Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombone playing. His theme song was "

I'm Getting Sentimental Over You "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" is a song recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. The words were written by Ned Washington and the music was written by George Bassman. It was first performed in 1932. The original copyright is dated 1933 a ...

". His technical skill on the trombone gave him renown among other musicians. He was the younger brother of bandleader

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards "I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary People ...

. After Dorsey broke with his brother in the mid-1930s, he led an extremely successful band from the late 1930s into the 1950s. He is best remembered for standards such as " Opus One", " Song of India", "Marie", "On Treasure Island", and his biggest hit single, "

I'll Never Smile Again "I'll Never Smile Again" is a 1939 song written by Ruth Lowe. It has been recorded by many other artists since, becoming a standard. The most successful and best-known million selling single version of the song was recorded by Tommy Dorsey and ...

Early life

Born in Mahanoy Plane, Pennsylvania, Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. was the second of four children born to Thomas Francis Dorsey Sr., a bandleader, and Theresa (née Langton) Dorsey. He and Jimmy, his older brother by slightly less than two years, became known as the Dorsey Brothers. The two younger siblings were Mary and Edward, who died young. Tommy Dorsey studied the trumpet with his father but later switched to trombone. At age 15, Jimmy recommended Tommy to replace Russ Morgan in the Scranton Sirens, a

territory band Territory bands were dance bands that crisscrossed specific regions of the United States from the 1920s through the 1960s. Beginning in the 1920s, the bands typically had 8 to 12 musicians. These bands typically played one-nighters, six or seven n ...

in the 1920s. Tommy and Jimmy worked in bands led by

Tal Henry Tal Henry (July 10, 1898 – August 17, 1967) was an American orchestra director in the swing and big band eras. Early life Henry was born Talmadge Allen Henry in Maysville, Georgia.U.S. Census, June 1, 1900, State of Georgia, County of Jackson, ...

Rudy Vallee Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

Vincent Lopez Vincent Lopez (December 30, 1895 – September 20, 1975) was an American bandleader, actor, and pianist. Early life and career Vincent Lopez was born of Portuguese immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, Distinguished Am ...

, and

Nathaniel Shilkret Nathaniel Shilkret (December 25, 1889 – February 18, 1982) was an American musician, composer, conductor and musical director. Early career Shilkret (originally named Natan Schüldkraut) was born in New York City, United States, to parents ...

. In 1923, Dorsey followed Jimmy to Detroit to play in

Jean Goldkette John Jean Goldkette (March 18, 1893 – March 24, 1962) was a jazz pianist and bandleader. Life Goldkette was reportedly born on March 18, 1893 in Valenciennes, France,Russel B. Nye (1976). Music in the Twenties: The Jean Goldkette Orchestra ...

's band and returned to New York in 1925 to play with

the California Ramblers The California Ramblers were an American jazz group that recorded hundreds of songs for many different record labels throughout the 1920s. Four members of the band – Red Nichols, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, and Adrian Rollini – went on ...

. In 1927, he joined

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, ...

. In 1929, the Dorsey Brothers had their first hit with "Coquette" for

OKeh Records Okeh Records () is an American record label founded by the Otto Heinemann Phonograph Corporation, a phonograph supplier established in 1916, which branched out into phonograph records in 1918. The name was spelled "OkeH" from the initials of Ott ...

. In 1934, the Dorsey Brothers band signed with

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 ...

, having a hit with "I Believe in Miracles".

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...

was a member of the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in 1934 and 1935, composing "

Annie's Cousin Fanny Annie's Cousin Fannie, which is sometimes listed as "Annie's Cousin Fanny", is a 1934 song composed by Glenn Miller and recorded by The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for Brunswick and Decca Records. The Dorsey Brothers released two versions of the so ...

", " Tomorrow's Another Day", "

Harlem Chapel Chimes "Harlem Chapel Chimes" is a 1935 jazz instrumental composed by Glenn Miller. The song was released as an A-side 78 single by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Background The song was recorded by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra on February 6, 1935, in ...

