Doc Severinsen

Doc Severinsen
Background information
Birth name	Carl Hilding Severinsen
Born	July 7, 1927 (1927-07-07) (age 84)
Origin	Arlington, Oregon, U.S.
Genres	Jazz
Occupations	Bandleader, trumpeter
Instruments	Trumpet
Years active	1952–present
Associated acts	Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman

Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American pop and jazz trumpeter. He is best known for leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Early life

Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, the son of Minnie Mae (1897–1998) and Carl Severinsen (1898–1972), a dentist.^[1] Nicknamed "Little Doc" after his father, he originally wanted to play the trombone, which he discovered at neighbor Art Fletcher's home, but the senior Severinsen, a gifted amateur violinist, urged him to study that instrument instead. The younger Severinsen insisted on the trombone, but had to settle for the only horn available in Arlington's small music store, a trumpet. A week later, with the help of his father and a manual of instructions, the seven-year-old was good enough to be invited to join the high school band.

At the age of twelve, Little Doc won the Music Educator's National Contest. While still in high school he was hired to go on the road with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra. However, his stay with the group was cut short by the World War II draft. After serving in the army he made his broadcasting debut playing live popular music on KODL in The Dalles, Oregon.^[2]

The Tonight Show

Starting in 1952 during Steve Allen's tenure as host of NBC-TV's Tonight, Doc Severinsen played first trumpet in the band directed by Skitch Henderson. Severinsen took over as bandleader in 1967 and soon became noted for his flashy fashions.

Under the direction of Severinsen, the The Tonight Show NBC Orchestra became the most visible big band in America. In addition to playing incidental music for sketch comedy, guest introductions, and intermission music during station breaks, Severinsen took the opportunity to update many well known swing and jazz standards for it, often introducing new listeners to classics by Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, and others.

Adept at comic interplay, Severinsen occasionally substituted for Ed McMahon as Allen successor Johnny Carson's announcer and sidekick. Still, he took his role as band leader seriously. Severinsen campaigned for the band to get featured slots during the show in addition to occasional "Stump the Band" segments where audience members would challenge the band with obscure song titles and Severinsen and his crew would attempt to play something appropriate in return.

Severinsen often cried "key of E," his signal for the band to strike up a western theme, whereupon he would enthusiastically sing a country-flavoured nonsense song.

Tommy Newsom was frequently the band's substitute director, whenever Doc Severinsen was away from the show or filling in for announcer Ed McMahon.

Severinsen continued as bandleader until Carson's retirement in 1992.

Recording career

During the 1950s and 1960s, Severinsen put out a number of albums of jazz standards, over which he performed very melodic solos. He served as lead trumpet on many of Enoch Light's Command Records LP's of that era. Severinsen certainly had a well-developed high-note range with an incredible amount of control and melodic sense. In the 1960s, Severinsen also recorded with the Clarke/Boland Big Band and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band. Severinsen was also the second trumpeter whose recording of the fanfare "Abblasen", composed by Gottfried Reiche, has been used as the theme for the CBS News program Sunday Morning.

During the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, Severinsen released several albums under the band name The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen, and later receiving first billing, Doc Severinsen & The Tonight Show Band. He has also recorded with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Severinsen also released albums that have a pop rock basis, some of which include electronic instrumentation components, such as Brass Roots, Good Medicine and Facets. These albums were received with varying degrees of success by the public. He recorded two albums of standards with Henry Mancini and his orchestra in the 1970s, Brass On Ivory and Brass, Ivory And Strings.

Severinsen arranged the score for the nudist-themed cult film Nude on the Moon (1961). In addition, Severinsen co-wrote the Top 10 hit single "Stop and Smell the Roses" with singer-songwriter Mac Davis (1974).

Although Doc Severinsen can be considered one of the most prolific musicians in America, none of his singles where he plays the trumpet has ever appeared in Billboard's Hot 100.

Conducting, academic career, and after

Severinsen was the principal pops conductor for several American orchestras during and after his tenure on the Tonight Show. His first was with the Phoenix Symphony in 1983.^[3] He held similar positions with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra,the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.

Severinsen retired from active conducting in 2007, and was named Pops Conductor Emeritus in Milwaukee^[4] and Pops Conductor Laureate in Minnesota.^[5] Severinsen was also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Music and Katherine K. Herberger Heritage Chair for Visiting Artists at Arizona State University School of Music in 2001-2002.^[6] He has also conducted the New York Pops at the world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York City.

