Vaughn Monroe
Encyclopedia
Vaughn Wilton Monroe was an American baritone singer
, trumpet
er and big band
leader and actor, most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
for recording and radio.
on October 7, 1911. He graduated from Jeannette High School in Pennsylvania in 1929 where he was senior class president and voted "most likely to succeed." After graduation, he attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology
, where he was an active member of the Sigma Nu
fraternity. Monroe attended New England Conservatory for one semester in 1935, studying voice with Clarence B. Shirley.
He formed his first orchestra in Boston
in 1940 and became its principal vocalist. He began recording for Victor's low-priced Bluebird label. That same year, Monroe built The Meadows, a restaurant and nightclub on Route 9 in Framingham, Massachusetts
, west of Boston. He hosted the Camel Caravan
radio program from there starting in 1946. It burned to the ground in December 1980.
Monroe was tall and handsome which helped him as a band leader and singer, as well as in Hollywood. He was sometimes called "the Baritone with Muscles", "the Voice with Hair on its Chest", "'ol Leather Tonsils", or "Leather Lungs".
He recorded extensively for RCA Victor until the 1950s and his signature tune was "Racing with the Moon" (1941). Among his other hits were "In the Still of the Night
" (1939), "There I Go" (1941), "There I've Said It Again" (1945), "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" (1946), "Ballerina
" (1947), "Riders in the Sky" (1949), "Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
" (1949), "Sound Off" (1951), and "In the Middle of the House
" (1956). He also turned down the chance to record "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
".
Monroe also wrote a number of songs ranging from "Army Song" to less-known ones like the "Jeannette High School Alma Mater".
Movies also beckoned, although he did not pursue it with vigor. Monroe appeared in 1944's Meet the People, Carnegie Hall (1947), Singing Guns (1950), and The Toughest Man in Arizona (1952). He co-authored The Adventures of Mr. Putt Putt, a children's book about airplanes and flying, published in 1949.
He hosted The Vaughn Monroe Show on CBS television from 1950–51 and from 1954–55, and also appeared on Bonanza
and The Mike Douglas Show
, as well as The Ed Sullivan Show
, Texaco Star Theatre, The Jackie Gleason Show
, The Tonight Show, and American Bandstand
. He was a major stockholder in RCA and appeared in print ads and television commercials for the company's TV and audio products.
, among others, his first major exposure.
His version of 'Let it Snow' (from 1946) was featured in Die Hard I and Die Hard II.
Was a licensed pilot and once owned a Lockheed-12 plane.
The popularity of some of his western tunes got Vaughn his first acting film part with Singing Guns (1950).
Sold over 5,000,000 records in 1944.
Was married from 1941 to his death in 1973
Had two daughters: Candace, born December 14, 1941, and Christina, born October 16, 1944.
Was a virtuoso on the trumpet and trombone.
He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1600 Vine Street and for Radio at 1755 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
.
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
er and big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
leader and actor, most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
for recording and radio.
Biography
Monroe was born in Akron, OhioAkron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
on October 7, 1911. He graduated from Jeannette High School in Pennsylvania in 1929 where he was senior class president and voted "most likely to succeed." After graduation, he attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology
Carnegie Institute of Technology
The Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...
, where he was an active member of the Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
fraternity. Monroe attended New England Conservatory for one semester in 1935, studying voice with Clarence B. Shirley.
He formed his first orchestra in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1940 and became its principal vocalist. He began recording for Victor's low-priced Bluebird label. That same year, Monroe built The Meadows, a restaurant and nightclub on Route 9 in Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
, west of Boston. He hosted the Camel Caravan
Camel Caravan
Camel Caravan was a musical variety radio program, sponsored by Camel cigarettes, that aired on NBC Radio and CBS Radio from 1933 to 1954...
radio program from there starting in 1946. It burned to the ground in December 1980.
Monroe was tall and handsome which helped him as a band leader and singer, as well as in Hollywood. He was sometimes called "the Baritone with Muscles", "the Voice with Hair on its Chest", "'ol Leather Tonsils", or "Leather Lungs".
