Tommy Dorsey: Jazz Superstar

Tommy Dorsey had a brief life, but during those years he accomplished a lot in the world of jazz. He was born in 1905 and died in 1956, at the age of 51. Tommy and his brother Jimmy were both successful jazz band leaders. The two brothers performed together often, until a falling out in 1935. The two did not speak to each other for many years. By 1953, the Dorsey Brothers took on television projects, including working with Jackie Gleason.

Over the years, many legendary performers were part of Dorsey's band, including Glenn Miller, Frank Sinatra (1940-1942), Nelson Riddle, Doc Severinsen, Louie Bellson, Buddy Rich and more. It was said that Frank Sinatra learned breath control after watching Dorsey's technique on the trombone. Between 1941 and 1951, Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra appeared in ten films. He had an incredible amount of Billboard hits, numbering 286, with 17 number one hits in the 1930s and 1940s. Dorsey was known as a perfectionist with a short temper. He would "steal" performers that he liked from other bands and put them in his own. He was married three times.

A prime example of a Tommy Dorsey big band classic can be seen here. The song "Well Git It" was a showcase for Dorsey's collection of talented performers. The song had a drum solo, a clarinet solo, a solo featuring dueling pianos and alternating trumpet solos. The vitality of this music made it exciting and contagious for listeners. Buddy Rich performed this song on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, with Doc Severinsen and the band.

*Information from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Dorsey and https://www.biography.com/people/tommy-dorsey-9277676.

Entertainment's Renaissance Man: Quincy Jones

We have all heard the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none." Many times that is true. People should focus on being great at one thing. But, there are some people who are exceptions to the rule. Quincy Jones is just such a person. The versatility of his talents is staggering. Few have achieved more in the world of entertainment, with excellence achieved in many disciplines.

Quincy is best known for his musical talents. In 1953 at age 20, he toured with jazz great Lionel Hampton as a trumpet player, pianist and arranger. He arranged music for some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Ray Charles, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and even Frank Sinatra. His ear for music led him to produce some groundbreaking songs such as the 1985 charity song We are the World. He produced albums for Michael Jackson including Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982) and Bad (1987).

He was the founder of Vibe magazine and he had his own TV production company which produced Mad TV, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and others. He was the co-producer of the film The Color Purple. He won a Tony Award for the Broadway revival of that production.

Jones has been awarded ten honorary doctorate degrees. He is only one of 17 people to have won an Emmy, a Grammy an Oscar and a Tony Award. As a matter of fact, he has won 27 Grammys! At age 84 he is still tacking new challenges as a producer for various projects. In 2001 he released his autobiography. Always one to keep up with the latest technology, he launched his own podcast in 2007.

Here is a clip of the 2001 Kennedy Center Honors. Jones was recognized for his work, where he was treated by a performance that brought together Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.

Jones' net worth is an estimated $400 million.

* Information from quincyjones.com and celebritynetworth.com

Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness and the Mob

A book's title is an important tool to attract the interest of potential readers. But, when a title is deceptive, readers feel slighted. That is how I felt after reading Matt Birkbeck's book "Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness and the Mob". I have always had an interest in the mega stars that were members of the legendary bunch of entertainers known as The Rat Pack. The group included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.

I expected this book to be all about the life and times of Sammy Davis Jr. I knew that he was a man of many talents, famous for his singing, dancing, acting, his impressions and his overall charisma. I had assumed that the book would tell behind-the-scenes stories about his many experiences in television, film, recording albums and performing all over the world. There is so much that could be covered about a life such as his.

Instead it was a book primarily about his financial indiscretions and how he left his family to clean up the mess he left behind after his death in 1990. Sammy made a lot of money, estimated to be $50 million over his career in show biz. But he also spent a lot, through his gambling, substance abuse, his divorces and his lavish lifestyle. He was known for his extensive collection of jewelry, his fancy homes and cars. He invested in some ill-advised business deals that ended up costing him millions. So, the book was largely about how his wife Altovise Davis tried to figure out how to repay Sammy's enormous debts to the IRS, which totalled $10 million. Everything was liquidated and it still was not enough.

Sammy wrote 2 books about his life himself, one called "Yes I Can" and one called "Why Me?" So, hopefully those will be more up my alley, with plenty of show biz stories.