", and "

Dese Dem Dose Dese Dem Dose is a 1935 instrumental composed by Glenn Miller and recorded by The Dorsey Brothers orchestra. ''Dese Dem Dose'' was recorded in New York on February 6, 1935, and was released as a 78 by The Dorsey Brothers on Decca paired with "Wear ...

", all recorded for Decca, for the band. Acrimony between the brothers led to Tommy Dorsey walking out to form his own band in 1935 as the orchestra was having a hit with "Every Little Moment". Dorsey's orchestra was known primarily for its renderings of ballads at dance tempos, frequently with singers such as Jack Leonard and

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 ...

His own band

In 2009,

Buddy De Franco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and ...

recalled recording "Opus One" with Dorsey in the 1940s, commenting on Dorsey's desire to be precise and exact. Expanding on De Franco's opinions about Dorsey, writer Peter Levinson said, "He wanted things to be done his way." The band was popular almost from the moment it signed with RCA Victor for "On Treasure Island", the first of four hits in 1935. After his 1935 recording, however, Dorsey's manager dropped the "hot jazz" that Dorsey had mixed with his own lyrical style, and instead had Dorsey play pop and vocal tunes. Dorsey kept his Clambake Seven as a Dixieland group that played during performances. Dorsey became the co-host of ''The Raleigh-Kool Program'' on the radio with comedian Jack Pearl, then become the host. By 1939, Dorsey was aware of criticism that his band lacked a jazz feeling. He hired arranger

Sy Oliver Melvin James "Sy" Oliver (December 17, 1910 – May 28, 1988) was an American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader. Life Sy Oliver was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. His mother was a piano teacher, and his ...

away from the

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, Mis ...

band. Sy Oliver's arrangements include "

On the Sunny Side of the Street "On the Sunny Side of the Street" is a 1930 song composed by Jimmy McHugh with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Some authors say that Fats Waller was the composer, but he sold the rights to the song. It was introduced in the Broadway musical ''Lew Leslie ...

" and "T.D.'s Boogie Woogie"; Oliver also composed two of the new band's signature instrumentals, "Well, Git It" and " Opus One". In 1940, Dorsey hired singer

from bandleader

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

. Sinatra made eighty recordings from 1940 to 1942 with the Dorsey band. Two of those eighty songs are "

In the Blue of Evening "In the Blue of Evening" is a song by Al D'Artega and Tom Adair recorded by Frank Sinatra with the Tommy Dorsey Band and released in 1943. It was subsequently re-recorded by Sinatra, but did not feature on a release until a 1993 reissue of the albu ...

" and "

This Love of Mine "This Love of Mine" is a popular American song that was first recorded in 1941 by Tommy Dorsey and His orchestra, with a vocal by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra wrote the words and Sol Parker and Hank Sanicola wrote the music. Background The Tommy Dorse ...

". Sinatra achieved his first great success as a vocalist in the Dorsey band and claimed he learned breath control from watching Dorsey play trombone. Sy Oliver and Sinatra did a posthumous tribute album to Dorsey on Sinatra's Reprise records. ''

I Remember Tommy ''I Remember Tommy...'' is an album by Frank Sinatra, released in 1961. It was recorded as a tribute to bandleader Tommy Dorsey, and consists of re-recorded versions of songs that Sinatra had first performed or recorded with Dorsey earlier in h ...

'' appeared in 1961. In turn, Dorsey said his trombone style was heavily influenced by

Jack Teagarden Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 19 ...

. Among Dorsey's staff of arrangers was

Axel Stordahl Axel Stordahl (August 8, 1913 – August 30, 1963) was an American arranger who was active from the late 1930s through the 1950s. He is perhaps best known for his work with Frank Sinatra in the 1940s at Columbia Records. With his sophisticat ...

who arranged for Sinatra in his Columbia and

Capitol A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity. Specific capitols include: * United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. * Numerous ...

years. Another member of the Dorsey band was trombonist

Nelson Riddle Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Records ...

, who later had a partnership as one of Sinatra's arrangers and conductors in the 1950s and afterwards. Another noted Dorsey arranger, who, in the 1950s, married and was professionally associated with Dorsey veteran

Jo Stafford Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop music singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classi ...

