Tommy Dorsey

Tommy Dorsey was a saxophonist and bandleader who came up in the big band era. He started on cornet as a kid in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, then switched to saxophone. In the late 1920s, he and his younger brother Jimmy formed the Dorsey Brothers Band, which played a mix of jazz and popular music. They split in 1935, and Tommy went on to form his own orchestra.

His Tommy Dorsey Orchestra became one of the more successful big bands of the time. The group featured musicians like Frank Sinatra on vocals, Buddy Rich on drums, and Ziggy Elman on trumpet. They recorded hits such as "I'll Never Smile Again," a ballad that became a standard, along with songs like "Marie" and "All The Things You Are." Dorsey also worked with other singers including Bing Crosby and Jo Stafford.

Dorsey had a reputation for being temperamental, and he dealt with personal issues including struggles with alcohol. He died in 1956, but his recordings from the 1930s and 1940s remain some of the most recognizable big band music of that period.