User:Teblick/Jack Leonard (singer)
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Teblick/Jack Leonard |
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Jack Leonard was a singer in the era of American big bands.
Early years
[edit]Born John Joseph Leonard[1]
Singing
[edit]Leonard moved up in the musical world when Tommy Dorsey heard a radio broadcast of Bert Block's band. Leonard was Block's featured male soloist, and he sang with Block's group, The Three Esquires.[1]
Leonard joined the Dorsey group in 1937,[2] when he was "about 19"[1] and sang with the band almost four years,[3] making more than 200 recordings[2] that included For Sentimental Reasons, Little White Lies and "probably the most famous of all Dorsey sides, Marie."[3] Twenty-four of the Dorsey-Leonard recordings made the top 10 in Billboard's popular music chart.[1]
In his book, The Big Bands, George T. Simon wrote, "Jack turned out to be a real find and for several years rivaled Bing Crosby as the kids' favorite singer."[3] On the other hand, Peter J. Levinson wrote in his book, Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way, that Leonard became "firmly established as the nation's favorite male band singer."[1]: 110
When World War II began, Leonard left Dorsey and went into military service. He was head of a military band at Fort Dix, New Jersey.[2]
Managing
[edit]In 1952, Leonard became the manager of the music firms Embassy and Dorsey Brothers Music, both of which were owned by Tommy Dorsey.[4]
Film
[edit]Television
[edit]Personal life
[edit]Death
[edit]Leonard died on June 17, 1988, aged 73.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Levinson, Peter J. (2009). Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way, a Biography. Da Capo Press. p. 76. ISBN 0786734949. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Jack Leonard, Singer, 73". The New York Times. Associated Press. June 22, 1988. p. D 31. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
- ^ a b c Simon, George T. (1981). The Big Bands (4th ed.). New York, New York: Schirmer Books. p. 162. ISBN 0-02-872430-5.
- ^ "Dorsey Picks Jack Leonard". Billboard. November 22, 1952. p. 17.
External links
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