, was

Paul Weston Paul Weston (born Paul Wetstein; March 12, 1912 – September 20, 1996) was an American pianist, arranger, composer, and conductor who worked in music and television from the 1930s to the 1970s, pioneering mood music and becoming known as "the F ...

Bill Finegan William James Finegan (April 3, 1917 – June 4, 2008) was an American jazz bandleader, pianist, arranger, and composer. He was an arranger in the Glenn Miller Orchestra in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Life and career Born in Newark, New Jer ...

, an arranger who left Glenn Miller's civilian band, arranged for the Tommy Dorsey band from 1942 to 1950. The band featured a number of instrumentalists, singers, and arrangers in the 1930s and '40s, including trumpeters

Zeke Zarchy Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy (June 12, 1915 – April 11, 2009) was an American lead trumpet player of the big band and swing eras. Early life Zarchy was born in New York City on June 12, 1915. He first learned the violin, "but after a stint as bugler wit ...

Bunny Berigan Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era. His career and influence were shortened by alcoholism, and ended with his early demise at the ...

Ziggy Elman Harry Aaron Finkelman (May 26, 1914 – June 26, 1968), known professionally as Ziggy Elman, was an American jazz trumpeter associated with Benny Goodman, though he also led his group Ziggy Elman and His Orchestra. Early years Elman was born i ...

Doc Severinsen Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) a ...

, and

Charlie Shavers Charles James Shavers (August 3, 1920 – July 8, 1971) was an American jazz trumpeter who played with Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmie Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams, Tommy Dorsey, and Billie Holiday. He ...

, pianists

Milt Raskin Milt Raskin (January 27, 1916 – October 16, 1977) was an American swing jazz pianist. Born in Boston, Mass., Raskin played saxophone as a child before switching to piano at age 11. In the 1930s he attended the New England Conservatory of Mu ...

Jess Stacy Jesse Alexandria Stacy (August 11, 1904 – January 1, 1995) was an American jazz pianist who gained prominence during the swing era. He is perhaps best known for his years with the Benny Goodman band during the late 1930s, particularly his ...

, clarinetists

Buddy DeFranco Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco (February 17, 1923 – December 24, 2014) was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist. In addition to his work as a bandleader, DeFranco led the Glenn Miller Orchestra for almost a decade in the 1960s and ...

Johnny Mince Johnny Mince (born John Henry Muenzenberger) (July 8, 1912 – December 23, 1994) was an American swing jazz clarinetist. Career Mince played with Joe Haymes from 1929 to 1934, and recorded with Red Norvo and Glenn Miller in 1935. He then worked ...

,Harvey Pekar and

Peanuts Hucko Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko (April 7, 1918 – June 19, 2003) was an American big band musician. His primary instrument was the clarinet, but he sometimes played saxophone. Early life and education He was born in Syracuse, New York, United St ...

. Others who played with Dorsey were drummers

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York ...

Louie Bellson Louie Bellson (born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni, July 6, 1924 – February 14, 2009), often seen in sources as Louis Bellson, although he himself preferred the spelling Louie, was an American jazz drummer. He was a composer, ...

Dave Tough Dave Tough (April 26, 1907 – December 9, 1948) was an American jazz drummer associated with Dixieland and swing jazz in the 1930s and 1940s. Biography Born in Oak Park, Illinois, United States, Tough was a friend of Bud Freeman, who was p ...

saxophonist Tommy Reed, and singers Sinatra,

Ken Curtis Ken Curtis (born Curtis Wain Gates; July 2, 1916 – April 28, 1991) was an American singer and actor best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the CBS western television series ''Gunsmoke''. Although he appeared on ''Gunsmoke'' earlie ...

, Jack Leonard,

Edythe Wright Edythe Wright (August 16, 1916 – October 27, 1965) was an American singer who performed from 1935 to 1939 with the band led by Tommy Dorsey. Early life Wright grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey. Early career Wright debuted on radio in Mar ...

with

the Pied Pipers The Pied Pipers is an American popular singing group originally formed in the late 1930s. They had several chart hits through the 1940s, both under their own name and in association with Tommy Dorsey and with Frank Sinatra. Origins Originally ...

