Harry Salter (1899 – March 5, 1984) was an American music director and an orchestra conductor for radio and television programs. One of Salter's radio orchestras in the late 1920s had as members Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Gene Krupa and Jack Teagarden.

Radio and television

Salter led the orchestra for ''Your Unseen Friend'', ''

Mr. District Attorney ''Mr. District Attorney'' is a radio crime drama produced by Samuel Bischoff that aired on NBC and ABC from April 3, 1939 to June 13, 1952 (and in transcribed syndication through 1953). The series focused on a crusading district attorney initia ...

'', ''Honolulu Bound'', '' What's My Name?'',Grunwald, Edgar A., Ed. (1940). ''Variety Radio Directory 1940-1941''. Variety, Inc. P. 343. ''Hobby Lobby'', '' Pot o' Gold'' and ''Harry Salter and His Band Box Revue'', a series of transcribed syndicated programs that were "placed on various stations." Salter created ''

Name That Tune ''Name That Tune'' is an American television music game show. Originally created and produced by orchestra conductor Harry Salter and his wife Roberta Semple Salter, the series features contestants competing to correctly identify songs being p ...

'' and was co-producer of '' Stop the Music''. (Another source credits Salter as being the creator of ''Stop the Music''.) He was the orchestra leader for such radio shows as the ''Hit Parade'', ''Your Unseen Friend'', ''Philco Show'', ''Musical Grocery Store'', and ''Hobby Lobby''. He also conducted for performers such as

Lanny Ross Lancelot Patrick Ross (January 19, 1906 – April 25, 1988)DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. was an American singer, pianist an ...

and

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 80 years, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and tel ...

. Salter was also the creator, executive producer and orchestra conductor for the TV show ''

'' from 1952 to 1959, and was the creator and musical director of '' Stop the Music'' on both radio and television, which was broadcast on radio from 1948 to 1949Alex McNeil, "Stop the Music", ''Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present,'' 4th ed., New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 792 and became a one-hour TV show on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

from May 1949 to April 1952, then came back again as a half-hour show from September 7, 1954, to June 14, 1956.

Military service

During World War II, Salter was a captain in the U.S. Army's

Special Services Division Special Services was the entertainment branch of the American military. The unit was created on 22 July 1940 by the War Department as part of the Army Service Forces. Special Services not only used its own specially trained and talented troops b ...

. His responsibilities included being music director for the radio program ''The Army Service Forces Present'', and later he headed the musical production section of the Special Service Forces.

Personal life

Salter was born in New York and had two brothers Louis and Bert and a sister Sylvia Werner. He was married to Roberta Semple Salter. The two later developed many musical shows on television. The couple had one daughter, Victoria. He died in a nursing home in

Mamaroneck, New York Mamaroneck ( ) is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 31,758 at the 2020 United States census over 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of Ma ...

at the age of 85.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salter, Harry Music directors 1899 births 1984 deaths Musicians from New York City