Ray Anthony
Ray Anthony | |
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 Ray Anthony in 1950 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Raymond Antonini |
| Born | (1922-01-20) January 20, 1922 Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, swing |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
| Years active | 1936–present |
| Labels | Aero Space, Capitol |
| Associated acts | Frank Sinatra, Glenn Miller, Al Donahue, Jimmy Dorsey |
Raymond Antonini (born January 20, 1922), known as Ray Anthony, is an American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor.[1] He is the last surviving member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Contents
1 Biography
2 Later career
3 Discography
4 References
5 External links
Biography
Anthony was born to an Italian family in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania but moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, where he studied the trumpet. He played in Glenn Miller's band from 1940–1941.[2] and appeared in the Glenn Miller movie Sun Valley Serenade before joining the U.S. Navy during World War Two. After the war he formed his own group. The Ray Anthony Orchestra became popular in the early 1950s with "The Bunny Hop", "Hokey Pokey", and the theme from Dragnet.[3] He had a No. 2 chart hit with a remake of the Glenn Miller tune "At Last" in 1952, the highest charting pop version of the song in the U.S.
In 1953, Anthony and his orchestra were featured when Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly headlined a summer replacement program for Perry Como's CBS television show.[4]
From 1953–1954 Anthony was musical director of the television series TV's Top Tunes, and he also appeared as himself in the 1955 film Daddy Long Legs.[3] In 1955 he married his second wife, actress Mamie Van Doren. Their son Perry Ray was born March 18, 1956. He then began expanding his own acting career.[5] In 1956-1957 he starred in a short-lived television variety show, The Ray Anthony Show. Anthony also appeared in several films during the late 1950s, including The Five Pennies (in which he portrayed Jimmy Dorsey), and Van Doren's movies High School Confidential (as "Bix") and Girls Town. In the 1959-1960 television season, he guest-starred in the episode "Operation Ramrod" of David Hedison's espionage series Five Fingers on NBC. Anthony and his band appeared in the movie The Girl Can't Help It (1956). In 1957, Anthony and his orchestra recorded the music score for the film This Could Be The Night, with vocals performed by Julie Wilson.
After van Doren filed for divorce in 1958, citing cruelty,[6] they finally divorced in 1959,[7] and Anthony's brief film career ended at about the same time. However, he continued his musical career and had another hit record with the theme from Peter Gunn, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. Among his pianists was Allen "Puddler" Harris, a native of Franklin Parish, Louisiana, who had been a member of the original Ricky Nelson band, and Kellie Greene, who also played the vibraphone. Anthony's compositions include "Thunderbird", "The Bunny Hop", "Trumpet Boogie", "Big Band Boogie", and "Mr. Anthony's Boogie".
Anthony was considered one of the most modern big band leaders. In the lyrics to "Opus One", which imagine a number of players performing the song, he is cited along with Les Brown and his Band of Renown:
- If Mr. Les Brown can make it renowned
- And Ray Anthony could rock it for me
Later career
In the early 1980s, Anthony formed Big Band '80s, other members including Buddy Rich, Harry James, Les Brown, and Alvino Rey.[8]
Anthony, who has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, continues to be active as a bandleader and musician.
Anthony was a close friend of the late Hugh Hefner and appeared in numerous episodes of The Girls Next Door.