As of 2011 he is still performing on a regular basis with the group Doc Severinsen & the San Migeul 5^[7] (formerly known as El Ritmo De La Vida^[8]). The group plays an eclectic variety of styles, including classical Spanish, gypsy jazz, and Latin and American ballads.

Personal life

Severinsen's children are Nancy, Cindy, Allen, Robin and Judy. He also has 8 grandchildren: Blaire, Gray and Richard (Blaire and Gray write and perform roots rock music together as the Blaire Reinhard Band). He has been married at least three times. Television writer and producer Emily Marshall was his third wife. They met when she was working as a secretary to Tonight Show producer Fred de Cordova.^[9]

Doc owned Severinsen Custom Trumpets, manufacturer of custom-made horns, including the Destino line of trumpets he personally tests.^[10] Severinsen now helps design new Destino trumpets for the S.E. Shires Company.^[11] Severinsen also enjoys cooking and collecting American art.

Discography

• 1957: Stormy Weather (with Lena Horne)
• 1961: Tempestuous Trumpet
• 1962: The Big Band's Back in Town
• 1965: High, Wide & Wonderful
• 1966: Command Performances
• 1967: New Sound of Today's Big Band
• 1967: Live!: The Doc Severinsen Sextet
• 1968: The Great Arrival
• 1970: Doc Severinsen's Closet
• 1971: Brass Roots
• 1972: Brass on Ivory
• 1972: Doc
• 1973: Rhapsody for Now!
• 1973: Doc [Command Double Pack]
• 1973: Trumpets & Crumpets & Things
• 1976: Night Journey
• 1977: Brand New Thing
• 1978: Tempestuous Trumpet
• 1978: Torch Songs for Trumpet
• 1980: Seductive Strings Featuring Doc Severinsen
• 1982: The Best of Doc Severinsen
• 1985: Doc Severinsen & Xebron
• 1986: The Tonight Show Band, Vol. 1
• 1986: Episodes
• 1988: Facets
• 1988: The Tonight Show Band, Vol. 2
• 1989: The Big Band Hit Parade
• 1991: Once More...With Feeling!
• 1991: Merry Christmas from Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra
• 1992: Unforgettably Doc
• 1992: Good Medicine
• 1992: Doc Severinsen and Friends
• 1992: Lullabies and Goodnight
• 1992: Ja-Da
• 1993: Two Sides of Doc Severinsen
• 1997: The Very Best of Doc Severinsen [Amherst]
• 1999: Swingin' the Blues
• 2009: El Ritmo De La Vida
• 2010: En Mi Corazon (with Gil Gutierrez and Pedro Cartas)
• 2010: Stardust

References

1. ^ "Doc Severinsen Biography (1927-)". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/42/Doc-Severinsen.html. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
2. ^ "About Us". RadioFreshing KODL. http://www.kodl.com/KODL/media/abotkodl.html. Retrieved April 13, 2009. 
3. ^ http://www.phoenixsymphony.org/artists/artistic_staff_severinsen.html^{[dead link]}
4. ^ http://www.milwaukeesymphony.org/newspress/newsreviewsarchives/view.asp?id=30025839
5. ^ "News: Doc Severinsen to Step Down as Minnesota Orchestra's Pops Conductor". PlaybillArts. 2006-07-15. http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/4905.html. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
6. ^ ASU HCFA SOM | e-Notes | Severinsen in concert^{[dead link]}
7. ^ "Home". Doc Severinsen. http://www.docseverinsen.com/. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
8. ^ "Home". . Opus 3 Artists. http://www.opus3artists.com/artists/doc-severinsen-and-el-ritmo-de-la-vida. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
9. ^ Sheff, Vicki (1988-12-19). "Doc Severinsen Finds His Key, and It's Writer Emily Marshall". People.com. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20119094,00.html. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
10. ^ "Severinsen Custom Trumpets - Doc's Dream". Docseverinsen.com. http://www.docseverinsen.com/dream.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 
11. ^ "Trumpets". Doc Severinsen. http://www.docseverinsen.com/trumpets/. Retrieved 2011-10-26. 

External links

• Official website
• Doc Severinsen Discography
• Tonight Show Bio

Media offices
Preceded by Milton DeLugg	The Tonight Show bandleader 1967 – 1992	Succeeded by Branford Marsalis

Persondata
Name	Severinsen, Doc
Alternative names	Severinsen, Carl Hilding
Short description	Bandleader, Trumpeter
Date of birth	July 7, 1927
Place of birth	Arlington, Oregon, U.S.
Date of death
Place of death