Charlie Spivak

Outstanding lead trumpeter who received financial help from his friend Glenn Miller to start up his first band in 1940. Miller also furnished Spivak's publicity tag line: "The Man who plays the sweetest Trumpet in the World". Charlie had already had a very prolific career as a band sideman, having started as a teenager with Paul Specht's orchestra, later working with Tommy Dorsey, Bob Crosby and Charley Teagarden, among others. It took him several months to adjust to his new role as a bandleader, confronting a break-up and re-forming of the outfit prior to his first big gig at the at the Glen Island Casino. Star comedian Sid Caesar was featured as a saxophonist in this orchestra and the arrangements were by ex-bandleader Sonny Burke. Nelson Riddle played trombone and Charlie show-cased himself on trumpet using his specially designed mute. Over the next few years, Spivak was booked into some of the top spots including the Hollywood Palladium, Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook and the Café Rouge of the Hotel Pennsylvania. In late 1941, the great (but sadly short-lived) drummer Davey Tough joined the band and June Hutton fronted a vocal quartet known as the Stardusters. With the addition of trumpeter Les Elgart and ex-Lunceford saxophonist Willie Smith, the Spivak Orchestra developed into one of the smoothest and most popular outfits in the country, even being featured with Betty Grable in the movie Pin Up Girl (1944). The band's first recordings (for Okeh) were arranged by Nelson Riddle. In the 1950's, Spivak and his wife, former Gene Krupa vocalist Irene Daye, settled in Florida. He continued to front a big band until the early 60's when he reduced to a 7-piece dance combo which enjoyed frequent engagements in Las Vegas. His very last musical tenure was in Greenville, South Carolina.