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Category Archives: Music History
The Nat King Cole They Knew
When Nat Cole was a teenager in Chicago, he couldn’t always afford to get into the clubs where the great jazz pianists played. So he found another way in. His first wife, Nadine, recalled that he would slip around to the alley behind the … Continue reading
Posted in Collections Highlights, Music History, Racism
Tagged 20th century music, African American history, Bobby Troup, Capitol Records, Chris Clark-Tidyman, Civil Rights, Ernest Tidyman, Ernest Tidyman papers, Jazz History, Music Biography, Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole Trio, Oral History, Popular music history, Route 66
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“I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”: The Enduring Appeal of a Holiday Hit
As we enter the holiday season, it’s nearly impossible to escape the sounds of holiday standards warbling through PA systems and speakers wherever you go. Holiday music is an incredibly lucrative industry with a wide-ranging and enduring appeal, and many … Continue reading
Posted in Collections Highlights, Holidays, Music History, Uncategorized
Tagged 1940s, American Songbook, Armed Forces Network, Bing Crosby, Christmas traditions, Danny Kaye, film history, Fred Astaire, Holiday music, Hollywood, Irving Berlin, Jacques Kapralik, Nathan Van Cleave, Popular music, Robert Emmett Dolan, Rosemary Clooney, Tin Pan Alley, Vera Ellen, VistaVision, White Christmas, World War II, WWII
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At the Copa: Antonio Morelli and the Musical Legacy of Mid-Century Las Vegas
You know what they say: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But then, what is the American Heritage Center of Wyoming doing with personally autographed photos from the likes of Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin? … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment history, Music History, Performing Arts, Uncategorized
Tagged 1950s Music, 1960s Music, American Heritage Center, Anthony Morelli, Antonio Morelli, Big Band Era, Casino Entertainment, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Las Vegas, Mid-Century America, Rat Pack, Sammy Davis Jr., Sands Hotel
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“Take it away, John Scott”: John Scott Trotter and the Kraft Music Hall
Aside from being an effective tool for advertising, as explored in On the Air and in the Aisles, Kraft Music Hall (KMH) owed much of its enduring appeal to the caliber of musical performances and the talent behind them. The … Continue reading
Posted in Entertainment history, Music History, Performing Arts, radio history, Uncategorized
Tagged 1930s Music, American Music History, Big Band Era, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Golden Age of Radio, Hollywood Entertainment, John Scott Trotter, Kraft Music Hall, Music Direction, Musical Arrangement, Radio Broadcasts, Vintage Radio
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