Vaughn Monroe

Vaughn Wilton Monroe (October 7, 1911 – May 21, 1973) was an American baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader who was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for recording and another for radio performance.

Early life

Monroe was born in Akron, Ohio. He graduated from Jeannette High School in Pennsylvania in 1929.

Career

Monroe formed his first orchestra in Boston in 1940 and became its principal vocalist. He began recording for RCA Victor's subsidiary label, Bluebird. That same year, Monroe built ''The Meadows'', a restaurant and nightclub to the west of Boston on Massachusetts Route 9 in Framingham, Massachusetts. After he ceased performing, he continued running the club until his death in 1973.

The summer of 1942 brought a 13-week engagement on radio, as Monroe and his orchestra had a summer replacement program for '' Blondie'' on CBS.

Monroe hosted the ''Camel Caravan'' radio program from The Meadows, starting in 1946 and, during this time, was featured in a Camel cigarettes commercial. In 1952, Monroe and his orchestra had a weekly program on Saturday nights on NBC radio. Those programs originated on location from wherever the band happened to be touring. Each program featured a focus on a college in the United States.

Monroe was often described as “tall and handsome,” a trait which reportedly boosted his career both in music and Hollywood. His appearance and distinctive baritone voice earned him the nicknames "the Baritone with Muscles", "the Voice with Hair on its Chest", and "Ol' Leather Tonsils".

Monroe recorded extensively for RCA Victor until 1956, and his signature tune was "Racing With the Moon" (1941). It sold more than one million copies by 1952, becoming Monroe's first million-seller, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. Among his other hits were " In the Still of the Night" (1939), " There I Go" (1941), " There I've Said It Again" (1945), " Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" (1946), " Ballerina" (1947), " Melody Time" (1948), " Riders in the Sky" (1949), " Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)" (1949), " Sound Off" (1951), and " In the Middle of the House" (1956). He also turned down the chance to record " Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".Wertz, Marjorie (February 9, 2007)
"Singer Vaughn Monroe's road to stardom went through Jeannette"
''Pittsburgh Tribune-Review'' via Vaughn Monroe Society.

Monroe's orchestra had a number of notable musicians, including Bucky Pizzarelli, who later became famous for his career in jazz guitar. While the orchestra’s focus was largely on romantic ballads, they would also play swung jazz tunes at the end of the night. These performances were not recorded as frequently as their standard music, though they were enjoyed by patrons.

Monroe had some success in acting, and over his career appeared in '' Meet the People'' (1944), ''Carnegie Hall'' (1947), '' Singing Guns'' (1950), and '' Toughest Man in Arizona'' (1952). However, acting was not his main focus, so he “did not pursue a movie and television career with vigor.” Another non-music endeavour in his career was the co-authoring of ''The Adventures of Mr. Putt Putt'' (1949), a children's book about airplanes.

He hosted ''The Vaughn Monroe Show'' on CBS Television (1950–51, 1954–55) and appeared on ''Bonanza'', ''The Mike Douglas Show'', ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', '' Texaco Star Theatre'', '' The Jackie Gleason Show'', ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', and ''American Bandstand''. Monroe was a major RCA stockholder and appeared in print ads and television commercials for the company's television and audio products.

After leaving the performing end of show business, Monroe remained with RCA for many years as a television spokesperson, executive, and talent scout. Though neither party confirmed or denied this, some have credited Monroe’s work as a talent scout for the discovery and fame of Neil Sedaka. He was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for recording at 1600 Vine Street and one for radio at 1755 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.

Personal life

Monroe married Marian Baughman on April 2, 1940, in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, where they had met as high school students. They did not date during high school, but became romantically inclined toward each other when their paths crossed again in New York City, years after graduation. They returned to Jeannette for their wedding. They had two children, Candace and Christina. They remained married until Vaughn's death in 1973.

An avid railroad enthusiast, Monroe collected and built HO scale model trains. On concert tours he had an elaborate and compact workshop that folded neatly into a valise. Inside were hundreds of intricate tools to build operating miniature locomotives, passenger and freight cars.Page, John (June 1986). ''Model Railroader''.

Death

Monroe died on May 21, 1973, at Martin County Memorial Hospital in Florida, shortly after having stomach surgery for a bleeding ulcer.

Monroe Orchestra personnel

* Moonmaids, a female vocal quartet (1946 to 1952)
* Frank L. Ryerson, arranger & trumpeter (1944)
* Ziggy Talent
* George Robinson, Trombone (1944–1945)
* Andrew (Andy) Bagni, Lead Saxophone (1939–1958)
* Bucky Pizzarelli, Guitar
* Joe Connie, Lead Trombone
* Johnny Watson, Arranger, Baritone Saxophone
* Wedo Marasco, Alto Saxophone
* Red Nichols, Jazz Trumpet
* Mike Shelby, Piano
* Maree Lee, Vocalist (Moonmaids)
* Tinker Cunningham, Vocalist (Moonmaids)
* Babe Feldman, Tenor Saxophone
* Jack Fay, String Bass
* Gerry Bruno, String Bass
* Mary Jo Grogan, (Moonmaids)
* Art Dedrick, Trombone, Arranger
* Ray Conniff, Trombone
* Eddie Julian, Drums
* Benny West, Trumpet
* June Hiett, Moonmaids
* Arnold Ross, Piano
* Don Costa, Arranger
* Marilyn Duke, vocalist
* Betty Norton, Moonmaids
* Arlene Truax, Moonmaids
* Katie Myatt, Moonmaids
* Jerry Bruno, bassist
* Dino DiGiano, Trumpet (1941-1945)
* Bobby Rickey, Drums

Singles

References

External links

Vaughn Monroe Big Band Era Singer


(as listed on the Vaughn Monroe Appreciation Society website)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monroe, Vaughn
1911 births
1973 deaths
20th-century American singers
20th-century American male singers
20th-century American trumpeters
American jazz bandleaders
American crooners
American male trumpeters
American big band bandleaders
Bluebird Records artists
Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni
Dot Records artists
Jubilee Records artists
Musicians from Akron, Ohio
Singers from Pittsburgh
New England Conservatory alumni
People from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
RCA Victor artists
Traditional pop music singers