Theodore Anthony Straeter (November 21, 1913 – April 2, 1963) was an American pianist, singer and bandleader.

Biography

Born in

St Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which ...

, Straeter was a

child prodigy A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to young people who are extraor ...

as a piano player and made his first tour at the age of 12, billed as "The 12-Year-Old Wonder". "Band Leader Ted Straeter, 49, Dies", ''Billboard'', 13 April 1963, p.10
/ref> He organized and toured with his own band the following year, 1927, and at the age of 14 had his own radio show. After two years formally studying music, he set up his own vocal studio, coaching singers including Benay Venuta, Carol Bruce, and Dorothy Kirsten. Biography by Bruce Eder, ''Allmusic.com''
Retrieved 20 February 2019 He moved to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

in 1935, and at Irving Berlin's suggestion worked in Tin Pan Alley before becoming the pianist in

Billy Rose Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with sh ...

's stage musical '' Jumbo''. The Rodgers and Hart song " The Most Beautiful Girl in the World", featured in the musical, became Straeter's theme song. Straeter also worked with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, and became the

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

and

musical director A music(al) director or director of music is the person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert band, the ...

for

Kate Smith Kathryn Elizabeth Smith (May 1, 1907 – June 17, 1986) was an American contralto. Referred to as The First Lady of Radio, Smith is well known for her renditions of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" & "When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain". ...

's radio shows. Praised by orchestral conductor

Walter Damrosch Walter Johannes Damrosch (January 30, 1862December 22, 1950) was a German-born American conductor and composer. He was the director of the New York Symphony Orchestra and conducted the world premiere performances of various works, including Ge ...

, Straeter became a leading performer at society dances in New York after the end of World War II. He had a long residency at the Persian Room in the

Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, a ...

, before moving to the Savoy Hilton. He also performed in clubs in New York, Florida and Los Angeles. He had a successful recording career as both a pianist and singer, with a "whispery" vocal style. His first hit record was "

Imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...

" (1940), featuring vocals by Dorothy Rochelle, and he had a second chart hit in 1952 with a re-recorded version of "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World". Leading his Society Dance Orchestra, he also recorded several albums in the 1950s and early 1960s, including ''Ted Straeter's New York'' ( Atlantic, 1955), ''Come Dance With Me'' (

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

, 1958), ''The Romantic Piano of Ted Straeter'' (

, 1958), ''Ted Straeter Sings to the Most Beautiful Girl in the World'' (Columbia, 1959), and ''Dance to the Music from Sail Away'' ( Capitol, 1962). Ted Straeter, ''SecondhandSongs.com''
Retrieved 20 February 2019 Straeter died suddenly, following an operation, in

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...

, aged 49.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Straeter, Ted 1913 births 1963 deaths American male pianists 20th-century American male musicians