Harry James was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a traveling circus. By age 10 he was taking trumpet lessons from his father. His father had him on a very strict practicing schedule every day. He was given one page to learn out of the Arban's book (a trumpet drill book) every day and could not do anything until he learned that page.
In 1931 the family settled in Beaumont, Texas and James began playing with local dance bands. James joined the nationally popular Ben Pollack in 1935. At the start of 1937 he left Pollack to join Benny Goodman's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938.
In February of 1939 Harry James debuted his own big band in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He continued touring with the band into the 1980s. His was the first "name band" to employ vocalist Frank Sinatra, in 1939. In 1943 he married actress Betty Grable.
His first wife was ex B.Goodman singer.,Louise Tobin.
You can hear his trumpet playing in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn, dubbing Kirk Douglas. His recording of "I'm Beginning to See the Light" appears in the motion picture My Dog Skip (2000). James recorded many popular records and appeared in many Hollywood movies.
In 1983, James was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, but he continued to work, playing his last professional job on 26 June 1983 in Los Angeles just nine days before his death in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sweet Georgia Brown
Cab Calloway Lyrics
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No gal made has got a shade
On sweet georgia brown,
Two left feet, oh, so neat,
Has sweet georgia brown!
They all sigh, and want to die,
For sweet georgia brown!
I'll tell you just why,
You know i don't lie, not much:
It's been said she knocks 'em dead,
When she lands in town!
Since she came, why it's a shame,
How she cools them down!
Fellas she can't get
Must be fellas she ain't met!
Georgia claimed her, georgia named her,
Sweet georgia brown!
No gal made has got a shade
On sweet georgia brown,
Two left feet, oh, so neat,
Has sweet georgia brown!
They all sigh, and want to die,
For sweet georgia brown!
I'll tell you just why,
You know i don't lie; not much:
All those gifts those courters give,
To sweet georgia brown,
They buy clothes at fashion shows,
With one dollar down,
Oh, boy! tip your hat!
Oh, joy! she's the cat!
Who's that, mister? 'tain't a sister!
Sweet georgia brown!
In the lyrics to Cab Calloway's song "Sweet Georgia Brown," Louis Armstrong is describing the captivating nature of a woman named Georgia. He starts off by saying that no other woman can compare to her, implying that she is the most beautiful and captivating woman in town. Armstrong sings about the way that she dances, stating that even with "two left feet" she still manages to exude an attractive grace that catches everyone's attention. He describes how all the men around her swoon and would be willing to die for her attention. Armstrong goes on to explain that Georgia has a certain ability to "knock them dead" and that she has a way of making people feel cooler just by being in their presence. He concludes the song by suggesting that those men who aren't interested in Georgia simply haven't met her yet, and he reminds the listener that Georgia was claimed and named after the state itself.
Line by Line Meaning
No gal made has got a shade
On sweet georgia brown,
No woman can compare to Sweet Georgia Brown.
Two left feet, oh, so neat,
Has sweet georgia brown!
Although she may not have perfect dancing abilities, Sweet Georgia Brown is charming.
They all sigh, and want to die,
For sweet georgia brown!
Men are so infatuated with Sweet Georgia Brown that they would do anything for her.
I'll tell you just why,
You know i don't lie, not much:
I will tell you the true reason without embellishing too much.
It's been said she knocks 'em dead,
When she lands in town!
Sweet Georgia Brown is so captivating that people are completely taken with her when she arrives in town.
Since she came, why it's a shame,
How she cools them down!
Sweet Georgia Brown has such an effect on men that it's a shame to see how quickly she can make them calm and subdued.
Fellas she can't get
Must be fellas she ain't met!
If there are any men who are not interested in Sweet Georgia Brown, it's only because they have not yet had the opportunity to meet her.
Georgia claimed her, georgia named her,
Sweet georgia brown!
Sweet Georgia Brown is so uniquely special that she must have been claimed and named after the state of Georgia.
All those gifts those courters give,
To sweet georgia brown,
Men shower Sweet Georgia Brown with gifts in an attempt to win her affection.
They buy clothes at fashion shows,
With one dollar down,
The men who court Sweet Georgia Brown go to great lengths to buy her fashionable and expensive gifts.
Oh, boy! tip your hat!
Oh, joy! she's the cat!
Men show great respect and admiration for Sweet Georgia Brown.
Who's that, mister? 'tain't a sister!
Sweet georgia brown!
Sweet Georgia Brown is such a unique and impressive woman that even strangers will ask who she is when they see her.
Contributed by Makayla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.