Lester Raymond Brown (March 14, 1912 – January 4, 2001) was an American jazz musician who for over six decades (1938-2000) led his
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
, later called Les Brown and His Band of Renown.
Biography
Brown was born in
Reinerton, Pennsylvania
Reinerton is a census-designated place located in Porter Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Porter Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, Schuylkill County in the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Reinerton was part of the Reiner ...
. He enrolled in the Conway Military Band School (later part of
Ithaca College
Ithaca College is a private college in Ithaca (town), New York, Ithaca, New York. It was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a Music school, conservatory of music. Ithaca College is known for its media-related programs and entertainment program ...
) in 1926, studying with famous bandleader Patrick Conway for three years before receiving a music scholarship to the
New York Military Academy
New York Military Academy (NYMA) is a Private school, private, College-preparatory school, college preparatory, boarding school in Cornwall, New York, and one of the oldest List of United States military schools and academies, military schools i ...
, where he graduated in 1932. Brown attended college at
Duke University
Duke University is a Private university, private research university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity, North Carolina, Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1 ...
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 Les Brown Orchestra. The band's original drummer, Don Kramer, became the acting manager and helped define their future.
The band appeared regularly on the Spotlight Band radio programme, which broadcast to a military audience and made them permanent favorites of millions of men in uniform. Also on this show, the band was first referred to as "Les Brown & His Band of Renown" in 1942. The moniker stuck and became the official bandname from the 1950s onwards.
In 1941, Brown's band had a #1 hit, "Joltin' Joe DiMagio", with his lead vocalist Betty Bonney. 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 and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...
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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
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
"I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" is a popular song copyrighted in 1937 by its composer, Irving Berlin, and first recorded by (i) Ray Noble (January 5, 1937), Howard Barrie, vocalist; (ii) Red Norvo (January 8, 1937), Mildred Bailey, vocalist; (i ...
" (1949).
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 an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in vaudeville, network radio, television, and USO Tours. He appeared ...
on radio, stage and television for almost fifty years. They did 18
USO
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
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 (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
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, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...
. ''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, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...
Leap Frog
Leapfrog is a children's game of physical movement of the body in which players vault over each other's stooped backs.
History
Games of this sort have been called by this name since at least the late sixteenth century.''The Steve Allen Show'' (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. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
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. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
,
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, 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, phra ...
and
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
. 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, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...
in 2001, and was interred in the
Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary is a cemetery and Morgue, mortuary located in the Westwood, Los Angeles, Westwood area of Los Angeles. It includes a crematory for cremation services. Its location is at 1218 Glendon Av ...
in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. 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
Jeffrey Kent "Swampy" Marsh (; born December 9, 1960) is an American animator, voice actor, writer, director, and producer. With Dan Povenmire, Marsh is the co-creator and co-star of the Disney Channel animated series ''Phineas and Ferb'' and ...
, co-created the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
animated series ''
Phineas and Ferb
''Phineas and Ferb'' is an American animated series, animated Musical film, musical-television comedy, comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on t ...
'' and ''
Milo Murphy's Law
''Milo Murphy's Law'' is an American animated comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series premiered on October 3, 2016, on Disney XD. It revolves around the title charact ...
''.
Brown was inducted into the
North Carolina Music Hall of Fame
The North Carolina Music Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization and museum in Kannapolis, North Carolina that was created to honor musicians, composers and artists with ties to North Carolina that have made significant impact in the music indu ...
in 2010.
Les Brown Jr.
In 2001, Les Brown Jr. (1940–2023), became the full-time leader of the Band of Renown. It performed throughout the world and had 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, Missouri, Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County, Missouri, Stone County. Branson is in the Ozarks, Ozark Mountain ...
. Brown Jr. also hosted a national radio show on the
Music of Your Life
Music of Your Life is an American syndicated music radio format featuring adult standards music. First created by recording executive Al Ham in 1978, the format achieved popularity in the 1980s among AM radio stations in the United States and Ca ...
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 centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...
'', ''
General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...
'', ''
The Baileys of Balboa
''The Baileys of Balboa'' is an American Situation comedy, sitcom that appeared on CBS in the 1964–1965 season on Thursdays at 9:30pm ET. Many episodes were directed by Gary Nelson and Bob Sweeney. The series was broadcast from September 24, 19 ...
'', ''
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, best known as a founding member of the Rock music, rock band Santana (band), Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he r ...
, and a concert promoter for many
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...
artists including
Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential figures in country music, he was a central pioneer of the Bakersfield ...
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 "Hey Loretta", "The Pill (song), The P ...
. In 2004, Brown Jr. received the "Ambassador of Patriotism" award from the POW Network. Brown Jr. died from cancer at his home in Branson, Missouri, on January 9, 2023, at the age of 82.
Discography
* ''Les Brown & His Orchestra, Vol. 2'' (Hindsight, 1949)
*
Connee Boswell
Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell (December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976) was an American vocalist born in Kansas City, Missouri, but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With sisters Martha and Helvetia "Vet", she performed in the 1920s and 1930s ...
''I Don't Know'' (1950)
* Connee Boswell ''Martha'' (1950)
* ''Over the Rainbow'' (1951)
* ''Les Dance'' (1953) with
Lucy Ann Polk
Lucy Ann Polk (May 16, 1927 – October 10, 2011) was an American jazz singer who performed with Les Brown's orchestra in the 1950s.
She also sang and recorded with Bob Crosby, Kay Kyser, Tommy Dorsey, Jerry Fielding, and Dave Pell.
Early ye ...
, and The Rhythmaires
* ''Concert at the Palladium'' Vols. 1, 2 (1953; reissue as ''Palladium Concert 1953'': Group 7, 2005)
* ''Live at the Hollywood Palladium'' (1954)
* ''Le's Dream'' (Coral, 1954)
* ''The Cool Classics'' (Columbia, 1955)
* ''Dancer's Choice'' (Capitol, 1956)
* ''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
Victor Clarence Schoen (March 26, 1916 – January 5, 2000) was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer whose career spanned from the 1930s until his death in 2000. He furnished music for some of the most successful persons in show busin ...
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, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
&
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 a ...
(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 Dalto ...
'' (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
* ''The Christmas Songs'' (Mel Torme, host)(1972) PBS
* ''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''
Discography of American Historical Recordings
The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...