Glen Gray

Glen Gray Knoblauch, known as " Glen Gray", nicknamed "Spike " ( born June 7, 1906 in Metamora, Illinois; † August 23, 1963 in Plymouth ( Massachusetts)) was an American jazz saxophonist ( alto) and later director of the Casa Loma Orchestra.

Gray lost his father early, a railroad worker. Gray led his own bands as a teenager, briefly visited the Illinois Wesleyan University and then worked for the Santa Fe Railway Company. In 1928, he played the saxophone in the Orange Blossoms band to perform for half a year in Toronto at Casa Loma Hotel after at its reestablishment in 1929 in New York ( co -op band, that is all the band members were involved ) called. In the same year they made recordings for Okeh. They had especially among students on the east coast in the early 1930s were a great success and the white audience one of the pioneers of the swing. Your band theme was " Smoke Rings ". Gray took over in 1935 the management of the band, which got its name as an additive. By 1942, they recorded for Decca, then to 1946 for Mercury.

Between 1942 and 1944, Gray had four top ten hits on the Decca label: 1942 One Dozen Roses, the court reached 8, 1943 Do not Get Around Much Anymore, which came in at number 7. He had his greatest success in the winter of 1943 to 1944 with the title My Heart Tells Me, which took the top spot of the U.S. singles chart and was able to hold for 20 weeks in the Top 10. In January 1944, My Shining Hour, could also place the B-side of My Heart Tells Me, on the charts, it came in at number 4 After this great success and joining the record company was no longer able Gray, another hit to land.

In 1950 he dissolved the band. Gray made ​​in the 1950s for some time successful shots at Capitol with old hits of the Big Band era. In 1963 he died at his home of cancer.

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