Dick Haymes Richard Benjamin Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was an Argentinian singer and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, television host ...

, and

Connie Haines Connie Haines (born Yvonne Marie Antoinette Jasme; January 20, 1921 – September 22, 2008) was an American singer and actress. Her 200 recordings were frequently up-tempo big band songs with the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey orchestras, and Fra ...

. In 1944, Dorsey hired the Sentimentalists, name with which he renamed the already known vocal band The Clark Sisters asking them not to reveal their identity. They replaced the Pied Pipers. Dorsey also performed with singer

Connee Boswell Constance Foore "Connie" Boswell (December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976) was an American vocalist born in Kansas City but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With sisters Martha and Helvetia "Vet", she performed in the 1920s and 1930s as the trio ...

He hired ex-bandleader and drummer

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, S ...

after Krupa's arrest for marijuana possession in 1943. In 1942,

Artie Shaw Artie Shaw (born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky; May 23, 1910 – December 30, 2004) was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, actor and author of both fiction and non-fiction. Widely regarded as "one of jazz's finest clarinetists", Shaw led ...

broke up his band, and Dorsey hired the Shaw string section. As George T. Simon in ''

Metronome A metronome, from ancient Greek μέτρον (''métron'', "measure") and νομός (nomós, "custom", "melody") is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a regular interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats pe ...

'' magazine observed at the time: "They're used in the foreground and background (note some of the lovely obbligatos) for vocal effects and for Tommy's trombone." Dorsey made further business decisions in the music industry. He loaned money to

enabling him to launch his band of 1938, but Dorsey saw the loan as an investment, entitling him to a percentage of Miller's income. When Miller balked at this, the angry Dorsey got even by sponsoring a new band led by

Bob Chester Bob Chester (March 20, 1908 – October 29, 1966) was an American jazz and pop music bandleader and tenor saxophonist. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Chester's stepfather ran General Motors's Fisher Body Works. He began his ...

, and hiring arrangers who deliberately copied Miller's style and sound. Dorsey branched out in the mid-1940s and owned two music publishing companies, Sun and Embassy.Dorsey, Thomas Francis Jr. After opening at the Los Angeles ballroom, the

Hollywood Palladium The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an dance floor including a mezzanine and a floor level with room for up to 4,000 ...

on the Palladium's first night, Dorsey's relations with the ballroom soured and he opened a competing ballroom, the Casino Gardens circa 1944. Dorsey also owned for a short time a trade magazine called ''The Bandstand''. Tommy Dorsey disbanded his own orchestra at the end of 1946. Dorsey might have broken up his own band permanently following

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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, as many big bands did due to the shift in music economics following the war, but Tommy Dorsey's album for

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

, "All Time Hits" placed in the top ten records in February 1947. In addition, "

How Are Things in Glocca Morra? "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" is a popular song about a fictional village in Ireland, with themes of nostalgia and homesickness. It was introduced by Ella Logan in the original 1947 Broadway production of '' Finian's Rainbow''. Production T ...

", a single recorded by Dorsey, became a top-ten hit in March 1947. As a result, Dorsey was able to re-organize a big band in early 1947. The Dorsey brothers were also reconciling. The biographical film ''

The Fabulous Dorseys ''The Fabulous Dorseys'' is a 1947 musical biography, biopic which tells the story of the brothers Tommy Dorsey, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, from their boyhood in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania through their rise, their breakup, and their personal reunion ...

'' (1947) describes sketchy details of how the brothers got their start from-the-bottom-up into the jazz era of one-nighters, the early days of radio in its infancy stages, and the onward march when both brothers ended up with Paul Whiteman before 1935 when The Dorsey Brothers' Orchestra split into two. In the early 1950s, Tommy Dorsey moved from RCA Victor back to Decca."Tommy Dorsey" Billboard He was promised $2,000 if he switched to their label. However, he was reported to have collected $2,500 instead. Jimmy Dorsey broke up his big band in 1953. Tommy invited him to join as a feature attraction. In 1953, the Dorseys focused their attention on television. On December 26, 1953, the brothers appeared with their orchestra on

Jackie Gleason John Herbert Gleason (February 26, 1916June 24, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, writer, composer, and conductor known affectionately as "The Great One." Developing a style and characters from growing up in Brooklyn, New York, he was know ...

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

television show, which was preserved on

kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film, directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940 ...

and later released on home video by Gleason. The brothers took the unit on tour and onto their own television show, ''

Stage Show A theatrical production is any work of theatre, such as a staged play, musical, comedy or drama produced from a written book or script. Theatrical productions also extend to other performance designations such as Dramatic and Nondramatic theatre, a ...

'', from 1954 to 1956. In January 1956, The Dorseys made rock music history introducing

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

on his national television debut. Presley, then a regional country singer, made six guest appearances on ''Stage Show'' promoting his first releases for RCA Victor several months before his more familiar visits to the

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 ...

Steve Allen Stephen Valentine Patrick William Allen (December 26, 1921 – October 30, 2000) was an American television personality, radio personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer. In 1954, he achieved national fame as the co-cre ...

, and

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New York ...

variety programs.

Personal life

Dorsey was married three times. His first wife was 16-year-old Mildred "Toots" Kraft, with whom he eloped in 1922, when he was 17. The couple had two children, Patricia and Thomas F. Dorsey III (nicknamed "Skipper"). In 1935, they moved to "Tall Oaks", a estate in

Bernardsville, New Jersey Bernardsville () is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough is nestled in the heart of the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 7,707,

. They divorced in 1943 after Dorsey's affair with his former singer

. Dorsey's second wife was film actress

Patricia Dane Patricia Dane (born Thelma Patricia Pippins, August 4, 1917 – June 5, 1995) was an American film actress of the 1940s. Early life Dane was born Thelma Patricia Pippins to William Pippins and Emma F. Montford. Sources differ as to her bi ...

in 1943, and they were divorced in 1947, but not before he gained headlines for striking actor Jon Hall when Hall embraced her. Finally, Dorsey married Jane Carl New on March 27, 1948, in Atlanta, Georgia. She had been a dancer at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City. Tommy and Jane Dorsey had two children, Catherine Susan and Steve.

Death and aftermath

Dorsey died on November 26, 1956, at his home in

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich (, ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the town had a total population of 63,518. The largest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Conne ...

, a week after his 51st birthday. He had begun taking sleeping pills regularly at this time, causing him to become heavily sedated; he choked to death in his sleep after having eaten a large meal. Jimmy Dorsey led his brother's band until his own death from

throat cancer Head and neck cancer develops from tissues in the lip and oral cavity (mouth), larynx (throat), salivary glands, nose, sinuses or the skin of the face. The most common types of head and neck cancers occur in the lip, mouth, and larynx. Symptoms ...

the following year. At that point, trombonist

Warren Covington Warren Covington (August 7, 1921 – August 24, 1999) was an American big band trombonist. He was active as a session musician, arranger, and bandleader throughout his career. Biography Covington, who was born in Philadelphia, played early on ...

became leader of the band with Jane Dorsey's blessing as she owned the rights to her late husband's band and name. Billed as the "Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Starring Warren Covington", they reached #7 on the Billboard charts and earned a gold record in fall of 1958 with the hit single "Tea for Two Cha-Cha". The band was also fronted by Urbie Green after Dorsey’s death in 1956. After Covington led the band, tenor saxophonist

Sam Donahue Samuel Koontz Donahue (March 18, 1918 – March 22, 1974) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, and musical arranger. He performed with Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Billy May, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. Biography Donahue ...

led it from 1961, continuing until 1966.

