Bradley was born Wilbur Schwitchenberg on July 12, 1912 in Newton, New Jers… Read Full Bio ↴Bradley was born Wilbur Schwitchenberg on July 12, 1912 in Newton, New Jersey and died on July 15, 1989.

Will Bradley will always be remembered most for his boogie-woogie orchestra of the early 1940s. Bradley himself, however, preferred to play ballads and had a long and successful career as a trombonist outside of his band. Bradley was a busy studio musician throughout the 1930s, working with such artists as Red Nichols, Eddie Cantor, Victor Young. Jacques Renard, Nat Shilkret, Andre Kostelanetz, Raymond Paige, Kate Smith, and Al Jolson. In 1935 Glenn Miller, who thought Bradley the best trombonist in the business, hired him to play in Ray Noble's American band, which Miller was organizing. He left Noble the following year, however, and returned to studio work. Bradley also played with Milt Shaw's orchestra in 1931, where he met drummer Ray McKinley.

Bradley's name was unknown to the general public when in 1939 William Morris talent agent Willard Alexander suggested he form a swing orchestra. Trombone-playing leaders, such as Miller and Tommy Dorsey, were currently popular, and Alexander felt Bradley would do well on his own. Drummers were also the rage, and Alexander teamed Bradley with old bandmate McKinley, who was then with Jimmy Dorsey. Backed by a powerful publicity campaign the duo's orchestra debuted in 1939 under Bradley's name and soon had its first big hit in ''Celery Stalks.''

The band initially featured pianist Freddie Slack and a young Peanuts Hucko on tenor sax. Trumpeters Lee Castle and Pete Candoli later played with the group. Arrangements were provided by Hugo Winterhalter, Leonard Whitney, and Al Datz. McKinley sang on the more swinging numbers. Other vocalists included Carlotta Dale, Phyllis Miles, Louise Tobin, Larry Southern, and Jimmy Valentine. The group's first recordings were on the Vocalion and Okeh labels. Subsequent releases were on Columbia.

In 1940 Bradley and McKinley began to feature the boogie woogie sound in their arrangements. Initial success with the song ''Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar'' sparked a slew of similar recordings, such as ''Bounce Me Brother, with a Solid Four'' and ''Scrub Me Mama, with a Boogie Beat.'' The new style proved popular with the public, and the band quickly developed a niche following. By early 1942, however, Bradley had tired of boogie-woogie and wanted to focus more on ballads. McKinley disagreed and left to form his own band.

Bradley set about reforming his orchestra but was forced to hang up his baton after only six months due to the war. He lost too many musicians in the draft and was unable to replace them. The new orchestra did not enter the studio. Vocalists were Terry Allen and Lynn Gardner

Bradley continued to record under his own name during the war, using studio musicians, on the Signature label. Ironically, considering the cause of his orchestra's break-up, in 1944 he released material on the Beacon/Celebrity label as Will Bradley and His Boogie Woogie Boys. In 1947 he also recorded with vocalist Anita O'Day on Signature, and in the 1950s he released three albums, which included one RCA collection of boogie woogie songs.

Bradley worked often as a studio musician after the war and spent many years in the Tonight Show orchestra in the Johnny Carson era. In 1953 he had a brief spell with the Sauter-Finegan Band and also composed several classical works in his later years.

I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
Will Bradley Lyrics

We have lyrics for 'I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues' by these artists:

Al Hibbler I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
André Previn And His Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Anita Wardell I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Benny Goodman & Jack Teagarden I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Benny Goodman And His Orchestra With Jack Teagarden I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Benny Goodman and Jack Teagarden I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Billie Holiday Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler I gotta right to sing the…
Billie Holiday and Her Orchestra I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Billy Eckstine I got a right to sing the blues I got a…

Billy May I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Brenda Lee & Pete Fountain (H. Arlen - T. Koehler) I gotta right to sing the…
Bunny Berigan I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Cab Calloway & His Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Cal Tjader I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues I Gotta Right To…
Carrie Smith and Sir Roland Hanna I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Connee Boswell I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Dick Haymes & Harry James and His Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Duke Ellington I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Earl Hines I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Eileen Farrell & Luther Henderson and his Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Ella Fitzgerald I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Ethel Merman I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Frank Sinatra I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Frank Sinatra/Skip Martin Orchestra I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Frank Stallone I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
GORME Eydie I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Harold Arlen I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Jack Teagarden I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Jack Teagarden / Benny Goodman & His Orchestra I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Jack Teagarden and His Band I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Jack Teagarden Orchestra I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Judy Garland I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Keely Smith with Louis Prima And His Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Lee Wiley I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Lena Horne I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Louis Armstorong and His Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Louis Armstrong I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Louis Armstrong & His All‐Stars Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Louis Armstrong & Jack Teagarden I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Louis Armstrong - Topic Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Louis Prima I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Louis Prima / Keely Smith / Sam Butera I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Louis Prima and Keely Smith with Sam Butera and The Witnesses I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Louis Prima Sam Butera & The Witnesses & Keely Smith I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Max Harris and His Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Maxine Sullivan I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Nicholas Payton I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Peggy Lee I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Perry Como I gotta right to sing the blues, I gotta right…
Rosemary Clooney I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Sammy Davis Jr. I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Sarah Vaughan I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Sarah Vaughan & Count Basie Orchestra I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Sarah Vaughan & The Count Basie Orchestra [feat. Booty Wood] I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Sarah Vaughan and the Count Basie Orchestra I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Stan Kenton and His Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Teagarden Jack I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Ted Koehler I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
The Dorsey Brothers I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
Tony Bennett I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Toots Thielemans I gotta right to sing the blues I gotta right to…
Victor Young & His Orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…
Vol. 7 - Lena Horne I got a right to sing the blues I got a…
woody herman & his orchestra Ooh, I want a little girl To call my own Must be…

We have lyrics for these tracks by Will Bradley:

Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar - written by…
Beat Me, Daddy, Eight to the Bar Beat Me Daddy, Eight To The Bar- written by Don…
Down The Road A Piece If you want to hear some Boogie, then I know…
Down The Road A-Piece If you want to hear some Boogie, then I know…
Down the Road Apiece If you want to hear some Boogie, then I know…
Down The Road To A Piece If you want to hear some Boogie, then I know…
Five O'clock Whistle The five o'clock whistle's on the blink The whistle won't b…
High On A Windy Hill High on a windy hill I feel my heart stand still All…
In A Little Spanish Town Evenings are crowded with memories Thrilling me again Like t…
Pinocchio: When You Wish Upon A Star When a star is born They possess a gift or two One…

The Johnson Rag Johnson Flood Mississippi Mud Black Bottom I got 'em Lindy …

The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos

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