For a much better book about old school entertainers, check out "Dean and Me: A Love Story" by Jerry Lewis. That book is filled with fascinating stories about Jerry and his deep friendship with Dean Martin. I would also recommend the book "Johnny Carson" by his longtime lawyer/manager/friend Henry Bushkin.

Sammy Davis Jr.---Short in Stature, but a Showbiz Giant

A few days ago I watched the David Letterman 5th year anniversary show from 1987. This was Dave's NBC 12:35 am show that followed Johnny Carson. One of his guests was Sammy Davis Jr. I realized that this was only 3 years prior to Sammy's death, but he looked and sounded as good as ever.

Sammy Davis Jr. packed a lot of living into his too short 64 years on earth. At age 4, in 1929, he started performing with his father, Sammy Davis Sr. and his adopted uncle Will Mastin. They would travel to Vaudeville theatres and little Sam learned the ropes of how to be a performer. In 1933, at age 8, he acted in 2 short films, Rufus Jones for President and Seasoned Greetings. Due to being on the road as a kid, he never had formal education.

In 1954 he was involved in a car accident that caused him to lose one of his eyes. He wore an eye patch for awhile but then decided to have a glass eye implanted. At this time he converted to Judaism.

He developed into a multi-talented powerhouse who could sing, dance, act and play the drums. He had a lot of talent and personality packed into a 5'5" frame. He was a member of the showbiz fraternity known as The Rat Pack with fellow stars Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop.

During his stint in the military and afterwards, Davis fought against the closed minded racists that he came across. He once heard someone complaining about discrimination, and he said, "You got it easy. I'm a short, ugly, one-eyed, black Jew. What do you think it's like for me?"

He had many hits as a singer including The Candy Man, which was a #1 hit, Mr. Bojangles, I've Gotta Be Me, What Kind of Fool Am I, and many others. He acted in many films, some with the Rat Pack guys and some without. He appeared in Ocean's Eleven (the Rat Pack version, long before the George Clooney film), Robin and His Seven Hoods, Cannonball Run, and his final film, Tap. In his final movie he starred with another renowned tap dancer, Gregory Hines.

Like his fellow Rat Pack member Frank Sinatra, there were rumors of Davis Jr.'s ties to the mob. But, in the early days of showbiz, the mob had ownership of many of the nation's largest entertainment venues. So, entertainers could not help but have affiliations with the world of organized crime. Jerry Lewis wrote about this in his book "Dean and Me: A Love Story". Martin and Lewis were regulars at New York's Copacabana, owned by mobsters.

Davis made a lot of money over the years, but also lost a lot. He was notorious for being a Las Vegas high roller. When he died in 1990, he was deep in debt to the IRS. It was said that he earned $50 million over his lifetime but died with debts totalling $10 million. After his death, his family liquidated his estate and his last wife lived in poverty (Altovise Davis). According to an NPR interview with a Davis biographer, Sammy was a fantastic performer, but a rotten parent. He was distant with his kids and after his death there was considerable turmoil in his family battling over his possessions.

He was married 3 times and he had 4 children. Michael Jackson said that he idolized Davis for his massive talent. He was a regular on the Jerry Lewis telethon. Davis was a star of Broadway, film, TV and live performances. He appeared in a memorable episode of All in the Family where he kissed bigot Archie Bunker on the cheek just as their photo was being taken. He also appeared with Sherman Hemsley in The Jeffersons. His other TV appearances included: The Cosby Show, Batman, Laugh-In, One Life to Live, General Hospital and The Patty Duke Show. He died of throat cancer in 1990. He died on the same day as Muppets creator Jim Henson.

Some material from imdb.com.

Showbiz trivia: Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis

From 1946-1956, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis ruled show business. Their live shows were a hit in New York and sometimes they performed as many as 6 shows per day. In his book, "Dean and Me: A Love Story" Jerry described them as the playboy and the putz. Dean was the suave Italian singer and ladies man who played it straight. Jerry was the manic, crazy nerd running around the stage like a madman. By 1948, the Copacabana club in New York City was paying them $7500 per week each to perform there. After parting ways in 1956, Jerry went on to direct and star in many films. He became known as a brilliant film director who taught students how to direct at USC. Two of his film students ended up quite successful: Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Jerry starred in the 1982 film The King of Comedy with Robert DeNiro. Martin Scorsese was the director and Lewis played Jerry Langford, a Johnny Carson-like late night host. Dean Martin went on to have a successful singing career as a member of the Rat Pack, along with Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.