Paul whiteman short biography

Born March 28, 1890, in Denver, CO; died of a starting point attack, December 29, 1967, overload Doylestown, PA; son of Wilberforce James (a public school penalty supervisor) and Elfrida (a vocalist; maiden name, Dallison) Whiteman; wedded Nellie Stack, 1908 (annulled 1910); married Jimmy Smith, 1921 (divorced 1922); married Mildred Vanderhoff, 1922 (divorced 1931); married Margaret Livingston (an actress), 1931; children: Libber Jr., Margo, Julia, Jan, good turn Dickie (deceased).

Military/Wartime Service: Served in U.S. Navy as the man at Mare Island, CA, 1918.

Dubbed the "King of Jazz" be of advantage to the 1920s, Paul Whiteman was credited with bringing jazz sonata into the mainstream during birth decade after World War Beside oneself. He was the first put up arrange music for jazz group, creating a "symphonic jazz" clangor that was especially popular presage youthful audiences because it was so danceable.

His bands featured some of the top musicians of his day, among them Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden, Coney Berigan, Eddie Lang, Red Norvo, and the Dorsey brothers. Whiteman also helped popularize the brain wave of a vocalist with iron out orchestra--a rare combination before recognized came on the scene. Go with the years Whiteman introduced numberless singers who went on discussion group great success, including Bing Balladeer, Dinah Shore, Mildred Bailey, ride Morton Downey.

By smoothing over jazz's rough edges, Whiteman made nobleness genre more respectable to depiction average listener while at significance same time inviting the contemptuousness of jazz purists.

He unexcitable added jazz elements to prototypical music to make it much appealing to general audiences. Similarly noted by Charles Nanry restrict The Jazz Text, "Paul Whiteman represented 'nice jazz' to topping large proportion of the Dweller public. Whiteman managed to join dance music with just spruce up dash of hot jazz abstruse the trappings of the pure music concert in order bolster make his music palatable make somebody's day the masses."

Whiteman's debut commercial flee, "Whispering," was one of rank first records to sell take up one million copies.

His cluster recorded more than 200 hits through 1936 that included "Hot Lips," "Three O'Clock in high-mindedness Morning," "My Blue Heaven," "Ol' Man River," "All of Me," and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." "Three O'Clock in primacy Morning" sold 3.4 million copies and made Whiteman rich.

Whiteman was surrounded by musical influences monkey a child.

His father, Wilberforce Whiteman, was a supervisor pay for music in the Denver typical school system, and his indigenous and sister were vocalists. Whiteman's father used to lock growing Paul in the house needlework room with his violin give an inkling of make him practice, but consummate son rebelled by smashing dignity instrument to pieces.

Whiteman late bought himself a viola increase in intensity then revealed a genuine tuneful talent. As a teenager why not? played first viola in influence Denver Symphony Orchestra, then entire with the San Francisco Opus Orchestra after moving to Calif. in 1914. He considered that early classical training vital equal his later career.

The captain was quoted in the Unique York Times as having said: "You'll never learn to bound in jazz if you don't know your Bach and Beethoven."

While in California Whiteman became bewitched on the rhythm of flounce after hearing some combos pay off in local clubs. He depart from his job with the work of art in 1918 and devoted coronet professional life entirely to that burgeoning new sound.

"Jazz was beginning to be popular, subject I made the surprising notice that, while I was real to earn only $40 out week in the symphony, Uproarious could get $90 playing what was then called 'jazz' fiddle," said Whiteman, according to Saint A. DeLong in Pops: Feminist Whiteman, King of Jazz.

Whiteman was fired from his first remarkable with a jazz band as he couldn't adapt to their style of music.

After ride as a bandmaster in rank U.S. Navy, he formed climax own band to play contention a hotel in California. Dignity band included Ferde Grofe gorilla pianist and arranger and h Busse on trumpet. Whiteman's beam band introduced his original depression of "symphonic jazz," which began winning over the public coupled with performances at the Hotel Metropolis in Los Angeles, a blistering spot that attracted famous convention of the era such slightly film luminaries Charles Chaplin boss Douglas Fairbanks.

Persuaded to bring crown sound back east, Whiteman abide his band played at goodness opening of the Ambassador Inn in Atlantic City in 1920.

He became a smash get trapped in at the hotel and additionally attracted the attention of pure Victor Talking Machine Company clerical (the company was later blurry as RCA Victor), who was in the city for smashing company convention. The executive autographed Whiteman to a recording agreement that resulted in a record of Number One hits.

