Billy Vaughn
Encyclopedia
Richard "Billy" Vaughn was an American
singer, multi-instrumentalist
, orchestra
leader, and A&R man for Dot Records
.
He was born in Glasgow
, Kentucky
, where his father was a barber
who loved music and inspired Billy to teach himself to play the mandolin
at age of three, while suffering from measles
. He went on to learn a number of other instruments.
In 1941 Vaughn joined the United States National Guard
for what had been planned as a one-year assignment, but when World War II
broke out, he was sent abroad till the war ended in 1945. He decided to make music
a career when he was discharged from the army at the end of the war, and attended Western Kentucky State College, now known as Western Kentucky University
, majoring in music composition. He had apparently learned barbering from his father, because he did some while studying at Western Kentucky to support himself financially, when he was not able to get jobs playing the piano at local night clubs and lounges. While he was a student there, three other students, Jimmy Sacca, Donald McGuire, and Seymour Spiegelman, who had formed a vocal trio, The Hilltoppers
, recruited Vaughn to play the piano with them. He soon added his voice to theirs, converting the trio to a quartet. As a member of the group, he also wrote their first hit song, "Trying," which charted in 1952.
In 1954 he left the group to join Dot Records
in Gallatin
, Tennessee
as music director. He subsequently formed his own orchestra
, which had a hit single
in that same year with "Melody of Love
." It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
. He went on to have many more hits over the next decade and a half, and based purely on chart successes, was the most successful orchestra leader of all time.
Vaughn charted
a total of 42 singles
on the Billboard
charts. He also charted thirty six album
s on the Billboard 200
, beginning with 1958's Sail Along and ending with 1970's Winter World of Love. He also had nineteen Top 40 hits in Germany
, beginning with the chart-topping "Sail Along Silvry Moon". He had two more number ones in Germany: "La Paloma" and "Wheels
" (all reportedly million sellers). Vaughn also charted in Australia, Latin America and Japan. "Pearly Shells" was a major success in Japan. Vaughn's tours of that country began about the time "Pearly Shells" was a hit in 1965. Many songs which were not US hits or even singles releases there, were major hits in other countries. These included "Lili Marlene" and "Greenfields" (Germany), plus "Theme from the Dark at the Top of the Stairs" (various Latin American countries). The album La Paloma was a success throughout Latin America. He also had a number one album in Germany in the early 1980s with Moonlight Melodies, which consisted of new recordings of many of his biggest hits.
The Billy Vaughn Orchestra began touring in 1965 with numerous sell-out tours throughout Japan, Brazil, and Korea.
Vaughn died of peritoneal mesothelioma
at Palomar Hospital in Escondido, California
on September 26, 1991 – he was 72 years old.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
leader, and A&R man for Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
.
He was born in Glasgow
Glasgow, Kentucky
Glasgow is a city in and the county seat of Barren County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 14,200 at the 2000 census. The city is well-known for its annual Scottish Highland Games. In 2007, Barren County was named the number one rural place to live by Progressive Farmer magazine...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, where his father was a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
who loved music and inspired Billy to teach himself to play the mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
at age of three, while suffering from measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
. He went on to learn a number of other instruments.
In 1941 Vaughn joined the United States National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
for what had been planned as a one-year assignment, but when World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out, he was sent abroad till the war ended in 1945. He decided to make music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
a career when he was discharged from the army at the end of the war, and attended Western Kentucky State College, now known as Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
, majoring in music composition. He had apparently learned barbering from his father, because he did some while studying at Western Kentucky to support himself financially, when he was not able to get jobs playing the piano at local night clubs and lounges. While he was a student there, three other students, Jimmy Sacca, Donald McGuire, and Seymour Spiegelman, who had formed a vocal trio, The Hilltoppers
The Hilltoppers
The Hilltoppers were an American popular music singing group.-Career:Originally the group was a trio formed at Western Kentucky State College , Bowling Green, Kentucky...
, recruited Vaughn to play the piano with them. He soon added his voice to theirs, converting the trio to a quartet. As a member of the group, he also wrote their first hit song, "Trying," which charted in 1952.
In 1954 he left the group to join Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
in Gallatin
Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
as music director. He subsequently formed his own orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, which had a hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
in that same year with "Melody of Love
Melody of Love
"Melody of Love" is a popular song. The music was originally written by Hans Engelmann in 1903. The lyrics were added by Tom Glazer in 1954.An instrumental version recorded by Billy Vaughn was the highest-charting version on the Billboard charts in 1955...
." It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. He went on to have many more hits over the next decade and a half, and based purely on chart successes, was the most successful orchestra leader of all time.
Vaughn charted
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
a total of 42 singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts. He also charted thirty six album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, beginning with 1958's Sail Along and ending with 1970's Winter World of Love. He also had nineteen Top 40 hits in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, beginning with the chart-topping "Sail Along Silvry Moon". He had two more number ones in Germany: "La Paloma" and "Wheels
Wheels (The String-A-Longs song)
Wheels is The String-A-Longs' biggest hit single , in 1961 . The tune peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the number 8 single of 1961 according to Billboard. The track reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart...
" (all reportedly million sellers). Vaughn also charted in Australia, Latin America and Japan. "Pearly Shells" was a major success in Japan. Vaughn's tours of that country began about the time "Pearly Shells" was a hit in 1965. Many songs which were not US hits or even singles releases there, were major hits in other countries. These included "Lili Marlene" and "Greenfields" (Germany), plus "Theme from the Dark at the Top of the Stairs" (various Latin American countries). The album La Paloma was a success throughout Latin America. He also had a number one album in Germany in the early 1980s with Moonlight Melodies, which consisted of new recordings of many of his biggest hits.