Discography
| Year | Album[9] | Label | Catalog Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Dance Time (split album with Jan Garber [one side by each]) | Capitol | H-199 |
| 1951 | Arthur Murray Favorites: Fox Trots | Capitol | H-258 |
| 1952 | Houseparty Hop | Capitol | H-292 |
| 1952 | Campus Rumpus! | Capitol | H-362 |
| 1953 | The Young Man With The Horn | Capitol | H-373 |
| 1953 | The Anthony Choir | Capitol | H-442 |
| 1954 | I Remember Glenn Miller | Capitol | H-476 |
| 1954 | Ray Anthony Plays TV's Top Tunes | Capitol | H-9118 |
| 1954 | Arthur Murray Swing Fox Trots | Capitol | H-546 |
| 1955 | Golden Horn | Capitol | T-563 |
| 1955 | Swingin' On Campus! | Capitol | T-645 |
| 1955 | Standards By Ray Anthony | Capitol | T-663 |
| 1955 | Big Band Dixieland | Capitol | T-678 |
| 1956 | Dream Dancing | Capitol | T-723 |
| 1956 | Jam Session at the Tower | Capitol | T-749 |
| 1957 | Dancers in Love | Capitol | T-786 |
| 1957 | Star Dancing | Capitol | T-831 |
| 1957 | Young Ideas | Capitol | T-866 |
| 1957 | This Could Be The Night | MGM | E3530 ST |
| 1958 | Moments Together | Capitol | T-917 |
| 1958 | The Dream Girl | Capitol | T-969 |
| 1958 | Dancing Over the Waves | Capitol | T-1028 |
| 1958 | Anthony Plays Allen | Capitol | T-1086 |
| 1959 | Anthony Italiano | Capitol | ST-1149 |
| 1959 | Sounds Spectacular | Capitol | ST-1200 |
| 1959 | More Dream Dancing | Capitol | ST-1252 |
| 1960 | Like Wild! | Capitol | ST-1304 |
| 1960 | Dancing Alone Together: Torch Songs For Lovers | Capitol | ST-1420 |
| 1960 | The New Ray Anthony Show | Capitol | ST-1421 |
| 1961 | That's Show Biz | Capitol | ST-1496 |
| 1959 | Swing-Dance-Dream to 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown' | Capitol | ST-1576 |
| 1961 | Dream Dancing Medley | Capitol | ST-1608 |
| 1961 | The Twist | Capitol | ST-1668 |
| 1962 | Worried Mind: The Soul Of Country Western Blues | Capitol | ST-1752 |
| 1962 | I Almost Lost My Mind: The Soul Of Big City Rhythm & Blues | Capitol | ST-1783 |
| 1963 | Smash Hits of '63! | Capitol | ST-1917 |
| 1964 | Charade and Other Top Themes | Capitol | ST-2043 |
| 1961 | My Love, Forgive Me (Amore Scusami) | Capitol | ST-2150 |
| 1964 | Swim, Swim, C'mon and Swim | Capitol | ST-2188 |
| 1966 | Dream Dancing Today | Capitol | ST-2457 |
| 1966 | Hit Songs to Remember | Capitol | ST-2530 |
| 1966 | To Each His Own | Sears | SP-429 |
| 1967 | Today's Trumpet | Capitol | ST-2750 |
| 1968 | Ray Anthony Now | Ranwood | RLP-8033 |
| 1969 | Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero (The More I Love You) | Ranwood | RLP-8046 |
| 1969 | Love Is For The Two Of Us [AKA Great Country Music Hits] | Ranwood | RLP-8059 |
| 1970 | I Get The Blues When It Rains [reissue of Ray Anthony Now] | Ranwood | RLP-8062 |
| 1971 | Direction '71: My Sweet Lord | Ranwood | RLP-8078 |
| 1971 | Dream Dancing in Hawaii | Aero Space | RA-1004 |
References
^ Cook, Richard (2005). Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia. London: Penguin Books. p. 15. ISBN 0-141-00646-3..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "Bio". Rayanthonyband.com. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
^ ab Wynn, Ron "Ray Anthony Biography", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-06-17
^ Warren, Jill (July 1953). "What's New from Coast to Coast" (PDF). Radio-TV Mirror. 40 (2): 5. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
^ "Mamie van Doren, Ray Anthony Wed", Lewiston Daily Sun, August 30, 1955, p. 11, retrieved 2011-06-17
^ "Divorce Sought", Spokane Daily Chronicle, September 9, 1958, p. 8, retrieved 2011-06-17
^ "Mamie Van Doren Granted Divorce", Hartford Courant, March 23, 1960, p. 5
^ Arar, Yardena (1981) "Ray Anthony: Bandleader Anthony Foresees Big Bands Supplanting Disco", Merced Sun-Star, February 3, 1981, p. 19, retrieved 2011-06-17
^ "Ray Anthony Discography". discogs.com.
External links
Ray Anthony Interview NAMM Oral History Library (2008)- The official Ray Anthony Webpage
- Ray Anthony biography at SwingMusic.net
- Ray Anthony biography at SpaceAgePop.com
Ray Anthony on IMDb
Ray Anthony at AllMovie
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