Ralph Flanagan

Ralph Flanagan (actually Ralph Elias Flenniken; born April 7, 1914 in Lorain, Ohio, † December 30, 1995 in Miami ) was an American bandleader, pianist, arranger and composer in the field of swing and popular music.

Ralph Flanagan attended Lorain High School and played in the band of Sammy Kaye. During World War II he served in the merchant marine; from 1946 he worked as an arranger for Perry Como, and was a studio musician for RCA Victor. Since many artists from RCA migrated to other labels, the line of the record company decided to build his own bands and chose Flanagan as a bandleader; he received in 1949 the opportunity to start his own orchestra, which played in the style of Glenn Miller sounds and with whom he released numerous recordings for RCA, as his Hiterfolge Rag Mop and Hot Toddy; this title, which he had written with his manager Herb Hendler, was later interpreted by artists such as Chet Atkins, Rosemary Clooney and Julie London. With the standard I Should Care achieved Flanagan and his orchestra ( with vocal by Harry Prime) 1952 # 4 on the charts.

The themes of the songs Flanagan Orchestra were Giannina Mia and Singing Winds; the latter was performed by the vocal group, the Young Sisters. With Hot Toddy and Flanagan 's Boogie was his orchestra one of the most successful of the early 50s. Flanagan arranged in the course of his career for the orchestra by Hal McIntyre, Blue Barron, Charlie Barnet and Alvino Rey.

The jazz -author George T. Simon wrote in 1950 the book Ralph Flanagan: The band leader.