Earl Burtnett

Earl Burtnett (* 1899 in Harrisburg ( Pennsylvania), † January 2, 1936 in Chicago) was an American pianist and big band leader in the field of jazz and popular music.

Earl Burtnett studied for two years at the Pennsylvania State University, then broke off his studies, in 1918 member of the Art Hickman to be band before they went to Florenz Ziegfeld in New York. As Hickman retired he offered Burtnett to take over the management of the band. The success prompted him to found the early 1920s in Los Angeles his first group with which he - apart from a stint in Miami and a tour through the Midwest - occurred on the west coast of the United States. There are also radio broadcasts, and numerous recordings for the labels Columbia and Brunswick emerged.

In 1924 he had had composed a hit with " Mandalay ", the Earl Burtnett with Abe Lyman and Gus Arnheim. Another successful title of his band was Walter Donaldson's " Little White Lies".

In the early 1930s led Burtnett the band at the Biltmore Hotel in San Francisco, with the Biltmore ( vocal ) Trio also emerged recordings for Brunswick Records. In his band played, among others Freddie Slaxk, Ned Hewitt, Les Houck, Don Dorsey and the band singer Ruth Lee, who was successful with the song " Imagine". Another Bandvokalist was Stanley Hickman.

1933 Burtnett began an 18 month commitment which in the Rice Hotel in Houston; then he went to Chicago. There, their performances were often broadcast on station WGN; they played, among others Blackhawk Ballroom, Lincoln Tavern and long at the Drake Hotel, most recently at the Trianon Ballroom.

In 1935 she had success with the novelty song "The Music Goes Round and Round ", the Red Hodgson sang in Burtnetts band; However, there was no recording of what soon Mike Riley and Eddie Farley brought over.

In September 1935, when he was with his orchestra on tour, Burtnett suffered a traffic accident in which his leg broke. End of the year he was active again. Finally, he had to in Chicago undergoing appendectomy, however, claimed to have been operated on in 1918, but this was a mistake. As his condition worsened on December 24, 1935, he was admitted to a hospital, where he died in the evening; he was only 37 years old.

Burtnetts orchestra also appeared in two movies, The Flying Fool (1929 ) and The Party Girl ( 1930). Earl Burtnett was a composer of some songs like "Down Honolulu Way ", " Sleep" and " Leave Me With A Smile ".

2005, the song " Puttin 'on the Ritz " was recorded in 1930 for Brunswick by Harry Richman with Earl Burtnett & His Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra, which won the Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

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