World War I began in 1914. Finally, all the solders became tired of mud, rain, and fighting and literally walked off the battlefields. Everyone was happy that the war was over.
In the 1920s and 1930s swing music became the rage. Walkathons were the "American Idol" show of the day. The stands were jammed with 19,000 spectators. You had to be able to dance 45 minutes an hour until you dropped. They also had sprints in between. Publicists would take pictures of the couple that "fell in love" and got married. You could also show off your talent (like singing, comedians, acts) in between dances. If you did a good job, they cheered. If you didn't, they threw tomatoes!
There were 20,000 musicians in swing bands touring the United States. People loved to hear live music and would go hear the next traveling band at the local dance pavilion. About that time, someone decided that people were drinking too much, and the government passed the prohibition law. Chicagoans rebelled, and soon there were many underground nightclubs where you could knock on the door and ask for "Charley." Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Frankie Lane, and Anita O'Day were all Chicagoans.
Musicians from New Orleans migrated to Chicago where they could get steady work. With the advent of radios in 1937, people all over the United States could listen to live big bands in their living rooms. Originally, there were only three or four record companies. If you were on their label, you were automatically a star.
New York City became a hot spot for big bands. In Harlem, you could go any night and see Count Basie and four or five swing drummers. When you went to see a movie, the stars of the movie would come out on stage in person. A big band played during the intermission. If there were five or six showings, it was a long night.
Then came World War II. Anita O'Day, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day and Helen Forrest traveled with big bands and sang for the soldiers. All the railroads were tied up moving supplies, so bands traveled to entertain the troops on cargo planes or smelly box cars on the railroad.
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There were benefits for everything you could imagine to help finance the war. The U.S. sold war bonds to kids in school. Many mothers took a job working in factories to manufacture airplanes. Everything went for the War. You couldn't buy anything that took energy. Ladies hose were scarce, your needed coupons to buy gas or meat. You didn't eat butter anymore...you squeezed a yellow capsule in the plastic bag of Oleo. Mothers knitted socks for soldiers fighting in subzero weather in Europe. At night, many cities turned off their lights in case enemy bombers were above. The record companies were not allowed to press records. The government needed the oil.
It was a time when drugs could ruin your reputation permanently. Certain cops would stalk movie stars and arrest anyone at a party when they suspected someone of having heroin or marijuana. Even a third rate musician would be arrested and thrown in jail with headlines the next day about the "star" that was taking drugs. World War II ended in December, 1945. The whole city of New York celebrated in the streets when the boys came home. Record companies started pressing again. And the bands played on.
In Las Vegas, you could walk in the lobby of any hotel and hear your favorite big band in the 1950s and 1960s. The owners, from Chicago, considered it a sign of status to have good music in their establishment for their guests...stars like Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, and Harry James to name a few. As the recording and TV business flourished, the desire to see live music gradually decreased. Bands who had good management and traveled a lot could still make ends meet. The Duke Ellington Band and the Buddy Rich Band made many trips to Europe.
When rock and roll became popular, jazz had a hard time surviving, but there were always a core of fans who loved swing music. Many of the bands played through the 1980s, like Harry James, and Woody Herman.
This website is to share swing music with those who love big bands. It is also for the younger generation who discover acoustic music and singers with good voices who can make you understand the words!
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