Guy Lombardo

Gaetano Alberto " Guy " Lombardo ( born June 19, 1902 in London, Ontario, † November 5, 1977 ) was a Canadian- American big band leader and violinist, known for nationally televised New Year's Eve concerts of his " Royal Canadians " in New York.

Life and work

Guy Lombardo founded in his hometown, a dance band that was called from 1924 "The Royal Canadians ". With this his brothers, saxophonist Carmen Lombardo (1903-1971), who also wrote music for the band and sang, the saxophonist Victor Lombardo (1911-1994) and trumpeter Lebert Lombardo (1905-1993) were. The first recording they made in 1924 for Gennett and sold already in the 1920s with their catchy dance music hundreds of thousands of disks (even Louis Armstrong was one of her fans ) - their slogan was "The Sweetest Music this side of Heaven". In the period of its existence from 1929 to 1959 they had their headquarters first in Cleveland, then in Chicago, where they made their breakthrough when she took Jules Stein of MCA under contract; later they played at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, where the nation's radio transmitted Year's Eve concerts ( with " Auld Lang Syne " at the beginning of the new year, which is still played in Times Square at the turn of the year in their version ) became the institution that Lombardo to 1976 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel continued after the Roosevelt had been closed.

1934 Lombardo's orchestra was one of the first, which was taken by the newly founded Decca Records, released a large number of Lombardo's records in which, in the next twenty years. Lombardo 1938 citizens of the United States. In addition to his big band activity he was also known as a participant of powerboat racing ( " Hydroplane ").

Between 1940 and 1950, Lombardo had 15 Top Ten hits, including the number one hit " It's Love - Love - Love" (1944). The trombonist George West played in the 1950s in his band.

Heart problems ended his career in 1977.