Les Elgart › Similar Artists

Jerry Gray - 26% match to Les Elgart

Skitch Henderson - 25% match to Les Elgart

Lyle Russell Cedric Henderson, 27 January 1918, Halstad, Minnesota, USA (some sources quote Birmingham, England, a confusion arising from an early promoter who thought an English birthplace sounded more glamorous), d. 1 November 2005, New Milford, Connecticut, USA. After studying at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, Henderson undertook further studies with Arnold Sc Read more

Si Zentner - 24% match to Les Elgart

Simon H. Zentner, 13 June 1917, New York City, New York, USA, d. 31 January 2000, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. After learning to play the trombone as a child, Zentner played in and around New York before joining Les Brown in 1940. During the 40s he played in a number of bands, including those led by Harry James and Jimmy Dorsey, and at the end of the decade entered a long period Read more

Ray Anthony - 23% match to Les Elgart

Raymond Antonini, 20 January 1922, Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, USA. After playing in local bands in Cleveland, Anthony spent brief spells in the trumpet sections of the Al Donahue, Glenn Miller and Jimmy Dorsey orchestras. Following a four-year period in the US Navy, where he led a services orchestra, Anthony formed his own band in 1946 and signed with Capitol Records. The b Read more

Jackie Gleason - 21% match to Les Elgart

Herbert John Gleason, 26 February 1916, Brooklyn, New York, USA, d. 24 June 1987, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Gleason was primarily a comedian, starring on stage, screen and television, but he also recorded a number of albums in the 50s and 60s. He established his persona with early films such as Orchestra Wives (1942) and several appearances on Broadway (Artists And Mode Read more

Kurt Edelhagen - 21% match to Les Elgart

5 June 1920, Herne, Germany, d. 8 February 1982, Cologne, Germany. Arranger, orchestra leader and pianist Edelhagen first came to prominence in the years immediately following World War II. Although the prompt formation of a symphony orchestra is often cited as a notable attempt to re-establish an element of culture in post-war German society, the formation of a radio big ba Read more

Nelson Riddle - 21% match to Les Elgart

Nelson Smock Riddle, 1 June 1921, Oradell, New Jersey, USA, d. 6 October 1985, Los Angeles, California, USA. After studying piano, Riddle took up the trombone when in his early teens, and in the late 30s played in a number of big bands, including those led by Jerry Wald, Charlie Spivak, Tommy Dorsey and Bob Crosby. After a stint in the army, he settled in California and stud Read more

Billy May - 15% match to Les Elgart

Edward William May, 10 November 1916, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, d. 22 January 2004, San Juan Capistrano, California, USA. Although May is best known to international audiences for his arranging and conducting work with Frank Sinatra in the late 50s, he had already been a professional musician for nearly 20 years prior to his first session with Hoboken’s favourite s Read more

Stanley Black - 15% match to Les Elgart

14 June 1913, London, England, d. 26 November 2002, London, England. This highly talented pianist, arranger, composer and conductor was one of the leading figures in UK light and popular music. At the age of seven, Black began learning the piano and later studied at the Matthay School of Music. His first composition, when he was aged 12, was broadcast by the BBC Symphony Orc Read more

Will Bradley & His Orchestra - 15% match to Les Elgart

Wilbur Schwichtenberg, 12 July 1912, Newton, New Jersey, USA, d. 15 July 1989, Flemington, New Jersey, USA. Bradley played trombone with various bands in New York in the late 20s and at the beginning of the next decade established the working pattern for his whole career, combining studio work with playing in name bands. In the early 30s he recorded with Red Nichols and in 1 Read more

Guy Lombardo - 12% match to Les Elgart

19 June 1902, London, Ontario, Canada, d. 5 November 1977, Houston, Texas, USA. A celebrated band leader and impresario, early in the 20s, Lombardo formed a dance band in collaboration with his brothers Carmen (b. 16 July 1903, d. 17 April 1971) and Lebert (b. 11 February 1905, d, 16 June 1993) and a fourth brother, Victor (b. 10 April 1911, d. 22 January 1994), joined later Read more

Ted Heath - 11% match to Les Elgart

30 March 1900, Wandsworth, London, England, d. 18 November 1969, Virginia Water, Surrey, England. After playing tenor horn at the age of six, Heath later switched to trombone and throughout the 20s and 30s played with top orchestras such as Jack Hylton, Al Sarita, Sydney Lipton, and in the early 40s with Geraldo. On 7 May 1945 (VJ Day), he formed his own band, some of the ea Read more

Xavier Cugat - 11% match to Les Elgart

Francisco de Asís Javier Cugat Mingall de Bru y Deulofeu, 1 January 1900, Gerona, Spain, d. 27 October 1990, Barcelona, Spain. An immensely popular band leader and composer who became known as the ‘King Of The Rumba’ during the 30s and 40s after he introduced some of the most insinuating Spanish and Latin American dance rhythms to the USA. Although details o Read more