(Portrait of Doris Day and Les Brown, Aquarium, New York, N

Lester Raymond Brown (March 14, 1912 – January 4, 2001) was an American jazz musician who led the big band Les Brown and His Band of Renown for nearly seven decades from 1938 to 2000.

Biography

Brown was born in Reinerton, Pennsylvania. He enrolled in the Conway Military Band School (later part of

Ithaca College Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music and is set against the backdrop of the city of Ithaca (which is separate from the town), Cayuga Lake, waterfalls, and ...

) in 1926, studying with famous bandleader

Patrick Conway Patrick "Patsy" Conway (July 4, 1865 – June 10, 1929) was a prominent American bandleader during the golden era of professional bands. He often was referred to as Pat Conway or Patsy Conway. Early life Conway was born in Troy, New York, but mo ...

for three years before receiving a music scholarship to the New York Military Academy, where he graduated in 1932. Brown attended college at

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist Jam ...

from 1932 to 1936. There he led the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils, who performed regularly on Duke's campus and up and down the east coast. Brown took the band on an extensive summer tour in 1936. At the end of the tour, while some of the band members returned to Duke to continue their education, others stayed on with Brown and continued to tour, becoming in 1938 the Band of Renown. The band's original drummer, Don Kramer, became the acting manager and helped define their future. In 1942, Brown and his band concluded work on an RKO picture, ''Sweet and Hot''; played at the Palladium Ballroom, Hollywood. A few years later, in 1945, this band brought

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

into prominence with their recording of " Sentimental Journey". The song's release coincided with the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

in Europe and became an unofficial homecoming theme for many veterans. The band had nine other number-one hit songs, including " I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm". In 1952–53, Brown was the orchestra leader on Day's radio program, ''

The Doris Day Show ''The Doris Day Show'' is an American sitcom which was originally broadcast on CBS from September 1968 until March 1973, remaining on the air for five seasons and 128 episodes. The series is remembered for its multiple format and cast chang ...

'', on CBS. Les Brown and the Band of Renown performed with

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...

on radio, stage and television for almost fifty years. They did 18 USO Tours for American troops around the world, and entertained over three million people. Before the Super Bowls were televised, the Bob Hope Christmas Specials were the highest-rated programs in television history.

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...

was "discovered" by Bob Hope and did his first public performance with Brown and the Band. The first film that Brown and the band appeared in was '' Seven Days' Leave'' (1942) starring

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include '' One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darli ...

and

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Gold ...

. ''Rock-A-Billy Baby'', a low-budget 1957 film, was the Band of Renown's second, and in 1963 they appeared in the

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

' comedy '' The Nutty Professor'' playing their theme song "Leapfrog". Brown and the Band were also the house band for

The Steve Allen Show ''The Steve Allen Show'' was an American variety show hosted by Steve Allen from June 1956 to June 1960 on NBC, from September 1961 to December 1961 on ABC,

(1959–1961) and the

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

Show (1965–1972). Brown and the band performed with virtually every major performer of their time, including

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, 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, phrasing, timing, in ...

and

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

. The annual Les Brown Big Band Festival, started March 2006 in Les' hometown, features area big bands preserving the songs of the big band era. At the 2012 festival celebrating the 100th birthday anniversary, the town of Reinerton renamed the street near Les' birthplace to Les Brown Lane. In 2013 his hometown of Reinerton, PA adopted as the town's official slogan: Reinerton: The Town of Renown in honor of Les and his band. Les Brown Sr. died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from transformed, mali ...

in 2001, and was interred in the

Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. The cemetery was ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. He was survived by his wife Evelyn, son Les Jr., and daughter Denise. He was 88 years old at the time of his death. His grandson, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, co-created the show ''

Phineas and Ferb ''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was originally broadcast as ...

'' and '' Milo Murphy's Law''. Brown was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010.

Les Brown Jr.

In 2001, Les Brown Jr., born 1940, became the full-time leader of the Band of Renown. It continues to perform throughout the world and have a regular big band show in

Branson, Missouri Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postm ...

. Brown Jr. also hosts a national radio show on the Music of Your Life network. Brown Jr. was a television actor in the 1960s (''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central chara ...

'', ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...

'', '' The Baileys of Balboa'', ''

Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for th ...

''), a rock musician and producer who worked with

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound feature ...

, and a concert promoter for many

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artists including

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...

and

Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Ma ...

. In 2004, Brown Jr. received the "Ambassador of Patriotism" award from the POW Network.

Discography

* Connee Boswell ''I Don't Know'' (1950) * Connee Boswell ''Martha'' (1950) * ''Over the Rainbow'' (1951) * ''Palladium Concert 1953'' (Group 7, 2005) * ''Live at the Hollywood Palladium'' (1954) * ''Dancer's Choice'' (Capitol, 1956) * ''Les Brown & His Orchestra, Vol. 2'' (Hindsight, 1949) * ''Radio Days Live'' (early radio recordings, 2001) * ''Les Brown & His Band of Renown'' (Coral, 1957) * ''Swing Song Book'' (Coral, 1957) * ''Concert Modern'' (Capitol, 1958) * ''Live at Elitch Gardens 1959'' (1959) * ''The Les Brown Story: His Greatest Hits in Today's Sound'' (Capitol, 1959) * ''The Lerner and Loewe Bandbook'' (Columbia, 1961) * ''Play Hits From The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Others'' (Columbia, 1963) * ''Stereophonic Suite for Two Bands: The Les Brown Band and Vic Schoen and His Orchestra'' (Kapp, 1959) * ''A Sign of the Times'' (Decca, 1966) * ''Today'' ( MPS, 1976) * ''Goes Direct to Disc'' ( The Great American Gramophone Company, 1977) * ''Digital Swing'' (Fantasy, 1986) * ''Anything Goes'' (USA, 1994) * ''America Swings'' (Hindsight, 1995) * ''Bandland / Revolution in Sound'' (Collectables, 1995) * ''Sentimental Thing'' with

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

Billy Eckstine William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously ...

(Sounds of Yesteryear, 2003) * ''The Les Brown All-Stars'' (Group 7, 2006) * ''No Name Bop'' * ''A Good Man Is Hard to Find'' * ''Thank You for Your Fine Attention'' * ''The One and Only'' (Intersound / Memorylane, 2016)

Musical short films

''Spreadin' the Jam''
(1945) dir: Charles Walters

(1948) (10 min) dir: Jack Scholl

(1949) (15 min) dir: Will Cowan

(1948) (10 min) dir: Jack Scholl

(1950) (15 min) dir: Will Cowan

(1953) (19 min) dir: Will Cowan

(1957) (14 min) dir: Will Cowan

(1957) (81 min) dir: William F.Claxton

Television

* ''Bob Hope Show'' (1945) NBC Radio * ''Bob Hope Show'' (1959–1966) NBC * ''The Steve Allen Show'' (1958–1960) NBC * ''The New Steve Allen Show'' (1961) NBC * ''

Hennesey ''Hennesey'' is an American military comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1962, starring Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton. Cooper played a United States Navy physician, Lt. Charles W. "Chick" Hennesey, with Abby Dalt ...

'' (1962) CBS * ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964) NBC * ''Bob Hope Thanksgiving Show'' (1964) NBC * ''Dean Martin Show'' (1965) NBC * ''Dean Martin Summer Show'' (1966) NBC * ''Rowan and Martin at the Movies'' (1968) NBC * ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (1968) NBC * ''Dean Martin and the Golddigger's'' (1968) NBC * ''Bob Hope Special: Joys'' (1976) NBC * ''The Good Old Days of Radio'' (1976) NBC * ''Doris Day's Best Friends'' (1985) NBC * ''Ooh-La-La, It's Bob Hope's Fun Birthday Special from Paris'' (1981) NBC * ''Biography: Doris Day "It's Magic"'' (1985) * ''Rocko’s Modern Life''

References

External links

Les Brown Historical Marker and Photographs

Les Brown Scores Collection
Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University
With Bob Hope Show Christmas Day 1968 Vietnam

(1950) Short Film (15 min.)
New York Military Academy archives page - Alumni of Distinction

Les Brown Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (1994)
Les Brown 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:Brown, Les 1912 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American musicians American bandleaders Big band bandleaders Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Deaths from lung cancer in California Duke University alumni Hep Records artists Liberty Records artists New York Military Academy alumni People from Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania United Service Organizations entertainers