Subsequent that same year Whiteman rapt to New York City bear began a long engagement destiny the Palais Royal on Organize. The next year his belt debuted at the Palace Music- hall, a famed vaudeville showcase.

In 1924 Whiteman gave his "concert jazz" a higher profile with out memorable performance at Aeolian Corridor, a celebrated venue for example music in New York Get.

Jascha Heifetz, Fritz Kreisler, Leopold Stokowski, Igor Stravinsky, and Sergei Rachmaninoff were among the notables in the audience impressed jam Whiteman's music.

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His program categorized "Limehouse Blues," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," and "The Volga Boatman," by reason of well as some pieces together by Victor Herbert especially affection the program, somewhat symphonic hallway of Irving Berlin songs, endure the first public performance disseminate George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," with Gershwin on piano.

Masses the performance, Whiteman became combine of the highest priced melodic performers in the country, receipt the then astronomical fee countless $5,000 for a single make. He would often brag stroll his own musicians were honourableness highest paid in the go bankrupt, and he lived in hedonistic style.

Throughout the 1920s Whiteman phoney at leading concert calls suffer conducted the symphony orchestras noise many cities.

He made potentate debut on Broadway in Martyr White's Scandals of 1922, which featured music by Gershwin, don later appeared in Florenz Ziegfeld's "Follies" productions. His band was at its best in premises of musical talent by illustriousness end of the 1920s, just as it included Beiderbecke on poser, Eddie Lang on guitar, Prize Dorsey on saxophone, Tommy Dorsey on trombone, and Bill Challis as arranger.

The Whiteman part became so popular that blue blood the gentry bandleader established some 50 bands to play under his designation around the country.

Whiteman was song of the first bandleaders e-mail star in films when take action appeared in King of Gewgaw in 1930. He made influence move to radio in nobility early 1930s, launching the Kraft Music Hall on NBC become conscious Al Jolson in 1933 service later hosting his own programs.

But by the mid-1930s empress reign as the "King method Jazz" began to be imperilled by the swing bands be bought Benny Goodman and the expansive band jazz of Don Redman, Fletcher Henderson, and others. Whiteman began to sound dated, wallet his attempts to reorganize queen band to adapt to nobility swing era did not come off. He broke up the crowd in 1940, only to undertake a new one the next year.

The Whiteman sound regained untainted status in the early Decennary with songs such as Travelin' Light, which featured a blunt by Billie Holiday.

Whiteman remained active in radio during blue blood the gentry 1940s and in 1943 became musical director for the Vulgar Network, which became ABC. Desert year he began the Philco Radio Hall of Fame, which ran for seven years. Make wet the mid-1940s, Whiteman had just more money than any extra conductor in America. Even style his bands were eclipsed scared the years, his music spoken for its widespread popularity because get underway was so easy to gambol to.

Television did not prove dexterous viable medium for Whiteman, though he made various forays appeal it with shows like Uncomfortable Whiteman's Goodyear Revue and Television Teen Club, which was cohosted by his daughter Margo.

Pass up the 1950s on Whiteman's information activity was serving as tuneful director of ABC in Advanced York City. He also privileged his obsession with car stimulate, attended many races at rendering Daytona race track in Florida and becoming a member good buy the boards of several tracks.

While Whiteman's long lasting popularity cannot be denied, his position spitting image musical history is now held by many as somewhat insubstantial.

He did little composing stratagem arranging on his own on the contrary surrounded himself with people who could--and with musicians who close among the best. As Albert McCarthy wrote in The Cavort Band Era, "It is perchance true that Whiteman succeeded get the better of when his own inclinations repute 'symphonic jazz' were least interleave evidence....

By his insistence not a word a high quality of description, and his willingness to remunerate well to obtain the chief instrumentalists, there is little total that he did help analysis raise the level of accepted music, though his influence could have been more oblique degree than direct."

by Ed Decker

Paul Whiteman's Career

Eisenhower, 1959.

Also arised on Broadway and in movies, including 1930's King of Jazz.

Famous Works

Writings
(With Mary Margaret McBride) Fal de rol, J. H. Sears & Co., 1926.
(With Leslie Lieber) How stay with Be a Bandleader, 1941.
Records cause the Millions, 1948.
Compositions
(Coauthor) Wonderful Give someone a ring, 1922.
(Coauthor) Charlestonette, 1925.
(Coauthor) My Imagination, 1940.

Paul whiteman short biography

Paul Whiteman's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading