He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a traveling circus. By the age of 10 he was taking trumpet lessons from his father, who placed him on a strict daily practice schedule. Each day, James was given one page to learn from the Arban's book and was not allowed to pursue any other pastime until he had learned that particular page.
In 1931 the family settled in Beaumont, Texas, where James began playing with local dance bands.
He joined the nationally popular Ben Pollack in 1935 but at the start of 1937, left Pollack to join Benny Goodman's orchestra, where he stayed through 1938.
In February 1939 James debuted his own big band in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His hit "You Made Me Love You" was in the Top 10 during the week of December 7, 1941. He toured with the band into the 1980s.
His was the first "name band" to employ vocalist Frank Sinatra, in 1939. He wanted to change Sinatra's name to 'Frankie Satin' but Sinatra refused. His later band included drummer Buddy Rich.
He played trumpet in the 1950 film Young Man with a Horn, dubbing Kirk Douglas. James's recording of "I'm Beginning to See the Light" appears in the motion picture My Dog Skip (2000). His music is also featured in the Woody Allen film Hannah and Her Sisters. James recorded many popular records and appeared in many Hollywood movies.
He was second only to Glenn Miller as the most successful recording artist of 1942.
James was married three times. On May 4, 1935, he married singer Louise Tobin, with whom he had two children. They divorced in 1943. That same year, he married actress Betty Grable. They had two daughters, Victoria and Jessica, before divorcing in 1965. James married a third time in 1968 to Las Vegas showgirl Joan Boyd, whom he would divorce in March 1970. Contrary to some assertions, he did not marry a fourth time. He had five children (two by Tobin, two by Grable, one by Boyd) and (as of his death) 16 grandchildren.
James owned several thoroughbred racehorses that won races such as the California Breeders' Champion Stakes (1951) and the San Vicente Stakes (1954). He was also a founding investor in the Atlantic City Race Course. His knowledge of horse racing was demonstrated during a 1958 appearance on The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour entitled "Lucy Wins A Racehorse."
In 1983, James was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer, but he continued to work, playing his last professional job on June 26, 1983, in Los Angeles, California, just nine days before his death in Las Vegas, Nevada. Frank Sinatra gave the eulogy at the Bunkers Eden Vale Memorial Park in Las Vegas.
Trumpet Blues and Cantabile
Harry James and His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothin' but blue skies do I see
Bluebirds singin' a song
Nothin' but bluebirds all day long
Never saw the sun shinin' so bright
Never saw things goin' so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
Blue days, all of them gone
Nothin' but blue skies from now on
Blue skies smilin' at me
Nothin' but blue skies do I see
Never saw the sun shinin' so bright
Never saw things goin' so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love, my, how they fly
Blue days, all of them gone
Nothin' but blue skies from now on
The song "Trumpet Blues and Cantabile" by Harry James and His Orchestra is an instrumental piece with no lyrics. However, the lyrics provided above are from a famous standard named "Blue Skies”. The song is an ode to the romance and happiness that one experiences when in love. Life just seems perfect with nothing but blue skies, blue birds and sunshine.
The song's opening lines, "Blue skies smilin' at me, nothin' but blue skies do I see," set the tone for the entire song. The author expresses the beauty of the blue sky and the joy and contentment that it brings. Bluebirds are also mentioned as if they are singing a song of happiness. The sun shines brighter, and all is right with the world when love is present. The chorus repeats this sentiment with a slightly different phrasing stating, "Blue days are all gone, nothin' but blue skies from now on."
The message within the song is uplifting and positive, it describes a world of happiness where there is no room for sadness. The song has become synonymous with hope and optimism, often performed at weddings or celebrations, making it a timeless classic.
Interestingly, Blue Skies has been covered by various artists such as Frank Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Bing Crosby, and Lena Horne. Additionally, the song was featured in the 1946 film "Blue Skies" with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. As a result, the song gained immense popularity and quickly became a jazz standard in the mid-20th century.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue skies smilin' at me
The singer is feeling happy and optimistic about life.
Nothin' but blue skies do I see
Their happiness is so great that everything they look at seems beautiful to them.
Bluebirds singin' a song
The birds are a symbol of happiness and joy.
Nothin' but bluebirds all day long
The singer is surrounded by happiness and positivity.
Never saw the sun shinin' so bright
The singer has never felt this happy before.
Never saw things goin' so right
Everything seems to be working out perfectly for the singer.
Noticing the days hurrying by
Time seems to be moving quickly because the singer is enjoying their happiness and not paying attention to the passing time.
When you're in love, my, how they fly
When in love, time seems to pass quickly.
Blue days, all of them gone
The singer's past sadness and troubles are gone.
Nothin' but blue skies from now on
The future looks bright and positive for the singer.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: IRVING BERLIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Trombonology Erstwhile
Harry's five-man trumpet section (including the leader himself), from a time when four was tops, is a wondrous thing to hear! I love the contrast here between this well-drilled but swinging team and the sinewy strings. Fantastic side.
Justice M
in my opinion this is Harry James's theme song! I always feel trumpet blue when I think of James!
Daniil Serbin
Играли в оркестре это давно)
Потрясная вещь, особенно когда играл сам
MARKMANIATT
A classic amongst classics!
Bourg Productions
80 years, 80 cheers.
Kirk Barkley
You betcha!
Kanika Sharma
Which cartoon had the first 7 seconds of the song?? Driving me insane cuz I can't recall 😂😂
Edgar Allan Poe
Diferente versión me quedó con la otra versión
Johann Sebastian Bach
Zoot!
Elaine Evans
I was wondering what happened to your channel as it disappeared mysteriously.