Frank Sinatra Jr. Francis Wayne Sinatra Group note. (; January 10, 1944 – March 16, 2016), professionally known as Frank Sinatra Jr., was an American singer, songwriter, and conductor. He was the son of singer and actor Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy ...

made his professional singing debut with the band at Dallas Memorial Theater in Texas in 1963. Later, trombonist and bandleader

Buddy Morrow Buddy Morrow (born Muni Zudekoff, aka Moe Zudekoff; February 8, 1919 – September 27, 2010) was an American trombonist and bandleader. Career On a scholarship at age 16, Morrow studied trombone with Ernest Horatio Clarke (1865–1947) at Juill ...

led the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra from 1977 until his death on September 27, 2010. Jane Dorsey died of natural causes at the age of 79, in Miami, Florida, in 2003. Tommy and Jane Dorsey are interred together in

Kensico Cemetery Kensico Cemetery, located in Valhalla, Westchester County, New York was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the railroads that served the city. Initially , it was ...

in Valhalla, New York. 1 Dorsey best 800

Number-one hits

Tommy Dorsey had a run of 286 ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' chart hits. The Dorsey band had seventeen number-one hits with his orchestra in the 1930s and 1940s including: "On Treasure Island", "The Music Goes 'Round and Around", "You", "Marie" (written by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russi ...

), "Satan Takes a Holiday", "The Big Apple", "Once in a While", "The Dipsy Doodle", "Our Love", "All the Things You Are", "Indian Summer", and "Dolores". He had two more number one hits in 1935 when he was a member of the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra: "Lullaby of Broadway" (written by

Harry Warren Harry Warren (born Salvatore Antonio Guaragna; December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981) was an American composer and the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ...

), number one for two weeks, and "Chasing Shadows", number one for three weeks. His biggest hit was "I'll Never Smile Again", featuring Frank Sinatra on vocals, which was number one for twelve weeks on the Billboard pop singles chart in 1940. "RCA Victor ... scored with 'There Are Such Things', which had a Sinatra vocal; it hit number one in January 1943, as did 'In the Blue of the Evening', another Dorsey record featuring Sinatra, in August, while a third Dorsey/Sinatra release, 'It's Always You,' hit the Top Five later in the year, and a fourth, 'I'll Be Seeing You', reached the Top Ten in 1944." It should be added that these 1943 and 1944 Sinatra hits were older recordings reissued because the

1942–44 musicians' strike Year 194 ( CXCIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Septimius and Septimius (or, less frequently, year 947 ''Ab urbe co ...

prevented Sinatra, now a popular singer, from recording new material. The website "Tommy Dorsey A Songwriter's Friend" says, "the orchestra had over 200 top twenty recordings including the No. 1 hits 'The Music Goes Round and Round' (1935), 'Alone' (1936) 'You' (1936), '

Marie Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...

' (1937), 'Satan Takes a Holiday' (1937), 'The Big Apple' (1937), 'Once in a While' (1937), 'The Dipsy Doodle' (1937), 'Music, Maestro, Please' (1938), 'Our Love' (1939), 'Indian Summer' (1939), 'All the Things You Are' (1939), 'I'll Never Smile Again' (1940), 'Dolores' (1941), 'There are Such Things' (1942), and 'In the Blue of the Evening' (1943)."

Songs written by Tommy Dorsey

* 1929: "You Can't Cheat a Cheater" with Phil Napoleon and Frank SignorelliTommy Dorsey
at Red Hot Jazz * 1932: "Three Moods"; NB. Dorsey recorded two takes of this song for OKeh Records, on August 6, 1932, in New York City. * 1937: " The Morning After" * 1938: "Chris and His Gang" with Fletcher and Horace Henderson * 1938: Tommy Dorsey wrote the song "Peckin' With Penguins" for a 1938

Frank Tashlin Frank Tashlin (born Francis Fredrick von Taschlein, February 19, 1913 – May 5, 1972), also known as Tish Tash and Frank Tash, was an American animator, cartoonist, children's writer, illustrator, screenwriter, and film director. He was best kn ...

-directed

Porky Pig Porky Pig is an animated character in the Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. He was the first character created by the studio to draw audiences based on his celebrity, star power, and the animators created ma ...

cartoon, "Porky's Spring Planting" for the studio

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

* 1939: " To You" *1939: " This Is No Dream" *1939: "

You Taught Me to Love Again "You Taught Me to Love Again" is a 1939 song written and recorded by Tommy Dorsey and released as a 78 single. Tommy Dorsey composed the music with Henri Woode while Charles Carpenter wrote the lyrics. The song was published by Larry Spier Music, ...

" *1939: " In the Middle of a Dream" *1939: "Night in Sudan" *1939: "Dark Laughter" with

Juan Tizol Juan Tizol Martínez (22 January 1900 – 23 April 1984) was a Puerto Rican jazz trombonist and composer. He is best known as a member of Duke Ellington's big band, and as the writer of the jazz standards " Caravan", "Pyramid", and " Perdid ...

* 1945: "Fluid Jive" * 1946: "Nip and Tuck" * 1947: "Trombonology" ''Written with Fred Norman'' *"Bunch of Beats" *"Mid Riff" *"Candied Yams"

Awards and honors

In 1982, the 1940 Victor recording "

" was the first of a trio of Tommy Dorsey recordings to be inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

. His theme song, "

" was inducted in 1998, along with his recording of "Marie" written by

in 1928. In 1996, the U.S. Postal Service issued a Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey commemorative postage stamp. Tommy Dorsey was posthumously inducted into the

, which is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least 25 years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance".

Discography

* ''Up Swing'' (

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 ...

, 1944) * ''Tommy Dorsey Plays Tchaikovsky Melodies for Dancing'' (

, 1947) * ''Tommy Dorsey'' (RCA Victor, 1949) * ''Tommy Dorsey Plays Cole Porter for Dancing'' (RCA Victor, 1950) * ''Tommy Dorsey's Dixieland for Dancing'' (RCA Victor, 1950) * ''The Later Tommy Dorsey Volume 2'' (Ajaz, 1950) * ''Ecstasy'' (

, 1951) * ''Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey with the California Ramblers'' (

Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...

, 1955) * ''That Sentimental Gentleman'' (RCA Victor, 1957) * ''The Golden Age of the Dance Bands'' (Somerset, 1957) * ''The Dorsey Touch'' (Riviera, 1959) * ''Tribute to Tommy Dorsey'' (Broadway, 1959) * '' The One And Only Tommy Dorsey'' (

RCA Camden The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

, 1961) * ''

Tommy Dorsey's Dance Party Tommy Dorsey's Dance Party is a 1966 jazz album featuring Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known a ...

'' (Ace of Hearts, 1961) * ''Dedicated to You'' (RCA Camden, 1964) * ''A Man and His Trombone'' (

Colpix Colpix Records was the first recording company for Columbia Pictures–Screen Gems. Colpix got its name from combining Columbia (Col) and Pictures (Pix). CBS, which owned Columbia Records, then sued Columbia Pictures for trademark infringement o ...

, 1966) * ''Here are Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey at Their Rare of All Rarest Performance Vol. 1'' (Kings of Jazz, 1975) * ''Tommy Dorsey On Radio/Eddie Condon's Jazz Concert'' (Radiola, 1975) * '' Tommy Dorsey (1937 – 1941)'' (AMIGA, 1976) * ''One Night Stand'' (Sandy Hook, 1976) * ''Frank Sinatra & Tommy Dorsey'' (Durium, 1976) * '' The Dorsey/Sinatra Sessions'' (RCA, 1982) * ''The Tommy Dorsey/Frank Sinatra Radio Years and the Historic Stordahl Session'' (RCA, 1983) * ''The End of the Big Band Era!'' (Sandy Hook, 1983) * ''Ship Ahoy/Las Vegas Nights'' (Hollywood Soundstage, 1983) * ''A Tribute'' (Star Line Productions, 1987) * '' All-Time Greatest Dorsey/Sinatra Hits, Vol. 1-4'' (RCA, 1988) * ''Plays Sweet & Hot'' (Tax, 1989) * ''Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra/And His Clambake Seven'' (LaserLight, 1990) * ''Tea for Two'' (Jazz Collection, 1990) * '' Yes Indeed!'' ( Bluebird/RCA, 1990) * '' Music Goes Round and Round'' (Bluebird/RCA, 1991) * '' Stop, Look and Listen'' ( ASV/Living Era, 1994) * ''Kings of Trombone'' (Hallmark, 1995) * ''Dorsey-itis'' (Drive Archive, 1996) * ''Saturday Afternoon at the Meadowbrook 1940'' (Jazz Band, 2000) * '' This Is Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra, Vol. 1'' (

Collectables A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms t ...

