Herman was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child he worked as a singer in vaudeville, then became a professional saxophone player at age 15. When Isham Jones's band, of which Herman had been a member, broke up in 1936, he formed his own band, the Woody Herman Orchestra, with some of his band mates. This band became known for its orchestrations of the blues and was sometimes billed as "The Band That Plays The Blues".
On April 12, 1939 Woody Herman recorded his greatest commercial and mega popular hit record "Woodchoppers' Ball", featuring Woody on clarinet, Neal Ried on trombone, Saxie Mansfield on Sax, Steady Nelson on trumpet and Hy White on guitar. Other big early hits were "Blue Flame," "Dupree Blues", "Blues Upstairs and Downstairs" and "Blues in the Night" with Joe Bishop on flugelhorn, Tommy Linehans on piano, Cappy Lewis on trumpet, and the strong rhythm team of Walt Yoder and Frankie Carlson.
This popular swing band took off and was listed number three in the country in a popularity poll by Down Beat Magazine in 1940. This band recorded for the Decca label. The band was first pinned "Herman's Herd" in a Martin band instrument advertisement in the same magazine on April 1, 1941.
This band's music was heavily influenced by Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Its lively, swinging arrangements, combining bop themes with swing rhythm parts, were greatly admired; Igor Stravinsky wrote "Ebony Concerto" for this band. Other pieces for which the band was known include "Caldonia" and "Northwest Passage." During this time, Woody Herman recorded for the Columbia label. Featured musicians were trumpeter Sonny Berman,trumpeter/arranger Neil Hefti, trumpeter/vocalist Steady Nelson, tenor saxist Flip Phillips, trombonist Bill Harris, vibraphonist Red Norvo, pianist/arranger Ralph Burns, drummers Davey Tough and Don Lamond and bassist Chubby Jackson, who was the driving force/talent scout behind the bands progressive development.
Herman was forced to disband the orchestra in 1946 at the height of its success, his only financially successful band, to spend more time with his wife and family. During this time, he and his family had just moved into the former Hollywood home of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Another reason Herman may have disbanded was his wife Charlotte's growing problems with alcoholism and pill addiction. In 1947 Herman organized the Second Herd and in 1948 moved to the Capitol label. This band featured a cooler sound, provided by such musicians as Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Serge Chaloff, Al Cohn, Gene Ammons, Lou Levy, Oscar Pettiford, Terry Gibbs, Shelly Manne, and Herbie Steward. Among this band's hits were "Early Autumn," "The Goof and I," and "Four Brothers". This band was also known as the Four Brothers band.
Herman's many later bands included the Third Herd and the New Thundering Herd. He was known for hiring the best young musicians and using their arrangements. His band's book consequently came to be heavily influenced by rock and roll.
By the 1970s, Herman had returned to straight forward jazz, dropping some of the newer, even rock-oriented approaches. A highlight of the nineteen seventies was the appearance of the Woody Herman orchestra with Frank Sinatra at Madison Square Garden for his "Main Event" television special and "Main Event" recording for Reprise records.
He continued to perform into the 1980s, chiefly to pay back taxes caused by an incompetent manager in the 1960s. When his health began to fail, he delegated most of his duties to leader of the reed section, Frank Tiberi, before his death in 1987. Tiberi leads the band in performances to this day.
After the death of Herman, Charles Mingus, and other jazz greats, ASCAP created a retirement fund in 1991 to which artists were given the opportunity to fund their latter years when they no longer were recording artists.
Singin' In The Rain
Woody Herman Lyrics
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What a glorious feeling I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds so dark above
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place
Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face
I'll walk down the lane with a happy refrain
And singin' just singin' in the rain
Why am I smilin' and why do I sing?
Why does December seem sunny as Spring?
Why do I get up each morning to start happy
And get up with joy in my heart?
Why is each new task a trifle to do?
Because I am living a life full of you
I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain
What a glorious feeling I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds so dark above
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place
Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face
I'll walk down the lane with a happy refrain
And singin' just singin' in the rain
The lyrics to Woody Herman's "Singin' in the Rain" depict a sense of happiness and joy that can be felt from the inside. Despite the stormy conditions and dark clouds above, the individual in the song is in good spirits and ready to embrace life with open arms. The opening line "I'm singin' in the rain" suggests that the individual is enjoying the simple pleasure of being out in the natural rain and experiencing the sense of freedom that comes with it. The subsequent line "What a glorious feeling I'm happy again" emphasizes the transformation that is taking place within the individual's emotions. They feel a renewed sense of happiness, and it is through singing in the rain that this is being expressed.
The individual laughs at the clouds above, signifying their acceptance of the natural order of things. The clouds themselves represent the negativity that surrounds the individual, but they remain optimistic in nature. The lyrics "The sun's in my heart, and I'm ready for love" denote an individual who is ready to find and accept love into their life. The song's chorus repeats throughout, adding to the innocence and simplicity of the experience the individual is having. It is an uplifting song that captures the essence of what it is to be happy and content with oneself and the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain
I'm expressing my happiness through this rain metaphor
What a glorious feeling I'm happy again
I feel great and content with my life
I'm laughing at clouds so dark above
I am finding joy in even the darkest moments of my life
The sun's in my heart and I'm ready for love
I am emotionally ready and open to embrace love in my life
Let the stormy clouds chase everyone from the place
I'm unbothered by negativity, haters or people who don't like my happiness
Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face
I welcome challenges or adversity because it cannot diminish my happiness
I'll walk down the lane with a happy refrain
I'm spreading joy and happiness with my positive attitude
And singin' just singin' in the rain
I'm continuing to express my happiness through this metaphor
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Arthur Freed, Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind