Les Brown and His Orchestra
Les was born on March 14, 1912 and was raised in Tower City, PA, the son of… Read Full Bio ↴Les was born on March 14, 1912 and was raised in Tower City, PA, the son of R.W. Brown, a baker and musician. (Quoting Les' own words) "My father's love was music, but he was a baker so we could eat." R.W. played soprano sax in a sax quartet that performed the popular music of the day, the marches of John Phillip Sousa. Since Sousa was known as 'The March King', R.W earned the sobriquet, 'March Prince'. As the son of the March Prince, Les Brown was playing music almost as soon as he could walk. By the age of nine, Les joined his first pro band playing using R.W.'s soprano sax, but was hindered by his lack of proper attire: "The only problem was that I didn't have any long pants at the time. A guy lived next door to us who was 16 and very short. I borrowed his pants so I didn't have to play in shorts."

By 14, Les Brown was already a seasoned professional, and he started what would be the first of many bands; 'The Royal Serertadore'. Although the sax remained his main interest, Les also studied and mastered the classical clarinet while at Ithaca Conservatory of Music. (Years later, Les said he ended his solo clarinet playing career after listening to Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Jimmy Dorsey, and Woody Herman, and decided that he "wasn't in their class as a soloist and never would be.") After Ithaca Conservatory, he enrolled at Duke University and performed with the 'Blue Devils' for four years, taking over as leader in his junior year. The final performance of Les, and the Blue Devils, was in 1936 at Budd Lake, NJ, the hometown of Georgia Claire De Wolfe. Two years later, in September of 1938, Claire and Les became husband and wife.

Les took jobs arranging for the bands of Isham Jones, Larry Clinton and others, but he was keen to lead his own band again, and with the help of two 'angels', a new Les Brown band was born. His first big hit was a novelty tune written by Ben Homer and "deejay" Alan Courtney. It was "Joltin' Joe DiMaggio" based on Joe DiMaggio's amazing 56-game hitting streak that had the entire U.S.A. talking that summer of 1941. Les wasn't able to record the song for two years, however, due to a musician's union recording ban imposed in 1942.

As soon as the recording ban was lifted, Les and the band great vocals by Henry "Butch" Stone (sax and vocals), and Doris Day, whose recording of "Sentimental Journey" became the perfect theme song for all the young men returning home from the war. It remained the number one song in the country for sixteen weeks, stayed on the Hit Parade for months, and has since become an undeniable standard in the lexicon of what composer Alec Wilder called 'American Popular Song'.

By this time, the band was known as "Les Brown and the Band of Renown", a name born on the spot when the band was about to perform live one night on the radio from the Palladium. Since the 60s, Les and his band have never stopped performing. They have continued making records and still perform about 60 dates a year making them the oldest existing band in America. In April of 1996, the Guiness Book of World Records awarded Les with the distinction of being the leader of the longest lasting musical organization in the history of popular music. Les' band is also very well remembered for the amount of traveling and radio shows they did with famed comedian Bob Hope.
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Les Brown and His Orchestra Lyrics


'Tis Autumn Old Father Time checked, so there'd be no doubt Called on…
A Good Man is Hard to Find Now here's a story with a moral All you gals should…
A String of Pearls Savoy, the home of sweet romance Savoy, it wins you with…
All Through The Day I sit alone in the golden daylight, But all I see…
Aren't You Glad You're You Oh, it really wasn't my intention To disregard convention It…
Back In Your Own Backyard We leave home expecting to find a blue bird, Hoping ev'ry…
Barbara Allen All in the merry month of May When the green buds…
Bizet Has His Day (Hey!) Hey! Columbia has brought you Les Brown and the orc…
Black Coffee I'm feeling mighty lonesome Haven't slept a wink I walk the …
Blue Danube All the years have come, and the years have gone, But…
Blue Moon Blue moon you saw me standing alone Without a dream in…
Dance of the Blue Devils I don't want you, but I'd hate to lose you You've…
Day By Day Day by day I'm falling more in love with you And…



