was an American cartoonist best known as the creator (with Gus Edson) of the ''Dondi'' comic strip. He also had a significant run on DC Comics' original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, in the 1940s as well ...

(''

Dondi Donald Joseph White, "DONDI" (April 7, 1961 – October 2, 1998) was an American graffiti artist. Biography Early life Born in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, Dondi was the youngest of five children. He was of African American a ...

''), Jeff Hayes (''Silent Sam''), Art Helfant (''Patty Pinhead''), Bill Holman ('' Smokey Stover''), Stan Kaye,

Bil Keane William Aloysius "Bil" Keane (October 5, 1922 – November 8, 2011) was an American cartoonist most notable for his work on the newspaper comic '' The Family Circus''. It began in 1960 and continues in syndication, drawn by his son Jeff Kea ...

(''

Family Circus ''The Family Circus'' (originally ''The Family Circle'', also ''Family-Go-Round'') is a syndicated comic strip created by cartoonist Bil Keane and, since Bil's death in 2011, is currently written, inked, and rendered (colored) by his son, Jef ...

''), Jeff Keate, Reamer Keller,

Ted Key Ted Key (born Theodore Keyser; August 25, 1912 – May 3, 2008)
''The New York Times'', May 8, 2008 was a ...

('' Hazel''),

Lank Leonard Frank E. Leonard (January 2, 1896 – August 1, 1970), better known as Lank Leonard, was an American cartoonist artist who created the long-running comic strip ''Mickey Finn (comic strip), Mickey Finn'', which he drew for more than three decades. ...

('' Mickey Finn''),

Jack Markow Jack Markow (1905-1983) was an American cartoonist who also wrote instructional books about cartooning, comic strips and comic art. For three years, he was the cartoon editor of '' Argosy''. Born in London, Markow was a New Yorker from the age ...

, Jay McArdle, Bill McLean (''Double Trouble''), Paul Norris (''

Jungle Jim Jungle Jim is the fictional hero of a series of jungle adventures in various media. The series began on January 7, 1934, as an American newspaper comic strip chronicling the adventures of Asia-based hunter Jim Bradley, who was nicknamed Jungle J ...

''),

Bob Oksner Bob Oksner (October 14, 1916 in Paterson, New Jersey – February 18, 2007) was an American comics artist known for both adventure comic strips and for superhero and humor comic books, primarily at DC Comics. Biography Oksner's early wo ...

(''

Leave It to Binky ''Leave It to Binky'' is a teen-humor comic book series published by DC Comics that ran for 82 issues, first appearing in 1948 and wrapping up in 1977. Publication history The adventures of teenager Binky Biggs started in DC Comics' ''Leave It to ...

''),

Russell Patterson Russell Patterson (December 26, 1893 – March 17, 1977) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and scenic designer. Patterson's art deco magazine illustrations helped develop and promote the idea of the 1920s and 1930s fashion style known as t ...

(''Mamie''),

Clarence D. Russell Clarence D. Russell (August 19, 1896–October 23, 1963) was an American cartoonist best known for his syndicated comic strip '' Pete the Tramp''. Born in Buffalo, New York, Russell studied at the Chicago Art Institute and began working as a f ...

(''

Pete the Tramp ''Pete the Tramp'' is an American comic strip by Clarence D. Russell (1895–1963) which was distributed by King Features Syndicate for more than three decades, from January 10, 1932 to December 22, 1963. Howard Eugene Wilson, in the ''Harvard Ed ...

''), Don Trachte (''

Henry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) * Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

'') and

George Wunder George S. Wunder (April 24, 1912 – December 13, 1987) was a cartoonist best known for his 26 years illustrating the ''Terry and the Pirates (comic strip), Terry and the Pirates'' comic strip. Born in Manhattan, Wunder grew up in Kingston, New Y ...

(''Hotshot Charlie'').

References

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Waring, Fred 1900 births 1984 deaths Musicians from Pennsylvania People from Tyrone, Pennsylvania Penn State College of Engineering alumni The Lambs presidents Big band bandleaders Vaudeville performers Victor Records artists Decca Records artists Capitol Records artists Reprise Records artists Cartooning museums Congressional Gold Medal recipients Members of The Lambs Club

Biography

Career

Records and radio

Choral workshops

Television

Waring blender

Death

Awards and honors

Comic strip collection

See also

References

External links