The Modernaires
The Modernaires were an American vocal group, best known for performing in the 1940s with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Career
The Modernaires began in 1934 as "Don Juan, Two and Three," a trio of schoolmates from Lafayette High School in Buffalo, New York. The members were Hal Dickinson, Chuck Goldstein, and Bill Conway.. Recordings with Charlie Barnet's orchestra in 1936 did not interest the public but brought them greater industry exposure, and in 1937 they joined the George Hall band, soon moving on to the Paul Whiteman radio show. They recorded many of the classic songs of that era, a few with Jack Teagarden, as part of the Whiteman orchestra in 1938.In October 1940, Glenn Miller engaged them to record It's Make Believe Ballroom Time, a sequel to the original Make Believe Ballroom, which they had recorded earlier for Martin Block's big band show of the same name, on WNEW New York. In January 1941, Miller made The Modernaires an important part of one of the most popular big bands of all time. Paula Kelly was added to the Miller band between March–August 1941; she and Modernaire Hal Dickinson had married in 1939. The group had ten chart hits in 1941 after appearing with Miller's orchestra in the movie Sun Valley Serenade. The group became a quintet when Kelly became a permanent member of the group after Miller joined the U.S. Army, and for the next few decades they toured internationally with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Johnny Drake replaced Chuck Goldstein, and Fran Scott replaced Bill Conway
Songs made popular by Miller and The Modernaires included "Perfidia," "Chattanooga Choo Choo," with Tex Beneke, "I Know Why," "Elmer's Tune," "Serenade In Blue," "Connecticut," "Jukebox Saturday Night", and " Kalamazoo" with Beneke, among others.
In 1945, "There! I've Said It Again" became The Modernaires' first top-twenty hit.
The group was featured in television programming produced by Philco in 1947, using what apparently was an early version of lip synching. An article in 'Variety' magazine's September 10, 1947, issue reported that David Street and The Modernaires guest starred on the Philco program, "simulating singing to off-screen recordings."
After Miller's disappearance, The Modernaires recorded vocal versions of several of Miller's instrumental hits, including "Moonlight Serenade", "Sunrise Serenade", "Little Brown Jug", "Tuxedo Junction", "Pennsylvania 6-5000", and "A String of Pearls". The Modernaires released a 45rpm single on Coral Records, 9-61110, A Salute to Glenn Miller, which included medleys in two parts from the movie soundtrack, A Salute to Glenn Miller, Parts 1 and 2: Kalamazoo/Moonlight Cocktail/Elmer's Tune/Moonlight Serenade/Chattanooga Choo Choo/String Of Pearls/Serenade In Blue/At Last/Perfidia, that reached number 29 on the Billboard charts in 1954. In the late 1950s they were featured vocalists with the Bob Crosby Orchestra on his daily TV show. In the 1960s they recorded the theme song for the TV sitcom Hazel. Their style, harmonies and blend influenced later artists such as The Four Freshmen, who in turn were models for the Beach Boys, whom the Beatles later cited as a strong influence on their vocal work.
The Modernaires were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.
Partial discography
10" and 12" albums:- Tributes In Tempo
- Stop, Look And Listen
- Vocally Yours
- Juke Box Saturday Night
- Modern Aires By The Modernaires
- Here Come The Modernaires
- Harmony Is The Thing
- Like Swung
- Sing the Great Glen Miller Instrumentals
- ''We Remember Tommy Dorsey too!''
Compilations
- Do You Remember When The Modernaires With Paula Kelly Sang In The Mood
- ''String Of Pearls 1946 - 1947''
Appearances
Deaths of former members
- Hal Dickinson died in Santa Barbara, California.
- Chuck Goldstein, born in Buffalo, New York , died in Englewood, New Jersey.
- Johnny Drake, born in Saint Paul, Minnesota , died in Los Angeles, California.
- Ralph Brewster died in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
- Bill Conway died in Los Angeles, California.
- Paula Kelly died in Costa Mesa, California.
- Fran Scott died in Los Angeles, California.
- Paula Dickinson Kelly, Jr., who took over singing her mother's parts with the Modernaires from 1966 to 1971, died in Los Angeles, California.
- Alan Copeland, born in Los Angeles and the last surviving Modernaire, died in Sonora, California.