Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977)
was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and
hydroplane racer.
Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...
,
Lebert and
Victor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
, and other musicians from his hometown. They billed themselves as creating "the sweetest music this side of Heaven." The Lombardos are believed to have sold between 100 and 300 million records during their lifetimes,
many featuring the band's lead singer from 1940 onward,
Kenny Gardner.
Early life
Lombardo was born in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, Ontario, Canada,
[ to ]Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
immigrants Gaetano Alberto and Angelina Lombardo. His father, who had worked as a tailor, was an amateur singer with a baritone
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...
voice and had four of his five sons learn to play instruments so they could accompany him. Lombardo and his brothers formed their first orchestra while still in grammar school and rehearsed in the back of their father's tailor shop. Lombardo first performed in public with his brother Carmen at a church lawn party in London in 1914. His first recording session took place where cornetist Bix Beiderbecke
Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer.
Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical app ...
made his recordings—in Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
, Indiana, at the Gennett
Gennett (pronounced "jennett") was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s. Gennett produced some of the earliest recordings by Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, and Hoa ...
Studios—both during early 1924.
Royal Canadians
After that solitary Gennett session, they recorded two sessions for Brunswick; a rejected session in Cleveland in late 1926, and an issued session for Vocalion
Vocalion Records is an American record company and label.
History
The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pianos and organs, as Aeolian-Vocalion; the company also sold phonographs under the Vocalion name. "Aeolian" was ...
in early 1927. The band then signed to Columbia and recorded prolifically between 1927 and 1931. In early 1932, they signed to Brunswick and continued their success through 1934 when they signed to Decca Decca may refer to:
Music
* Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label
* Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group
* Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label
* Decca Studios, a recording facility in W ...
(1934–35). They then signed to Victor in later 1935 and stayed until the middle of 1938 when again they signed to Decca. In 1938, Lombardo became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Between 1941 and 1948, their sister Rose Marie, the youngest of seven siblings, joined the Royal Canadians as the band's first and possibly only female vocalist.
Although Lombardo's "sweet" big-band music was viewed by some in the jazz and big-band community of the day as "boring, mainstream pap," trumpeter Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
regularly named Lombardo's band his favorite orchestra.
After Guy Lombardo's death in 1977, his surviving brothers Victor and Lebert took over the Royal Canadians, though Victor left the band early in 1978 over creative differences. From 1980 the name was franchised out to various band leaders. Lebert died in 1993, passing rights to the band name to three of his six children. The band was revived in 1989 by Al Pierson
AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media
* Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera
* Al (''Fullmetal ...
and remained active .
New Year's Eve radio and TV programs
Lombardo is remembered for almost a half-century of New Year's Eve big band remotes, first on radio, then on television. His orchestra played at the Roosevelt Grill in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City from 1929 ("radio's first nationwide New Year's Eve broadcast" which popularized Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" (: note "s" rather than "z") is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also often ...
)[ ] to 1959, and from then until 1976 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Waldorf can have the following meanings:
People
* William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (1848–1919), financier and statesman
* Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor (1879–1952), businessman and politician
* Pappy Waldorf (1902–1981), 1966 ...
. Live broadcasts (and later telecasts) of their performances were a large part of New Year's celebrations across North America; millions of people watched the show with friends at house parties. Because of this popularity, Lombardo was called "Mr. New Year's Eve".
The band's first New Year's Eve radio broadcast was in 1928; within a few years, they were heard live on the CBS Radio Network
CBS News Radio, formerly known as CBS Radio News and historically known as the CBS Radio Network, is a radio network that provides news to more than 1,000 radio stations throughout the United States. The network is owned by Paramount Global. It ...
before midnight Eastern Time, then on the NBC Radio Network
The NBC, National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (known as the NBC Red Network prior to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in operation from 1926 through 2004. Along with the Blue Network, NBC Blue Network it was ...
after midnight.
On December 31, 1956, the Lombardo band did their first New Year's TV special on CBS; the program (and Lombardo's 20 subsequent New Year's Eve TV shows) included a live segment from Times Square. Although CBS carried most of the Lombardo New Year's specials, from 1965 to 1970, the special was syndicated live to individual TV stations instead of broadcast on a network. By the middle 1970s, the Lombardo TV show was facing competition, especially for younger viewers, from ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE'') is an annual New Year's Eve television special broadcast by ABC. The special broadcasts primarily from New York City's Times Square and prominently features coverage of its annual ball drop ev ...
'', but Lombardo remained famous among viewers, especially older ones.
Even after Lombardo's death, the band's New Year's specials continued for two more years on CBS before ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' (''NYRE'') is an annual New Year's Eve television special broadcast by ABC. The special broadcasts primarily from New York City's Times Square and prominently features coverage of its annual ball drop ev ...
'' came into prominence. The Royal Canadians' recording of the traditional song "Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" (: note "s" rather than "z") is a popular song, particularly in the English-speaking world. Traditionally, it is sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. By extension, it is also often ...
" still plays as the first song of the new year in Times Square followed by "Theme from New York, New York
"Theme from ''New York, New York''", often abbreviated to just "New York, New York", is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film ''New York, New York'' (1977), composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and per ...
" by Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
, "America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is a patriotic American song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two never m ...
" by Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...
, "What a Wonderful World
"What a Wonderful World" is a song written by Bob Thiele (as "George Douglas") and George David Weiss. It was first recorded by Louis Armstrong and released in 1967 as a single. It topped the pop chart in the United Kingdom, but performed poor ...
" by Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
, and " Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (; meaning 'the fearless eye, the bold face'; May 20, 1959June 26, 1997), also called Bruddah Iz or just simply IZ, was a Hawaiian musician, singer, songwriter, and Hawaiian sovereignty activist.
He achieved ...
.
Other radio
Beginning June 14, 1953, Guy Lombardo and his orchestra had ''Guy Lombardo Time'', the summer replacement for Jack Benny
Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...
's radio program.
Other television
In 1954, Lombardo briefly hosted a half-hour syndicated series called ''The Guy Lombardo Show'', and in 1956 Lombardo hosted a show on CBS for three months called ''Guy Lombardo's Diamond Jubilee''.
Guy Lombardo played himself in the hit series ''Route 66
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
'' in the 1963 episode “But What Do You Do in March?” In 1975, Lombardo played himself again, in the first regular episode of ''Ellery Queen
Ellery Queen is a pseudonym created in 1929 by American crime fiction writers Frederic Dannay and Manfred Bennington Lee and the name of their main fictional character, a mystery writer in New York City who helps his police inspector father solve ...
'', "The Adventure of Auld Lang Syne," which was set at a Dec. 31, 1946 New Year's Eve gathering.
Film
Lombardo and his orchestra were part of the 1934 film '' Many Happy Returns''.[ ] and he also made a cameo appearance in the 1970 film ''The Phynx
''The Phynx'' is a 1970 American comedy film directed by Lee H. Katzin about a rock and roll band named The Phynx and their mission in foreign affairs. The group is sent to Albania to locate celebrity hostages taken prisoner by Communists.
This ...
''. Clips of his own show appeared in the 1977 film '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' starring Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton ('' née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Gl ...
.
Hydroplane racing
Lombardo was also an important figure in Step Boat speedboat racing, winning the Gold Cup in 1946 in his record-breaking speedboat, ''Tempo VI'', designed and built by John L. Hacker. He then went on to win the Ford Memorial competition in 1948 and the President's Cup and the Silver Cup in 1952. From 1946 to 1949, Lombardo was the reigning U.S. national champion. Before his retirement from the sport in the late 1950s, he had won every trophy in the field. In 1959 Lombardo was attempting a run on the absolute water speed record with the jet engine-powered Tempo Alcoa when it was destroyed on a radio-controlled test run doing over . After the destruction of the Tempo Alcoa, Lombardo retired from hydroplane racing. In 2002 he was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame
The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame (CMHF) is a hall of fame run by the Canadian Motorsport Heritage Foundation as a not-for-profit charitable institution that "honours and recognizes the achievements of individuals and institutions that have ma ...
for his accomplishments.
Beginning in 1958, Lombardo endorsed the Guy Lombardo Royal Fleet, a line of fiberglass boats manufactured and sold by the United States Boat Corporation of Newark, New Jersey, a division of U.S. Pools Corporation. The boats were manufactured under license from Skagit Plastics of La Conner, Washington. The endeavor was short-lived and ended in 1961 with the closure of Skagit Plastics.
In his later years, Lombardo lived in Freeport, Long Island, New York, where he kept ''Tempo'', ''Tempo VI'', and ''Tempo VII'' (built in 1955). He invested in a nearby seafood restaurant called "Liota's East Point House" that eventually became "Guy Lombardo's East Point House". Lombardo became a promoter and musical director of Jones Beach Marine Theater
Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater (commonly known as the Jones Beach Theater) is an outdoor amphitheatre at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh, New York. It is one of two major outdoor arenas in the New York metropolitan area, along with PN ...
. The venue was built with him in mind by Robert Moses
Robert Moses (December 18, 1888 – July 29, 1981) was an American urban planner and public official who worked in the New York metropolitan area during the early to mid 20th century. Despite never being elected to any office, Moses is regarded ...
, a fan of Lombardo. One of Lombardo's productions at Jones Beach was ''Paradise Island
Paradise Island is an island in The Bahamas formerly known as Hog Island. The island, with an area of (2.8 km2/1.1 sq mi), is located just off the shore of the city of Nassau, which is itself located on the northern edge of the island of ...
'' in 1961. His final production there was the 1977 staging of ''Finian's Rainbow
''Finian's Rainbow'' is a musical with a book by E. Y. Harburg and Fred Saidy, lyrics by Harburg, and music by Burton Lane, produced by Lee Sabinson. The original 1947 Broadway production ran for 725 performances, while a film version was re ...
'' with Christopher Hewett
Christopher George Hewett (5 April 1921 – 3 August 2001) was an English actor and theatre director best known for his role as Lynn Aloysius Belvedere on the ABC sitcom ''Mr. Belvedere''.
Career
Hewett was born in Worthing, Sussex to Chris ...
in the title role.
Life
While playing at the Music Box in Cleveland, Lombardo met Lillibeth Glenn. They married in 1926.
Death
On November 5, 1977, Lombardo died of a heart attack. Another source says he died "of a lung ailment."[ ] His wife, who died in 1982, was at his bedside when he died in Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston Methodist Hospital is the flagship quaternary care hospital of Houston Methodist academic medical center. Located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas, Houston Methodist Hospital was established in 1919 during the height of the ...
.[ He's interred at the Pinelawn Memorial Park in East Farmingdale, NY.
]
Tributes
Lombardo was featured on a postage stamp issued on December 17, 1999, as part of Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...
's Millennium Collection.
Guy Lombardo has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
in Los Angeles.
In 2002, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
Canada's Walk of Fame (french: link=no, Allée des célébrités canadiennes) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a ...
and had a star on its Walk of Fame in Toronto. Lombardo was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame
The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame was incorporated in July 2005 under the New York State Board of Regents, as a nonprofit organization and holds a provisional charter to operate as a museum in the state of New York. It recognizes ...
in 2007.
The home where Guy Lombardo and his siblings grew up is still standing in London, Ontario, at 202 Simcoe Street. A plaque to the Lombardos has been moved from the exterior wall of the Labatt
Labatt Brewing Company Limited (french: La Brasserie Labatt Limitée) is a Belgian-owned brewery headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1847, Labatt is the largest brewer in Canada.
In 1995, it was purchased by Belgian brewer Int ...
Retail Store at Richmond and Horton streets in London to the store's entranceway off the parking lot, denoting the site of a subsequent home of the Lombardos.
In his later home of Freeport, New York, there is Guy Lombardo Avenue. There is a bridge named after Lombardo in London, Ontario near Wonderland Gardens, as well as Lombardo Avenue in north London near the University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...
.
The Guy Lombardo Society is dedicated to preserving the music and history of Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians.
Guy Lombardo museum
From the mid-1980s until 2007, there was a museum dedicated to Guy Lombardo in London, Ontario, near the intersection of Wonderland Road and Springbank Drive. In September 2007, lacking visitors and funding, the museum was closed. Although the city owned many of the exhibits, most of the collection can be found at the private home of former part-time curator Douglas Flood. City staff recommended that the museum not be reopened. In early 2015 Flood scheduled an auction of remaining items from the collection, under protest from members of the Lombardo family.
Lebert Lombardo's children also have an extensive collection of artifacts, including photographs, record albums, sheet music, awards, and the band's framed first paycheck from 1918 in their homes and storage units in Fort Myers
Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in southwestern Florida and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 92,245 in 20 ...
and Sanibel
Sanibel is an island and city in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 6,382 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The island, also known as ...
, Florida. They have tried to donate the collection to various universities and museums but have had no takers. The Library of Congress has a collection of Lombardo films.
Singles discography
Before the start of ''Billboard'' magazine's top 40 charts in 1940, Lombardo had over 140 hits from 1927–1940, including twenty-one No. 1 singles. The five biggest being " Charmaine", "It Looks Like Rain in Cherry Blossom Lane", "Boo-Hoo", "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye", and " Red Sails in the Sunset".
The following singles made the "Top Ten" of the American ''Billboard'' singles charts from 1927–1940:
Columbia
The following appeared on the Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
label:
* 1927 – Charmaine
* 1928 – Beloved
* 1928 – Coquette
A coquette is a flirtatious woman. It may refer to:
* ''The Coquette'' (film), a 1917 German silent comedy film
* ''Coquette'' (film), an Academy Award-winning 1929 film starring Mary Pickford
* ''Coqueta '' (1949 film), a Mexican musical film
* ' ...
* 1928 – Sweethearts on Parade
* 1929 – College Medley Fox Trot (The Big Ten)
* 1929 – I Get the Blues When It Rains
* 1929 – Singin' in the Bathtub
"Singing in the Bathtub" is a song written in 1929 by Michael H. Cleary, with lyrics by Herb Magidson and Ned Washington for the film ''The Show of Shows''. ''The Show of Shows'' was Warner Bros.' answer to MGM's ''The Hollywood Revue of 1929'', ...
* 1929 – Where the Shy Little Violets Grow
* 1930 – A Cottage for Sale
"A Cottage for Sale" is a popular song. The music was composed by Willard Robison, and the lyrics were written by Larry Conley. The song was first published in 1929, and over 100 performers have recorded versions of "A Cottage for Sale." The firs ...
* 1930 – Baby's Birthday Party
* 1930 – Confessin' (That I Love You)
* 1930 – Crying for the Carolines
* 1930 – Go Home and Tell Your Mother
* 1930 – Have a Little Faith in Me
* 1930 – I Still Get a Thrill (Thinking of You)
* 1930 – Lazy Lou'siana Moon
* 1930 – Rollin' Down the River
* 1930 – Singing a Song to the Stars
* 1930 – Swingin' in a Hammock
* 1930 – Under a Texas Moon
''Under A Texas Moon'' is a 1930 American pre-Code musical Western film photographed entirely in Technicolor. It was based on the novel ''Two-Gun Man'' (from 1929) which was written by Stewart Edward White. It was the second all-color, all-tal ...
* 1930 – You're Driving Me Crazy
"You’re Driving Me Crazy" is an American popular song composed (music and lyrics) by Walter Donaldson in 1930 and recorded the same year by Lee Morse, Rudy Vallée & His Connecticut Yankees and Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (with vocal b ...
(What Did I Do)
* 1930 – You're the Sweetest Girl This Side of Heaven
* 1931 – (There Ought to Be a) Moonlight Saving Time
* 1931 – Begging for Love
* 1931 – By the River Sainte-Marie
* 1931 – Goodnight Sweetheart
* 1931 – Now That You're Gone
* 1931 – Sweet and Lovely
"Sweet and Lovely" is an American popular song of 1931, composed by Gus Arnheim, Charles N. Daniels, and Harry Tobias.
Recordings of the song which charted in 1931 are:
* Gus Arnheim & His Cocoanut Grove Orchestra with a vocal refrain by Dona ...
* 1931 – Whistling in the Dark
* 1931 – Without That Gal!
* 1931 – You Try Somebody Else (We'll Be Back Together Again)
Brunswick
The following appeared on the Brunswick Records
Brunswick Records is an American record label founded in 1916.
History
From 1916
Records under the Brunswick label were first produced by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a company based in Dubuque, Iowa which had been manufacturing produ ...
label:
* 1932 – How Deep Is the Ocean
How may refer to:
* How (greeting), a word used in some misrepresentations of Native American/First Nations speech
* How, an interrogative word in English grammar
Art and entertainment Literature
* ''How'' (book), a 2007 book by Dov Seidma ...
* 1932 – I'll Never Be the Same "I'll Never Be The Same" is a popular song based on an instrumental called "Little Buttercup" written by Matty Malneck and Frank Signorelli. After several musicians had recorded the instrumental version, lyrics were written by Gus Kahn. The compl ...
* 1932 – I'm Sure of Everything But You
* 1932 – Just a Little Home for the Old Folks
* 1932 – Lawd, You Made The Night Too Long
* 1932 – My Extraordinary Gal
* 1932 – Paradise
In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...
* 1932 – Pink Elephants
* 1932 – Puh–Leeze, Mr. Hemingway
* 1932 – Too Many Tears
* 1932 – Waltzing in a Dream "Waltzing in a Dream" is a 1932 song recorded by Bing Crosby. The lyrics were written by Bing Crosby and Ned Washington. The music was composed by Victor Young.
Bing Crosby recorded the song in Chicago on April 23, 1932 with Isham Jones and his Orc ...
* 1932 – We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye
* 1933 – By a Waterfall
"By a Waterfall" is a 1933 song with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Irving Kahal. It was featured in an extravagant choreographic arrangement in the film ''Footlight Parade'' by Busby Berkeley that features his trademark human waterfall, with ...
* 1933 – Did You Ever See a Dream Walking? "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking?" is a popular song, introduced by Art Jarrett in the 1933 film '' Sitting Pretty.''
The music was written by Harry Revel, the lyrics by Mack Gordon. The song was originally published in 1933 and there were charte ...
* 1933 – Don't Blame Me
* 1933 – Going, Going, Gone!
* 1933 – Lover
* 1933 – Stormy Weather
* 1933 – Street of Dreams
* 1933 – The Last Round–Up
* 1933 – This Time It's Love
* 1934 – Fare Thee Well
* 1934 – My Old Flame "My Old Flame" is a 1934 song composed by Arthur Johnston with lyrics by Sam Coslow for the film ''Belle of the Nineties''. It has since become a jazz standard.
History
"My Old Flame" first appeared in the 1934 film ''Belle of the Nineties'' when ...
* 1934 – Night on the Water
* 1934 – Stars Fell on Alabama
"Stars Fell on Alabama" is a 1934 jazz standard composed by Frank Perkins with lyrics by Mitchell Parish.
History
The title of the song appears to have been borrowed from the title of the 1934 book of the same name by Carl Carmer. It refers t ...
Decca (1934–1935)
The following appeared on the Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...
label:
* 1934 – Winter Wonderland
"Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himber, ...
* 1934 – Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore
* 1935 – Broadway Rhythm
* 1935 – Cheek to Cheek
"Cheek to Cheek" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1934–35, specifically for the star of his new musical, Fred Astaire. The movie was ''Top Hat'', co-starring Ginger Rogers.
* 1935 – I'm Sittin' High on a Hill Top
* 1935 – Red Sails in the Sunset
* 1935 – Seein' Is Believin'
* 1935 – What's the Reason (I'm Not Pleasin' You)
Victor (1936–1938)
* 1936 – Lost
* 1936 – The Broken Record
* 1936 – The Way You Look Tonight
"The Way You Look To-night" is a song from the film ''Swing Time'' that was performed by Fred Astaire and composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics written by Dorothy Fields. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. Fields remarked, " ...
* 1936 – When Did You Leave Heaven
* 1936 – When My Dream Boat Comes Home
* 1937 – A Sail Boat in the Moonlight
* 1937 – Boo–Hoo
* 1937 – I Know Now
* 1937 – It Looks Like Rain in Cherry Blossom Lane
* 1937 – September in the Rain
"September in the Rain" is a popular music, popular song about nostalgia by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, published in 1937. The song was introduced by James Melton in the film ''Melody for Two''. It has become a standard, having been recorded by ma ...
* 1937 – So Rare
"So Rare" is a popular song published in 1937 by composer Jerry Herst and lyricist Jack Sharpe. It became a hit for Jimmy Dorsey in 1957.
The version by Carl Ravell and his Orchestra, from a session on 4 June 1937, was the earliest recording of ...
* 1937 – The Love Bug Will Bite You
* 1938 – Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
"Bei Mir Bistu Shein" ( yi, בײַ מיר ביסטו שעהן, or yi, בײַ מיר ביסטו שיין, , "To Me You're Beautiful") is a popular Yiddish song written by lyricist Jacob Jacobs and composer Sholom Secunda for a 1932 Yiddish lang ...
* 1938 – I Must See Annie Tonight
* 1938 – It's a Lonely Trail (When You're Travelin' All Alone)
* 1938 – Let's Sail to Dreamland
* 1938 – Little Lady Make Believe
* 1938 – So Little Time
* 1938 – Ti–Pi–Tin
Decca (1939–1952)
* 1939 – Cinderella Stay in My Arms
* 1939 – Deep Purple
Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock music, but their musical style has changed over the course of its existence. Ori ...
* 1939 – I Ups to Her and She Ups to Me
* 1939 – I'm Sorry for Myself
* 1939 – In an 18th Century Drawing Room
* 1939 – Little Sir Echo
* 1939 – Penny Serenade
* 1939 – South American Way
"South American Way" is a 1939 song with music by Jimmy McHugh and lyrics by Al Dubin. Carmen Miranda introduced the song in the 1939 Broadway musical '' The Streets of Paris''. Miranda performed it on-screen a year later in her breakout role for U ...
* 1939 – South of the Border
* 1939 – The Umbrella Man
The following singles made the "Top Ten" of the ''Billboard'' Singles Charts, 1940–1952.
* 1940 – Confucius Say
* 1940 – When You Wish Upon A Star
* 1941 – The Band Played On
"The Band Played On", also known (by its refrain) as "Casey Would Waltz with a Strawberry Blonde", is a popular music, popular song. It was written in 1895 in music, 1895 with lyrics by John F. Palmer and music by Charles B. Ward (1865–1917).
...
* 1942 – Johnny Doughboy Found a Rose in Ireland
* 1944 – Speak Low
"Speak Low" (1943) is a popular song composed by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Ogden Nash.
Background
It was introduced by Mary Martin and Kenny Baker in the Broadway musical ''One Touch of Venus'' (1943). The 1944 hit single was by Guy Lombardo and ...
* 1944 – It's Love-Love-Love
* 1944 – Together
''ToGetHer'' (, aka Superstar Express) is a 2009 Taiwanese drama starring Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit, Rainie Yang and George Hu. It was produced by Comic International Productions ( 可米國際影視事業股份有限公司) and directed by Linzi P ...
* 1945 – Always
Always may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Always'', a 1985 film directed by Henry Jaglom
* ''Always'' (1989 film), a 1989 romantic comedy-drama directed by Steven Spielberg
* ''Always'' (2011 film), a 2011 South Korean film, also known as '' ...
* 1945 – A Little on the Lonely Side
* 1945 – Bell Bottom Trousers
* 1945 – June Is Bustin' Out All Over
* 1945 – No Can Do
* 1946 – Seems Like Old Times
* 1946 – Symphony
* 1946 – Money Is the Root of All Evil
* 1946 – Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy
* 1946 – The Gypsy
* 1946 – Christmas Island
* 1947 – Managua-Nicaragua
* 1947 – Anniversary Song
* 1947 – April Showers
* 1947 – I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder
* 1948 – I'm My Own Grandpaw
* 1949 – Red Roses for a Blue Lady
"Red Roses for a Blue Lady" is a 1948 popular song by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett (alias Roy Brodsky). It has been recorded by a number of performers. Actor-singer John Laurenz (1909–1958) was the first to record the song for Mercury Records ...
* 1950 – Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)
* 1950 – The Third Man Theme
"The Third Man Theme" (also written "3rd Man Theme" and known as "The Harry Lime Theme") is an instrumental written and performed by Anton Karas for the soundtrack to the 1949 film ''The Third Man''.
Background
''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British ...
* 1950 – Dearie
"Dearie" is a popular song. The music was written by David Mann, and the lyrics, by Bob Hilliard. The song was published in 1950.
The song is about reminiscences, and often sung as a duet. When done as a duet, each one of the singers asks the ...
* 1950 – All My Love (Bolero)
"All My Love" is a 1950 popular song. The subtitle, in brackets, is Bolero. The music was written by Paul Durand. French lyrics under the title "Bolero" were written by Henri Contet, the English lyrics by Mitchell Parish.
Patti Page recording
I ...
* 1950 – Harbor Lights
* 1950 – The Tennessee Waltz
"Tennessee Waltz" is a popular country music song with lyrics by Redd Stewart and music by Pee Wee King written in 1946 and first released in January 1948. The song became a multimillion seller via a 1950 recording – as "The Tennessee Waltz" ...
* 1952 – Blue Tango
"Blue Tango" is an instrumental composition by Leroy Anderson, written for orchestra in 1951 and published in 1952. It was later turned into a popular song with lyrics by Mitchell Parish. Numerous artists have since covered "Blue Tango".
Song his ...
Albums discography
Decca:
* Decca DL 9014 Guy Lombardo Presents ''Arabian Nights'' (1954)
* Decca DL 8070 A Night At The Roosevelt With Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (1954)
* Decca DL 8097 Lombardoland USA (1955)
* Decca DL 8119 Guy Lombardo & His Twin Pianos (1955)
* Decca DL 8135 Soft and Sweet (1955)
* Decca DL 8136 Enjoy Yourself (1955)
* Decca DL 8205 Waltztime (1956)
* Decca DL 8208 The Band Played On (1956)
* Decca DL 8249 Lombardoland Volume 1 (1956)
* Decca DL 8251 Twin Piano Magic (1956)
* Decca DL 8254 Everybody Dance to the Music (1956)
* Decca DL 8255 Oh, How We Danced... (1956)
* Decca DL 8256 Waltzland (1956)
* Decca DL 8333 Silver Jubilee (1956)
* Decca DL 8354 Jingle Bells (1956)
* Decca DXM 154 The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven Vols. 1–4 (1957)
* Decca DL 8843 Instrumentally Yours (1959)
* Decca DL 8894 Sidewalks of New York (1959)
* Decca DL 8895 Movieland Melodies (1959)
* Decca DL 8898 Show Tunes (1959)
* Decca DL 8962 Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven, A Musical Autobiography 1926–1932 (1960)
* Decca DL 4123 The Sweetest Pianos This Side of Heaven (1960)
* Decca DL 4149 Far Away Places (1962)
* Decca DL 4117 New Year's Eve with Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (1962)
* Decca DL 4180 Dance to the Songs Everybody Knows (1962)
* Decca DL 4229 The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven 1932–1939 (1962)
* Decca DL 4268 The Best Songs Are the Old Songs (1962)
* Decca DL 4280 By Special Request ''By Special Request'' is a studio album by Guy Lombardo, released in 1962 in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in No ...
