Photo: Glenn Miller (1942). Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was the best-selling recording band from 1939 to 1942. In 1942, Miller volunteered to join the US military to entertain troops during World War II and ended up in the US Army Air Forces.
Photo: Frank Sinatra (1943). Sinatra signed with Columbia Records as a solo artist on June 1, 1943, during the 1942–44 musicians’ strike. Columbia Records re-released Harry James and Sinatra’s August 1939 version of “All or Nothing at All”, which reached number 2 on
Photo: Judy Garland (1944). One of Garland’s most successful films for MGM was Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), in which she introduced three standards: “The Trolley Song”, “The Boy Next Door” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. This was
Photo: Les Brown and Doris Day. Doris Day began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, “Sentimental Journey” and “My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time” with Les Brown
Photo: Bing Crosby (1946). Bing was the number one box office attraction for five consecutive years, 1944 to 1948. At his screen apex in 1946, Crosby starred in three of the year’s five highest-grossing films: The Bells of St. Mary’s, Blue Skies and Road
Photo of Jo Stafford and Peggy Lee (circa 1947). “Almost Like Being in Love” is a show tune with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. It was written for the score of their 1947 musical Brigadoon. “It’s a Good Day” was written by Peggy Lee and her
Danny Kaye during his act at the Royal Variety Show, at the London Palladium, 13th November 1948. The American actor, singer and comedian appeared in many films including ‘Wonder Man’, ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ and ‘Hans Christian Andersen’.
In this photo, big band singer Margaret Whiting is flanked by Jerry Lewis, left, and Dean Martin at the Hollywood Brown Derby on January 21st, 1949, in Los Angeles. Whiting, the sweet-voiced singer sold millions of records in the 1940s