Don't Worry 'Bout Me Don't worry 'bout me I'll get along Forget about me Just be …
Down Sunnyside Lane Everybody's hand in hand Swingin' down the lane Everybody's…
I Taking stock of what I have and what I haven't, What…
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me Yesterday you came my way, And when you smiled at me, In…
I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good Though folks with good intentions Tell me to save my tears W…
I Got the Sun in the Morning Du, du, du, du, du, du, du Du, lu, lu, du,…
I Guess I'll Get The Papers Yes, I guess I'll get the papers and go home Like…
I'll Be Seeing You I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places That…
I'll Remember April This lovely day will lengthen into evening We'll sigh goodby…
I'm Beginning to See the Light I never cared much for moonlit skies I never wink back…
I'm in the Mood for Love I'm in the mood for love Simply because you're near me. Funn…
I've Got My Love To Keep The snow is snowing The wind is blowing But I can weather…
I've Got My Love to Keep Me I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (do…
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (do…
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm Jing-A-Ling I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (do…
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm/Jing-A-Ling (do do-do do do do-do) (do do-do do do do-do) The snow…
I've Got Myself To Keep Me Warm The snow is snowing The wind is blowing But I can weather…
I've Got the Sun in the Morning Got no diamond, got no pearl Still I think I'm a…
In Love in Vain Here I go again, I hear those trumpets blow again. All…
In The Middle Pick me a town in any clime Where people like a…
Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall Into each life some rain must fall But too much is…
It Could Happen to You Hide your heart from sight, Lock your dreams at night, It …
Joltin' Joe Di Maggio Hello Joe, whatta you know? (We need a hit, so here…
Just a Gigolo Was in a Paris cafe that first I found him He…
Just One of Those Things It was just one of those things Just one of those…
Let It Snow! The weather outside is frightful But the fire is so delightf…
little brown jug Me and my wife live all alone In a little…
Massachusetts When the porter yells Massachusetts I'll be there with bells…
Midnight Sun Your lips were like a red and ruby chalice, Warmer than…
My Blue Heaven Whippoorwills call, evenin' is nigh Hurry to my Blue Heaven…
My Dreams Are Getting Better Well, what do you know, he smiled at me in…
Organ Grinder's Swing Who's that coming down the street? Good old organ grinder Pe…
Ramona I wander out yonder o'er the hills Where the mountains high …
Really? I don't like you But I love you Seems that I'm always Thinki…
Robin Hood Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen Robin Hood, …
Rock Me To Sleep I heard it came to town A new kind of rhythm Spread…
San It only takes a tiny corner of This great big…
Sentimental Journey Gonna take a sentimental journey Gonna set my heart at ease …
September Song Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December But…
Sleigh Ride In July If I were the type to play around It wouldn't be…
So Rare What is so rare as a day in June? 'Till now…
Some of These Days Some of these days You'll miss your honey Some of these days…
Someday Sweetheart Someday, sweetheart, You may be sorry For what you've done T…
Sooner or Later You and I said goodbye With a friendly kiss And though I'm…
Stompin' At The Savoy Savoy, the home of sweet romance Savoy, it wins you at…
Swingtime in the Rockies When it's springtime in the Rockies I am coming back to…
Tea For Two Because there's three at a table for two My appointment was…
that certain feeling That certain feeling The first time I met you I hit the…
That Old Black Magic Old black magic has me in its spell Old black magic…
The Booglie Wooglie Piggy [TB] Take it from me: I just found somethin? to see…
The Christmas Song Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at you…
The Song Is Ended The whole world is singing my song But I sing it…
The Whiffenpoof Song To the tables down at Mory's To the place where Louie…
The Whole World Is Singing My Song The whole world is singing my song But I sing it…
Twilight Time Heavenly shades of night are falling it's twilight time Out…
Years and Years Ago When the bells all ring and the horns all blow And…
You Are My Sunshine You are the sunshine of my life That's why I'll always…
You Won't Be Satisfied You won't be satisfied until you break my heart You're never…
You Wont Be Satisfied Until You Break My Heart You won't be satisfied until you break my heart, You're nev…


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