The Billy Vaughn Orchestra began touring in 1965 with numerous sell-out tours throughout Japan, Brazil, and Korea.
Vaughn died of peritoneal mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma is the name given to the cancer that attacks the lining of the abdomen. This type of cancer affects the lining that protects the contents of the abdomen and which also provides a lubricating fluid to enable the organs to move and work properly.The peritoneum is made of two...
at Palomar Hospital in Escondido, California
Escondido, California
Escondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...
on September 26, 1991 – he was 72 years old.
Albums
- Have Yourself A Merry, Merry Christmas (Dot DLP 25899) (1968)
- Orange Blossom Special and Wheels (Dot DLP 25366) (1961)
- Sukiyaki (Dot DLP 25523, 1961)
Hit songs
- "A Theme From The Three Penny Opera 'Moritat'Mack the Knife"Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife", originally "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their music drama Die Dreigroschenoper, or, as it is known in English, The Threepenny Opera. It premiered in Berlin in 1928 at the...
" (1956) - "A Swingin' SafariA Swingin' SafariA Swingin' Safari is an instrumental composed by Bert Kaempfert in 1962. It was recorded by Kaempfert on Polydor Records and released in the United States on Decca Records. It was also recorded by Billy Vaughn whose version became a bigger hit in the U.S. where it reached #13 on the Billboard...
" (#13 U.S.) (1962) - "Berlin Melody" (#61 U.S.) (1961)
- "Blue Hawaii" (1958)
- "Blue TangoBlue Tango"Blue Tango" is an instrumental composition by Leroy Anderson. it was later turned into a popular song with lyrics by Mitchell Parish. It was published in 1952...
" (1956) - "Blue Tomorrow" (#84 U.S.) (1961)
- "Blue Velvet" (1964)
- "Chapel By The Sea" (#69 U.S.) (1962)
- "Cimarron (Roll On)" (1958)
- "Come September" (#73 U.S.) (1961)
- "Dutchman's Gold" (1960) with Walter Brennan
- "Hawaiian War ChantHawaiian War Chant"Hawaiian War Chant" was an American popular song whose original melody and lyrics were written in the 1860s by Prince Leleiohoku. The original title of the song was Kaua I Ka Huahua`i or "We Two in the Spray." It was not written as a chant, and the Hawaiian lyrics describe a clandestine meeting...
" (1959) - "La PalomaLa PalomaThis article is about the song. For the American city, see La Paloma, Texas."La Paloma" is a popular song, having been produced and reinterpreted in diverse cultures, settings, arrangements, and recordings over the last 140 years. The song was composed and written by Spanish composer Sebastián...
" (1958) - "Little Boy Blue" (1956)
- "Look For A Star" (#19 U.S.) (1960)
- "Melody of LoveMelody of Love"Melody of Love" is a popular song. The music was originally written by Hans Engelmann in 1903. The lyrics were added by Tom Glazer in 1954.An instrumental version recorded by Billy Vaughn was the highest-charting version on the Billboard charts in 1955...
" (1954) - "Mexican Pearls" (#94 U.S.) (1965)
- "MichelleMichelle (song)"Michelle" is a love ballad by The Beatles, mainly written by Paul McCartney, with the middle eight co-written with John Lennon. It is featured on their Rubber Soul album. The song departs from most of The Beatles' other recordings in that some of the lyrics are in French...
" (#77 U.S.)(1966) - "Orange Blossom SpecialOrange Blossom Special (song)The fiddle tune "Orange Blossom Special", about the passenger train of the same name, was written by Ervin T. Rouse in 1938. The original recording was created by Ervin and Gordon Rouse in 1939. It is considered the best known fiddle tune of the twentieth century and is often called simply The...
" (#63 U.S.)(1961) - "Petticoats of PortugalPetticoats of PortugalPetticoats of Portugal is a popular song with music and Lyrics by Michael Durso, Mel Mitchell and Murl Kahn. One of the best known versions of this song was recorded by Dick Jacobs and His Orchestra in 1956, and released by Coral Records on a single along with "Song of the Vagabonds"...
" (1956) - "Raunchy" (1957)
- "Sail Along Silvery Moon" (1957)
- "Singing Hills" (1958)
- "The Shifting Whispering Sands (Part 1 & 2)" (1955)
- "The Ship That Never Sailed" (1957)
- "The Sundowners" (#51 U.S.) (1960)
- "Trying" (1958)
- "Tumbling TumbleweedsTumbling Tumbleweeds"Tumbling Tumbleweeds" is a song composed by Bob Nolan, one of the founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers. Although one of the most famous songs associated with cowboys, the song was composed by Nolan back in the 1930s while he was working as a caddy and living in Los Angeles...
" (1958) - "WheelsWheels (The String-A-Longs song)Wheels is The String-A-Longs' biggest hit single , in 1961 . The tune peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was the number 8 single of 1961 according to Billboard. The track reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart...
" (#1 GER (14 weeks), #28 U.S.) (1961) - "When The White Lilacs Bloom Again" (1956)
- "Your Cheatin' HeartYour Cheatin' Heart"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by the American country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams in 1952, but released after his death in 1953.. It is often considered one of his greatest songs, and one of the great songs of country music...
" (1959)