(1962)
* Decca DL 4288 Dancing Piano (1962)
* Decca DL 4328 The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven 1941–1948 (1963)
* Decca DL 4329 The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven 1949–1954 (1963)
* Decca DL 4371 Play A Happy Song (1963)
* Decca DL 4380 Golden Minstrel Songs for Dancing (1963)
* Decca DL 4430 Golden Folk Songs for Dancing (1963)
* Decca DL 4516 Italian Songs Everybody Knows (1964)
* Decca DXB 185 The Best of Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (1964)
* Decca DL 4567 Snuggled on Your Shoulder (1964)
* Decca DL 4593 Golden Medleys (1965)
* Decca DL 4735 Dance Medley Time (1966)
* Decca DL 4812 Guy Lombardo's Greatest Hits (1967)
Vocalion:
* VL 3605 Dance in the Moonlight (1958)
* VL 3833 Here's Guy Lombardo (1968)
Capitol:
* Capitol W 738 Guy Lombardo in Hi-Fi (1956)
* Capitol T 739 Your Guy Lombardo Medley Vol. 1 (1956)
* Capitol T 788 A Decade on Broadway 1946–1956 (1956)
* Capitol T 892 Lively Guy (1957)
* Capitol T 916 A Decade on Broadway 1935–1945 (1958)
* Capitol ST 1019 Berlin by Lombardo (1959)
* Capitol ST 1121 Dancing Room Only (1959)
* Capitol ST 1191 Lombardo Goes Latin (1959)
* Capitol ST 1244 Your Guy Lombardo Medley Vol. 2 (1960)
* Capitol ST 1306 The Sweetest Waltzes This Side of Heaven (1960)(reissued as SF522)
* Capitol ST 1393 Lombardo at Harrah's Club (1960)
* Capitol SKAO Sing The Songs of Christmas (1960)
* Capitol ST 1453 Bells Are Ringing (1960)
* Capitol ST 1461 The Best of Guy Lombardo (1961)
* Capitol ST 1593 Drifting and Dreaming (1961)
* Capitol ST 1598 Your Guy Lombardo Medley Vol. 3 (1961)
* Capitol ST 1648 Guy Lombardo & The Royal Canadians Go Dixie (1962)
* Capitol ST 1738 Waltzing with Guy Lombardo (1962)
* Capitol 1843 Lombardo with a Beat (1963)
* Capitol ST 1947 The Sweetest Medleys This Side of Heaven (1963)
* Capitol ST 2052 Lombardo Touch (1964)
* Capitol STDL The Lombardo Years (1964)
* Capitol T 2298 Guy Lombardo Presents Kenny Gardner (1965)
* Capitol T 2350 Guy Lombardo Plays Songs of Carmen Lombardo (1965)
* Capitol ST 2481 A Wonderful Year (1966)
* Capitol ST 2559 Guy Lombardo's Broadway (1966)
* Capitol ST 2639 The Sweetest Sounds Today (1967)
* Capitol ST 2777 Lombardo Country (1967)
* Capitol ST 2825 Medleys On Parade (1967)
* Capitol ST 2889 They're Playing Our Songs (1968)
* Capitol SKAO 2940 The Best of Guy Lombardo Vol. 2 (1968)
* Capitol ST 128 The New Songs The New Sounds
* Capitol SM 340 Recorded Live at The Tropicana
London Records
London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
:
* London XPS904 Every Night Is New Year's Eve with Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians at The Waldorf Astoria (1973)
Pickwick (Capitol) Budget Compilations / Reissues:
* SPC 1011 – Deck the Halls
* SPC 3073 – Sweet and Heavenly
* SPC 3140 – Taking a Chance On Love
* SPC 3193 – Enjoy Yourself
* SPC 3257 – Red Roses for a Blue Lady
* SPC 3312 – The Impossible Dream
* SPC 3358 – Alley Cat
* ACL 7057 – Guy Lombardo Plays (1977 reissue of RCA Camden CAL255, 1965)
See also
* Carmen Lombardo
Carmen Lombardo (July 16, 1903 – April 17, 1971) was lead saxophonist and featured vocalist for his brother Guy Lombardo's orchestra. He was also a successful composer. In 1927, Carmen Lombardo was the vocalist of the hit record Charmaine, perf ...
* Lebert Lombardo
Lebert Lombardo (February 11, 1905 – June 16, 1993) was a musician with the Royal Canadians and a younger brother of Guy Lombardo.
Biography
Lombardo was born in London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canad ...
* Victor Lombardo
Victor Lombardo (April 10, 1911 – January 22, 1994) was a musician and member of his brother Guy Lombardo's band, the Royal Canadians.
Early life and career
Lombardo was born in London, Ontario, Canada. Gaetano and Angelina Lombardo had sev ...
* Music of Canada
The music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have shaped the country. Indigenous Peoples, the Irish, British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has also subsequently been ...
References
External links
Official website biography
Guy Lombardo 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:Lombardo, Guy
1902 births
1977 deaths
American people of Italian descent
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Canadian people of Italian descent
Musicians from London, Ontario
American jazz musicians
Big band bandleaders
Canadian jazz bandleaders
Canadian jazz violinists
Vaudeville performers
Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees
Canadian motorboat racers
20th-century Canadian violinists and fiddlers
Traditional pop musicians
Canadian male violinists and fiddlers