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Glenn Miller
Born on March 1, 1904, in Clarinda, Iowa. After
graduating from high school, Miller attended the University of Colorado for two years.
While in college his interest in music flourished. Having played the trombone in
high school, his love for music lead him to leave schooled and he went to the west coast to
try his luck as a musician.
Miller played for several small bands until he joined Ben Pollack's orchestra in 1927.
When Pollack's orchestra moved to New York. While in New York, Miller left the band
to pursue the many opportunities that the city offered including freelancing for other
artists such as Red Nichols and the Dorsey Brothers.
In 1934, Miller helped Ray Noble start an orchestra, which soon became popular through its
radio broadcasts. After briefly forming a band in 1937, Miller put together a second band
in 1938. Through Miller's imagination, strong will, and determination, he kept the bank
together but in March 1939, the band had its first important engagement to play the famous
Glen Island Casino in New York. A second engagement at Meadowbrook in New Jersey soon
followed and by mid-summer, the orchestra had achieved great popularity and demand through
their radio broadcasts from both engagements. Some of the orchestra's classics include
"Chattanooga Choo Choo," "String of Pearls," and "Moonlight
Serenade." The band was featured in two films, Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Orchestra
Wives (1942).
In October 1942, Miller disbanded his orchestra and joined
the US Army Air Force with the rank of captain and assembled a quality dance band to
perform for the troops. When the troops moved to England, Miller's band followed. On
December 15, Miller got on a routine flight to Paris for a scheduled appearance for his
band in that city. The plane never arrived. Miller's death was mourned by music lovers all
over the world, and he was heralded as a hero worldwide. The movie The Glenn Miller
Story, starring Jimmy Stewart, was filmed in 1953 as a tribute to Miller.
Miller's band was one of the most popular and best-known dance bands of the Swing Era. His
music, a careful mixture of swing, jazz, and improvisation, gained the admiration and
praise of audiences and critics alike. Glenn Miller and his orchestra's magnificent music
will be always remembered by those who enjoy the beautiful sounds they produced.
Glenn Miller
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