- Russ Morgan
:"Russ Morgan may also refer to a member of
dance music groupK-Klass ".Russ Morgan (
April 29 ,1904 inScranton ,Pennsylvania –August 7 ,1969 inLas Vegas, Nevada ) was aBig Band orchestra leader.Background
Born into a Welsh family, Russ Morgan was encouraged to express himself musically from the tender age of seven. His ability had come naturally since his father, a
coal-mine foreman, was a former musician who played drums in the local band in his spare time with his mother, before her marriage, had been a pianist in avaudeville act. Almost at the same age that he began to study piano, he began to work in the mines in order to earn money to help support his family and pay for his lessons.At the age of fourteen, he earned extra money as a pianist performing in a theater in his hometown. With his extra money, he purchased another instrument: a
trombone . In 1921, he used the trombone while working with a local band called theScranton Sirens . This band became one of the hottest in the Pennsylvania area during the 1920s. In fact some of itsalumni , such asJimmy Dorsey on sax and clarinet,Billy Lustig on violin andTommy Dorsey on trombone (who took Russ's place when he left the organization) went on to become famous.Early career
At eighteen, he decided to try and further his career by going to New York. By 1925, at the age of twenty-one, he arranged for both
John Philip Sousa andVictor Herbert . He then continued to gain experience by joiningPaul Specht 's orchestra and toured throughoutEurope with the orchestra. Contemporaries of Morgan's in this orchestra were among greats – names likeArthur Schutt ,Don Lindley ,Chauncey Morehouse ,Orville Knapp ,Paul Whiteman ,Charlie Spivak andArtie Shaw also played in this orchestra during the 1920s.Upon returning from the European tour,
Jean Goldkette invited him toDetroit to organize, lead and arrange for his new band. Some members of the now immortal all-starGoldkette orchestra were his old associates from former days. The band included Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey,Chauncey Morehouse ,Joe Venuti ,Eddie Lang ,Bix Beiderbecke andFuzzy Farrar .For a short time, in 1934, he arranged for
Fletcher Henderson 's Orchestra. In 1935, he then played trombone with theOriginal Dixieland Jazz Band when they recorded four sides forVocalion . OnSeptember 12 ,1935 , Russ playing piano and Joe Venuti on violin cut two sides for Brunswick, “Red Velvet ” and “Black Satin .” Most of the songs were written by Russ and Joe.Radio work
His biggest success in the music world came when he was offered the post of
Musical Director for Detroit Radio Station WXYZ . His show, "Music in the Morgan Manner ", became one of the most popular radio shows. At one time, during his radio run, he was directing nine commercial programs. While in Detroit, he arranged for theDetroit 102 pieceSymphony Orchestra thus demonstrating once again his varied musical experience and ability.In the early 1930s, Russ was in an automobile accident that almost ended his career. After several months in the hospital he decided to start again in New York City. He became arranger for bands like the
George White Scandals ,The Cotton Club Revue and theCapitol Theatre . When not arranging for the various Broadway shows, he worked with leading orchestras in New York, such asPhil Spitalny ,Eddie Gilligan ,Ted Fio Rito andFreddy Martin , as pianist and/or trombonist.He then joined the
Freddy Martin Orchestra in 1934 as a piano player. He worked chiefly as trombonist and arranger with the band. While working with Martin's orchestra, he also worked as a musical director atBrunswick Records back in New York. It was here that he met the future Mrs. Morgan,Shirley Gray , whom he married in 1939.Career
While at Brunswick, he met
Rudy Vallee , who was impressed with Morgan's musical ability. He insisted he form an orchestra of his own. He then invited Russ to appear as a guest on his popularFleishman Yeast radio show. Vallee was also instrumental in getting Morgan in his first engagement in New York City, along with his own orchestra at theBiltmore Hotel . This first engagement was indicative of the audiences' reaction to Morgan's appearances. He started with a four-week contract. But the contract extended and Morgan remained at the hotel for two years. In the next few years, he was able to add musical directorship to theRinso-Lifebuoy Show onNBC for thirty-nine weeks and thePhilip Morris radio series on NBC andCBS for two years to his growing list of achievements.Some of his other triumphs were his record-breaking runs in famed hotels, ballrooms and theatres across the country. A few of these engagements were at the Biltmore Hotel,
Los Angeles ;Claremont Hotel ,California ;Edgewater Beach Hotel ,Chicago ; Aragon and Trianon, Chicago; Strand, Chicago; theStatler Hotel , New York;Orpheum , Los Angeles;Palladium ,Hollywood ; to name a few.Chart success
In 1949, four songs he recorded made it big on the charts. They were "So Tired", "
Cruising Down the River ", "Sunflower" and "Forever and Ever." On the latter he used a vocal quartet that was just starting out and would later become famous as theAmes Brothers . 1949 was his big year.Later career / death
During the 1950s, his orchestra continued to be a popular one for dancing and listening music. He continued to set house records with his appearances in California and New York as well as his many tours across the entire nation. During this decade, it was mostly the long-established veteran "sweet bands" that were supplying the music for dancers, and Russ Morgan was one of them. The veterans included
Jan Garber ,Sammy Kaye ,Wayne King ,Guy Lombardo , Freddy Martin andLawrence Welk .In 1958, Morgan's nineteen-piece band had been reduced to eleven men, with his sons
Jack Morgan on trombone andDavid Morgan on guitar. In 1965, he was then booked for an eight-week engagement at theTop O' The Strip at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. However, it ended up lasting until 1977, a total of twelve years.He died in 1969 at the age of sixty-five. Morgan’s son, Jack, took over the leadership. He has led the band ever since.
For his contributions for recording, he has a "Star" on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame .External links
*imdb name|0605012
* http://www.russmorganorchestra.com/
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