He recorded extensively for RCA Victor until the 1950s and his signature tune was "Racing with the Moon" (1941). Among his other hits were "In the Still of the Night
In the Still of the Night (1937 song)
"In the Still of the Night" is a popular song written by Cole Porter for the MGM film Rosalie sung by Nelson Eddy and published in 1937....
" (1939), "There I Go" (1941), "There I've Said It Again" (1945), "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" (1946), "Ballerina
Ballerina (song)
"Ballerina" is a popular song.The song was written by Sidney Keith Russell and Carl Sigman. Published in 1947, the tune is listed as ASCAP Title Code 320012517.Hit versions were recorded by:* Vaughn Monroe * Buddy Clark...
" (1947), "Riders in the Sky" (1949), "Someday (You'll Want Me To Want You)
Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)
"Someday " is a popular song. It was written by Jimmie Hodges and was published in 1944.The song has become a standard, recorded by many pop and country music singers.-Charting versions:...
" (1949), "Sound Off" (1951), and "In the Middle of the House
In the Middle of the House
"In the Middle of the House" is a novelty song written by Bob Hilliard. It was performed by Vaughn Monroe and separately by Rusty Draper in 1956. Each was released as a single. Monroe's version reached number 11 on Billboard Magazine's Most Played by Jockeys chart and number 21 on the magazine's...
" (1956). He also turned down the chance to record "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
".
Monroe also wrote a number of songs ranging from "Army Song" to less-known ones like the "Jeannette High School Alma Mater".
Movies also beckoned, although he did not pursue it with vigor. Monroe appeared in 1944's Meet the People, Carnegie Hall (1947), Singing Guns (1950), and The Toughest Man in Arizona (1952). He co-authored The Adventures of Mr. Putt Putt, a children's book about airplanes and flying, published in 1949.
He hosted The Vaughn Monroe Show on CBS television from 1950–51 and from 1954–55, and also appeared on Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
and The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
, as well as The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
, Texaco Star Theatre, The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show
The Jackie Gleason Show is the name of a series of popular American network television shows that starred Jackie Gleason, which ran from 1952 to 1970.-Cavalcade of Stars:...
, The Tonight Show, and American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
. He was a major stockholder in RCA and appeared in print ads and television commercials for the company's TV and audio products.
Trivia
After leaving the performing end of show business, he remained with RCA for many years as a TV spokesperson, executive, and talent scout. In the latter capacity, he helped give Neil SedakaNeil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka is an American pop/rock singer, pianist, and composer. His career has spanned nearly 55 years, during which time he has sold millions of records as an artist and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collaborating mostly with lyricists Howard...
, among others, his first major exposure.
His version of 'Let it Snow' (from 1946) was featured in Die Hard I and Die Hard II.
Was a licensed pilot and once owned a Lockheed-12 plane.
The popularity of some of his western tunes got Vaughn his first acting film part with Singing Guns (1950).
Sold over 5,000,000 records in 1944.
Was married from 1941 to his death in 1973
Had two daughters: Candace, born December 14, 1941, and Christina, born October 16, 1944.
Was a virtuoso on the trumpet and trombone.
He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1600 Vine Street and for Radio at 1755 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
Personal Quotes
"As a bandleader, people expect you to be artistic. But to be successful you've got to also develop a keen sense of business. On the bandstand, you sing, play or direct. A show is expected and you provide it. But off the stand, when it comes to picking new tunes, choosing spots to play, trying to work out recording dates and broadcasts, negotiating contracts, and things of that sort -- well, that's the other side of the picture. The part that doesn't show."Death
Monroe died on May 21, 1973 at Martin County Memorial Hospital, shortly after having stomach surgery . He was buried in Fernhill Memorial Gardens and Mausoleum in Stuart, FloridaStuart, Florida
Stuart is the only incorporated city of Martin County, Florida, on Florida's Treasure Coast. The population was 14,633 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,964....
.
External links
- Vaughn Monroe Big Band Era Singer
- Singer Vaughn Monroe's road to stardom went through Jeannette
- Songs Written by Vaughn Monroe (as listed on the Vaughn Monroe Appreciation Society website)
- The Meadows