Al Donahue

Al Donahue (born June 12, 1904 in Dorchester near Boston , Massachusetts , † February 20, 1983 in Fallbrook , California ) was an American violinist and big band leader in the field of popular music .

biography

Al Donahue began his career in campus bands while studying at Boston University Law School and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and on the steamers of the Eastern Steamship Line ; In 1925 he founded his first band, which debuted at the Weber Duck Inn in Boston . The success of this gig enabled him to expand his ensemble and get an engagement at the Hollywood Beach Hotel in Florida. After that he toured other hotels and played on the steamers. In the mid-1930s he jumped in for Ray Nobles Orchestra at Rockefeller Center , which led to his being hired for annually recurring guest performances.

Stylistically, the Donahue Band was a society orchestra that made guest appearances in many ballrooms in the United States, such as Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook , the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, the Oriental Theater in Chicago and the Hollywood Palladium . There his band singer Paula Kelly switched to Glenn Miller , while Abe (Glenn) Osser was one of his arrangers.

With a wide range of instruments, each with five brass players and saxophonists, four violins and three rhythm instruments, Dohahue was able to play in various musical areas from sweet to swing style. His signature melody was "Lowdown Rhythm In A Top Hat"; His successful songs - most of them recorded for the Vocalion label - included "Heat and Soul" (which reached # 16 in the charts in 1939), "The Lonesome Road", "Let There Be Love" and Jimmy Van Heusen / Johnny Burke -Song "Imagination" (1940).

Between 1935 and 1942 Donahue and his orchestra recorded a total of 23 titles for Decca, 103 for Vocalion and 43 for Okeh . His biggest chart success was " Jeepers Creepers ", which reached # 1 on the Billboard charts; other hit numbers were "The Wise Old Owl", "Lambeth Walk" and "Moon Love". Hoagy Carmichael sang the track "Poor Old Joe", which was recorded in September 1939.

In 1943 a three-minute soundie with the number "Volga Boatmen" was published; Another popular soundie was "Jumpin 'at the Juke Box," with band singer Dee Keating. 1951 appeared Donahue's first long-playing record Low Down Music in a Top Hat on the small label Solitaire ; 1954 followed his first stereo album Invitation to Dance on the label Design contained interpretations of standards like " Autumn Leaves ", "High Society" or " When the Saints Go Marching In ".

In the post-war years he restricted himself more to the Sweet style, moving to the west coast of the USA , from where he regularly toured. He also appeared with his orchestra in the Hollywood film Sweet Genevieve ; In the early 1950s he appeared on a brief television show.

He then continued his work as a band leader on cruise ships of the Furness Bermuda Line ; played between 1950 and 1963 on the Queen of Bermuda and the Ocean Monarch . Finally, he and his long-time manager Frank Walsh opened a music and record store in Bermuda . However, he later had to give up the business and leave the country. Walsh and Donahue then continued their activities in Oceanside, California , where they acquired Ponzi's House of Music . There he was still active as a businessman in the mid-1970s.

Discographic notes

In 2005 a compilation of 25 of his recordings for Vocalion and Okeh, The Solid Swing of Al Donahue and His Orchestra (Collectables) was released. Donahue's recordings from 1935 to 1941 were released on the Australian label Lyric Records . Another compilation of his recordings (such as "Darn That Dream", "Jeepers Creepers", "Spring Is Here", "In the Mood" and "Tuxedo Junction") is The Best of Al Donahue (Collectables).

Web links

• Donahue in the Bigband library with a photo from a detailed bibliography
• Donahue in the Bigband database
• Biography at oldies.com
• Donahue on findagrave.com

literature

• Leo Walker: The Big Band Almanac . Ward Ritchie Press, Pasadena. 1978

Remarks

1. ↑ Charts 1938
2. ↑ Keating later married the band leader Ray Anthony .