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A common joke was that if a fly landed on his written music, Harry James would play it. His low range had a warmth associated with the [[cornet]] and even the [[flugelhorn]], but this sound was underrecorded in favor of James' brilliant high register.
A common joke was that if a fly landed on his written music, Harry James would play it. His low range had a warmth associated with the [[cornet]] and even the [[flugelhorn]], but this sound was underrecorded in favor of James' brilliant high register.


With financial backing from Goodman,{{sfn|Gilliland|1994|loc=tape 2, side B}} in January 1939 James debuted his own [[big band]] in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, but it didn't click until 1941 when he added a string section.<ref>''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', July 18, 1942</ref> This big band became known as Harry James and His Music Makers.<ref name="jazz">[http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/james-harry-haag James, Harry (Haag) – Jazz.com | Jazz Music – Jazz Artists – Jazz News]. Jazz.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.</ref> His [[hit record|hit]] "[[You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)|You Made Me Love You]]" was in the [[Top 40|Top 10]] during the week of December 7, 1941.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harryjamesband.com |title=The Official Site of the Harry James Orchestra |publisher=Harryjamesband.com |date=2015-05-10 |accessdate=2015-08-27}}</ref> He was in two featured roles in two films, ''[[Private Buckaroo]]'' and ''[[Springtime in the Rockies]]''. He toured with the band into the 1980s. He started recording with the minor label Varsity in 1940.<ref name="parabrisas">[http://www.parabrisas.com/d_jamesh.php ]{{dead link|date=August 2015}}</ref> To this day the Harry James Orchestra still exists, now led by Fred Radke.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fredradke.com/fredradkebio.asp |title=The Life of Harry James |publisher=Fredradke.com |date= |accessdate=2015-08-27}}</ref>
With financial backing from Goodman,{{sfn|Gilliland|1994|loc=tape 2, side B}} in January 1939 James debuted his own [[big band]] in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania, but it didn't click until 1941 when he added a string section.<ref>''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', July 18, 1942</ref> This big band became known as Harry James and His Music Makers.<ref name="jazz">[http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/james-harry-haag James, Harry (Haag) – Jazz.com | Jazz Music – Jazz Artists – Jazz News]. Jazz.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.</ref> His [[hit record|hit]] "[[You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)|You Made Me Love You]]" was in the [[Top 40|Top 10]] during the week of December 7, 1941.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harryjamesband.com |title=The Official Site of the Harry James Orchestra |publisher=Harryjamesband.com |date=2015-05-10 |accessdate=2015-08-27}}</ref> He was in two featured roles in two films, ''[[Private Buckaroo]]'' and ''[[Springtime in the Rockies]]''. He toured with the band into the 1980s. He started recording with the minor label Varsity in 1940.<ref name="parabrisas">[http://www.parabrisas.com/d_jamesh.php ] {{wayback|url=http://www.parabrisas.com/d_jamesh.php |date=20121124043508 }}</ref> To this day the Harry James Orchestra still exists, now led by Fred Radke.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fredradke.com/fredradkebio.asp |title=The Life of Harry James |publisher=Fredradke.com |date= |accessdate=2015-08-27}}</ref>


==Bandleader==
==Bandleader==

Revision as of 03:56, 17 October 2015

For other people named Harry James, see Harry James (disambiguation).
Harry James
Background information
Birth nameHarry Haag James
Born(1916-03-15)March 15, 1916
Albany, Georgia, United States
DiedJuly 5, 1983(1983-07-05) (aged 67)
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
GenresBig band, swing music
Occupation(s)Musician, bandleader
Years active1933-1983
Spouse(s)Louise Tobin
(m.1935-1943; divorced; 2 children)
Betty Grable
(m.1943-1965; divorced; 2 children)
Joan Boyd
(m.1968-1970; divorced; 1 child)

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 re-organized his band and was active again with his band from then until his death in 1983. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone, and was extremely influential on up and coming trumpet players from the late 1930s into the 1940s. He was also an actor in a number of motion pictures that usually featured his bands in some way.

Early life

From left: Stan "Cuddles" Johnson, Fraser MacPherson, Bob Smith, Harry James, Al Johnson, Stew Barnett. (The Cave Supper Club, May 1970)
From left: Harry James, Lucille Ball, Betty Grable. (The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show, 1958)

Harry James was born in Albany, Georgia,[1] the son of Myrtle Maybelle (Stewart), an acrobat and horseback rider, and Everett Robert James, a bandleader in a traveling circus, the Haag Circus. According to the Bill Sterns Sports Newsreel broadcast on 9/12/1942, on which James appeared, he was saved from being trampled, at the age of 6, by his mother's horse after performing with the horse.[2] By the age of 10 he was taking trumpet lessons from his father, who placed him on a strict daily practice schedule. Each day, James was given one page to learn from the Arban's book and was not allowed to pursue any other pastime until he had learned that particular page.

Career

In 1931, his family settled in Beaumont, Texas. It was here, at 15 years of age, that James began playing in local dance bands. James played regularly with Herman Waldman's band, and at one performance was noticed by nationally popular Ben Pollack.[3] In 1935 he joined Pollack's band, but at the start of 1937 left to join Benny Goodman's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938. He was nicknamed "The Hawk" early in his career for his ability to sight-read. A common joke was that if a fly landed on his written music, Harry James would play it. His low range had a warmth associated with the cornet and even the flugelhorn, but this sound was underrecorded in favor of James' brilliant high register.

With financial backing from Goodman,[4] in January 1939 James debuted his own big band in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but it didn't click until 1941 when he added a string section.[5] This big band became known as Harry James and His Music Makers.[6] His hit "You Made Me Love You" was in the Top 10 during the week of December 7, 1941.[7] He was in two featured roles in two films, Private Buckaroo and Springtime in the Rockies. He toured with the band into the 1980s. He started recording with the minor label Varsity in 1940.[8] To this day the Harry James Orchestra still exists, now led by Fred Radke.[9]

Bandleader

His was the first "name band" to employ vocalist Frank Sinatra, in 1939. James signed Sinatra to a one year contract, of which Sinatra worked seven months before going to sing for Tommy Dorsey[10] He wanted to change Sinatra's name to 'Frankie Satin' but Sinatra refused.[citation needed] His later band included drummer Buddy Rich. His featured vocalist was Helen Forrest.[10] Johnny MacAfee was featured on the sax and vocals and Corky Corcoran was a youthful sax prodigy.

Radio

His orchestra succeeded Glenn Miller's on a program sponsored by Chesterfield Cigarettes in 1942, when Miller disbanded his orchestra to enter the Army. In 1945, James and his orchestra had a summer replacement program for Danny Kaye's program on CBS.[11]

A major reason James disbanded his big band group in 1946 was lack of income, so James decided to call it quits.[8] After disbanding his band, he continued his career in a smaller jazz group, Harry James and His Music Makers.[12]

Film

He played trumpet in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn,[13] dubbing Kirk Douglas. In the album from that movie, he backed Doris Day and the album charted at #1. James's recording of "I'm Beginning to See the Light" appears in the motion picture My Dog Skip (2000). His music is also featured in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters. James recorded many popular records and appeared in many Hollywood movies.

Personal life

James was married three times. He married singer Louise Tobin on May 4, 1935, and they had two children. They divorced in 1943.[2] That same year, he married actress Betty Grable. They had two daughters, Victoria and Jessica, before divorcing in 1965. James married a third time on December 27, 1967 [14][15] to Las Vegas showgirl Joan Boyd, whom he would divorce in March 1970. Contrary to some assertions, he did not marry a fourth time. He had five children (two by Tobin, two by Grable, one by Boyd) and (as of his death) 16 grandchildren.

James owned several thoroughbred racehorses that won races such as the California Breeders' Champion Stakes (1951) and the San Vicente Stakes (1954). He was also a founding investor in the Atlantic City Race Course. His knowledge of horse racing was demonstrated during a 1958 appearance on The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour entitled "Lucy Wins A Racehorse".[16]

Final years

In 1983, James was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, but he continued to work, playing his last professional job on June 26, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, just nine days before his death in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1][17] The job had become his final performance with the Harry James Orchestra.[6] He died exactly 40 years after his marriage to Betty Grable (July 5, 1943), who was buried exactly 30 years after that date (July 5, 1973). Frank Sinatra gave the eulogy at his funeral, held in Las Vegas.[17]

Filmography

Singles

Albums

  • Trumpet Rhapsody (Harmony/Columbia, collection of singles from the 1940s, released ca. 1958)
  • Harry James and His New Swingin' Band (MGM, 1959)
  • Harry James...Today! (MGM, 1960)
  • Requests On-The-Road (MGM, 1961)
  • The Spectacular Sound of Harry James (MGM, 1961)
  • Harry James Plays Neal Hefti (MGM, 1961)

See also

Template:Wikipedia books

References

  1. ^ a b "The Dead Rock Stars Club". Thedeadrockstarsclub.com. Retrieved July 17, 2008.
  2. ^ a b William Ruhlmann. "Harry James | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  3. ^ Harry James and his big band. Touchoftonga.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
  4. ^ Gilliland 1994, tape 2, side B.
  5. ^ Billboard, July 18, 1942
  6. ^ a b James, Harry (Haag) – Jazz.com | Jazz Music – Jazz Artists – Jazz News. Jazz.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
  7. ^ "The Official Site of the Harry James Orchestra". Harryjamesband.com. 2015-05-10. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  8. ^ a b [1] Template:Wayback
  9. ^ "The Life of Harry James". Fredradke.com. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  10. ^ a b Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 1, side A.
  11. ^ "Radio". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 7, 1945. p. 21. Retrieved April 15, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ Harry James: Information from. Answers.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
  13. ^ "Harry James". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  14. ^ UPI wirestory published nationally Dec.28, 1967
  15. ^ AP wirephoto published nationally Dec.28, 1967
  16. ^ ""The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour Lucy Wins A Racehorse"". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  17. ^ a b "Harry Haag James (1916 - 1983) - Find A Grave Memorial". Findagrave.com. Retrieved 2015-08-27.
  18. ^ Orodenker, M.H. (February 7, 1942). "On the Records" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  19. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 23. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  20. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. pp. 27/8. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  21. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 21. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  22. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 25. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harry James.

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