If Ronnie can begin to post his own colums, why the hell can't I? I've decided to post threads about influential music artists from the past, considering that I really don't tend to listen to music port 1960's.

This is really just a continuation of a series of threads i began starting with one dedicated to the patron saint of music: Francis Albert Sinatra.

Now I decided to move on and go back to the swing age...

When we last left my colum I was covering the son of Russian-Jewish Imigrants by the name of Benny Goodman. He got some fame apperantly by fronting one of the greatest swing bands.

However, during this era there were countless bands performing swing: Not only benny Goodman, but others that I've meantioned before: Duke Ellington, Lous Armstong, Artie Shaw, Jimmy Lunceford, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey (Who happened to pick up a young vocalist from Hoboken), and countless others. However, it was the one fronted by Iowa native Glenn Miller which took swing to new heights in the late 1930's and early 1940's.

Miller had a long clime to the top. Unlike Shaw who was in the center of the Halem Rennesaince or goodman who had been playing in Dance bands since the age of 18, Miller didn't have all of this, nor did he have much success. In fact, he can be heard plaaying in records as back as 1927 in Red Pollack's band but of course he wasn't a house-hold name.

By the mid-30's, Miller had esstablished several bands which hasd happened to fail yet he was honing his craft, perfecting his ability to play his Trombone while also learning how to make arrangemnts which were tight, orrganized, never faltering. Sheer perfection in my mind were his arrangements. Just look at "In the Mood", certainly his finest achivement or "Moonlight Seranade" with the lush, heartbreaking arrangements.

Other hits include: Little Brown Jug, American Patrol, String of Perals, I Dreamt I Dwelt in Harlem, Tuxedo Junction, etc, etc! The list goes on!

He was pure genius yet also a good and dedicated man with heart and belief in his country. He joined the Army Air Corp as World War II broke out and was commisioned as a caption. He was sent to Europe to play for the troops and to remind the men of their homes, their loves and their lives.

Yet, while flying over the English Channel in December of 1944, Miller's aircraft was lost. It was never recovered.

With him gone it is not possible to know what he could of possibly done for modern music at that point. Maybe he could of even helped prevent the destruction of Swing Music which came several years lateer as several bands fell apart and when the Vocalists took charge.

Hey wiseguy, where's the "Copyright Franchise Column Rights" that folks wanting to write their own regular columns have to pay me? If there are huge Samoan hairy bodybuilders at your door within the hour, they are my "lawyers"...and my "lawyers" will convince you to change your mind.

I kid Sully.....you know, I never was into music like I am for movies. I mean besides Rock and maybe film scores, I really can't get into other music.

However, I did hear some of Miller's work once, before of course he disapeared and mostly likely his plane crashed to his death from engine failure or Nazi shelling...really important figure of the times of Swing Music however.

Great column Sully, can't wait for other such columns in the future....even if my "lawyers" fail to persuade you.

Speaking of which, here is a Alternative History website I go to sometimes which I enjoy:

http://www.othertimelines.com/viewtimeline.php?timelineID=657

A great WHAT IF? timeline....what if Glenn Miller survived and continued his career? Such things as The Beatles never being created, but instead "On the Beats"...and Miller composing the cantana sequence in STAR WARS. Enjoy it Sully!

P.S. - How about a column on Charlie "Bird" Parker sometime?

Most of the music I listen to belongs to the Jazz Genere, so I don't move much beyond there, of course there are exceptions in classical music and i hope o do threads for famous song writers as well.

Thanks for the responce Ronie.....

Glenn Miller's music was FUN. I don't believe there is anybody who can sit still to In the Mood, Pennsylvania 6-5000 and Chatanoog Choo Choo!! How could you?

On the other hand, String of Pearls and Moonlight Serenade are just heartbreakingly beautiful.

His death was an enormous loss. My daughter, then 13, had to do a project for her school's history fair. She chose music and fashion of the 1940's as her topic and has been hooked on swing ever since. My dad loved that music and loved to dance, so I think it would have made him so happy.

Well, as I said, Miller was just sheerly dynamic. It was pure swing, short, simple, sweet, and kept up swing while several bands were on the rocks and loosing big members. Goodman had lost Krupa and James who formed their own bands and Artie Shaw just said "To Hell with it" and disolved his band for a time anyhow.

Meanwhile, Glenn Miller made a killing with his tunes. Pure tour de force is what I consider many of them.