, 2001) * ''The Early Jazz Sides 1932–1937'' (Jazz Legends, 2004) * '' It's D'Lovely 1947–1950'' ( Hep, 2004)

Filmography

* ''Segar Ellis and His Embassy Club Orchestra'' (1929) * ''Alice Bolden and Her Orchestra'' (1929) Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra appear in the following films for Paramount, MGM, Samuel Goldwyn, Allied Artists, and United Artists: * ''Las Vegas Nights'' (1941)"Tommy Dorsey" IMDb * ''

Ship Ahoy ''Ship Ahoy'' is a 1942 American musical-comedy film directed by Edward Buzzell and starring Eleanor Powell and Red Skelton. It was produced by MGM. Background ''Ship Ahoy'' was the first of two films in which Powell and Skelton co-starred. It ...

'' (1942) * ''

Presenting Lily Mars ''Presenting Lily Mars'' is a 1943 American musical comedy film directed by Norman Taurog, produced by Joe Pasternak, starring Judy Garland and Van Heflin, and based on the novel by Booth Tarkington. The film is often cited as Garland's first film ...

''(1943) * ''

Girl Crazy ''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Ethel Merman made her stage debut in the first production and co-lead Ginger Rogers became an overnight star. Rich in song, ...

'' (1943) * ''

Du Barry Was a Lady ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva.

'' (1943) * Broadway Rhythm (1944) * ''

Thrill of a Romance ''Thrill of a Romance'' (also known as ''Thrill of a New Romance'') is an American Technicolor romance film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1945, starring Van Johnson, Esther Williams and Carleton G. Young, with musical performances by Tommy D ...

'' (1945) * '' The Great Morgan'' (1946) * ''

'' (1947) * ''

A Song Is Born ''A Song Is Born'' (also known as ''That's Life''), starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, is a 1948 Technicolor musical film remake of Howard Hawks' 1941 movie ''Ball of Fire'' with Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. This version was also d ...

'' (1948) * ''

Disk Jockey A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...

'' (1951)

Notes

References

* Peter J. Levinson, ''Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way: a Biography'' (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2005) * Robert L. Stockdale, ''Tommy Dorsey: On the Side'' (Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1995)

External links

STEREO FILM RECORDINGS (1942–44):
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in High-Fidelity STEREO performing "Opus One"
audio only.
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in High-Fidelity STEREO on film performing "Well, Git It!"
from the 1943 MGM film

Du Barry was a Lady ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva.

featuring

on drums. ADDITIONAL LINKS
Tommy Dorsey 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 ...

.
Website showing details of tour organized by RCA Victor for the Tommy Dorsey and Shep Fields orchestras in 1941

* ttp://www.2-sir.com/BernardsHigh/1943.html Tommy Dorsey visits Bernards High School in 1943
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsey, Tommy 1905 births 1956 deaths People from Bernardsville, New Jersey Musicians from Greenwich, Connecticut Jazz musicians from Connecticut Jazz musicians from Pennsylvania 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American musicians 20th-century trombonists 20th-century trumpeters Accidental deaths in Connecticut Deaths from choking Drug-related deaths in Connecticut Burials at Kensico Cemetery American bandleaders American jazz bandleaders American jazz trombonists Big band bandleaders American male jazz musicians Male trombonists Bell Records artists Decca Records artists RCA Victor artists Swing bandleaders Swing trombonists Swing trumpeters Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players The Dorsey Brothers members Original Memphis Five members The California Ramblers members United States Army Band musicians Victor Recording Orchestra members Hep Records artists