An illustrated story of several leaders of the “Big Bands” who hailed from Pennsylvania. Featured in “Pennsylvania Profiles,” a weekly series produced for the Sunbury Daily Item, with the above number published on August 31, 1985.
Big Band Giants
Many of the finest leaders of “Big Bands” hailed from Pennsylvania.
The “Scranton Siren”s were popular after World war I. The above drawing from a 1921 photo shows a teenager from Schuylkill County, Jimmy Dorsey, at the extreme left. He and his brother Tommy Dorsey became world-famous band leaders from the 1930s thru the 1950s. Jimmy Dorsey was born in 1904 in Shenandoah. Tommy Dorsey was born in 1905 in Mahanoy Plane.
Leading his “Band of Renown” since 1938, often appearing with Bob Hope, is Les Brown, born in 1912 in Reinerton.
Earl “Fatha” Hines, composer and band maestro was the leading influence in the development of Swing. He was born in 1905 in Duquesne.
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An explanation of the series “Pennsylvania Profiles” appeared in the Sunbury Daily Item, May 10 1985:
For the stories behind… forgotten but fascinating facts, you’ll want to read “Pennsylvania Profiles,” a weekly feature with vivid illustrations… in this newspaper…. Pennsylvania Profiles delves into the nooks and crannies of the Keystone State’s hectic heritage. [It] is researched, written and illustrated by Patrick M. Reynolds of Willow Street, a town in southern Lancaster County. He is a graduate of Pratt institute, Brooklyn, New York, and Syracuse University, New York. His features are available in books. Reynolds is a Vietnam War veteran and an Army reserve Infantry officer.
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Obtained through Newspapers.com.
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