As a child Anthony moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, where he began studying the trumpet with his father. He played in Glenn Miller's band from 1940–1941 and appeared in the Glenn Miller movie Sun Valley Serenade in 1941 before joining the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he formed his own group. The Ray Anthony Orchestra became very popular in the early 1950s, with recordings that included Anthony's classic dance songs "The Bunny Hop" and the "Hokey Pokey," as well as the theme music from Dragnet. He had a #2 chart hit with a remake of the Glenn Miller tune, "At Last" in 1952.
From 1953-1954 Anthony was the musical director on the television series TV's Top Tunes, and he also appeared as himself in the 1955 film Daddy Long Legs. In 1955 Anthony married sex symbol actress Mamie Van Doren and began expanding his own acting career. He starred in a short-lived television 1956-1957 variety show, The Ray Anthony Show. Anthony also appeared in several films during the late 1950s, including The Five Pennies (where he portrayed Jimmy Dorsey), and Van Doren's movies High School Confidential as "Bix" and Girls Town. In the 1959-1960 television season, he guest starred in the episode "Operation Ramrod" of David Hedison's espionage series Five Fingers on NBC.
Anthony and Van Doren divorced in 1961, and Anthony's brief film career ended at about the same time. However, he continued his musical career and had another hit record with the theme from Peter Gunn, which reached #8 on Billboard's pop chart. Among his pianists was Allen "Puddler" Harris, a native of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, who had been a member of the original Ricky Nelson band and Kellie Green, who also played the vibraphone.
Anthony was considered one of the most modern of the big band leaders. In the lyrics to "Opus One", which imagine a number of players performing the song, he is cited along with Les Brown and his Band of Renown:
If Mr. Les Brown can make it renowned
And Ray Anthony could rock it for me
Anthony and his band were also featured in the movie, The Girl Can't Help It, and were treated as one of the rockers in the line-up, but also shown in performances with Mansfield that are essential to the plot.
Ray Anthony's compositions include "Thurderbird", "Bunny Hop", "Trumpet Boogie", "Big Band Boogie", and "Mr. Anthony's Boogie".
Anthony has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
As of 20 January 2011 (2011 -01-20)[update] his 89th birthday, Anthony is active as a bandleader and musician, and is one of the oldest and living big band bandleaders.
Anthony has a close friendship with Hugh Hefner, which has resulted in him appearing in numerous episodes of The Girls Next Door.
Dinah
Ray Anthony & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gave me Dinah;
I'm the proudest one
Beneath the Dixie sun.
News is spreadin'
'Bout our weddin';
I hear church bells ringin',
Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!
Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!
But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,
I would hop an ocean liner,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!
Dinah,
Is there anyone finer
In the state of Carolina?
If there is and you know her,
Show her!
Dinah,
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
How I love to sit and gaze in
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
Yet, every night,
My, how I shake with fright,
Because my Dinah might,
Change her mind about me!
But if Dinah,
Ever wandered to China,
I would hop an ocean!,
Just to be with Dinah Lee!
The lyrics to Ray Anthony & His Orchestra's song "Dinah" are about a man's love for a woman named Dinah from Carolina. The first verse reveals that Carolina gave him Dinah and he is proud to have her. The second verse talks about their upcoming wedding and the church bells ringing. The chorus repeats the name Dinah and praises her as the finest woman in the state of Carolina with her "Dixie eyes blazin'". The bridge shows the vulnerability of the singer, as he admits to fearing that Dinah might change her mind about him. However, he ends the song by stating that he would travel across the ocean to be with her, even if she wandered off to China.
The lyrics of "Dinah" highlight the Southern charm and romanticism of the era, with Carolina and Dixie being symbols of the South. The song's tune is upbeat and jazzy, reflective of the swing music that was popular at the time. The song's lyrics bring to light the desire for a partner who is loyal, beautiful, and loving.
Line by Line Meaning
Carolina
The state where Dinah came from and where the singer is located.
Gave me Dinah;
Dinah was given to the singer, either as a gift or a romantic partner.
I'm the proudest one
The singer is very proud to have Dinah in their life.
Beneath the Dixie sun.
The singer is proud to have Dinah in the southern US, where the Dixie region is located.
News is spreadin'
Word is getting out about the singer's relationship with Dinah.
'Bout our weddin';
People are talking about the possibility of the singer and Dinah getting married.
I hear church bells ringin',
The singer imagines getting married to Dinah in a church, and hears the bells in their mind.
Here's the song my heart keeps singin':
The song is a reflection of the singer's feelings for Dinah.
Dinah,
The song addresses Dinah directly.
Is there anyone finer
The singer believes Dinah is the best person in Carolina.
In the state of Carolina?
The singer is emphasizing Dinah's greatness in that specific state.
If there is and you know her,
The singer challenges anyone who thinks there is someone finer than Dinah to introduce them.
Show her!
The singer wants to be proven wrong and wants to see someone finer than Dinah.
With her Dixie eyes blazin',
Dinah is being described with fiery eyes that reflect her southern heritage.
How I love to sit and gaze in
The singer loves looking into Dinah's eyes.
To the eyes of Dinah Lee!
The singer loves how Dinah's eyes look and captivate them.
Yet, every night,
Despite their love for Dinah, the singer still worries.
My, how I shake with fright,
The singer is scared that Dinah will leave them.
Because my Dinah might,
The singer fears that Dinah might lose interest in them.
Change her mind about me!
The singer is afraid that Dinah might not want to be with them anymore.
But if Dinah,
Despite this fear, the singer's love for Dinah is strong.
Ever wandered to China,
Even if Dinah were to move to China, the singer would follow her there.
I would hop an ocean liner,
The singer would take any means necessary to be with Dinah.
Just to be with Dinah Lee!
The singer loves Dinah and wants to be with her no matter what happens.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harry Akst, Samuel M. Lewis, Joseph Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind