Guy Lombardo
Lombardo in 1944
Born
Gaetano Alberto Lombardo

(1902-06-19)June 19, 1902
London, Ontario, Canada
DiedNovember 5, 1977(1977-11-05) (aged 75)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
SpouseLillibell Lombardo[1] (1899-1982)
Relativessix siblings, including brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor and sister Rose Marie
Musical career
GenresJazz, big band, traditional pop
Occupation(s)Bandleader, musician
Instrument(s)Violin
Years active1924–1977

Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977)[2] was a Canadian and American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer whose unique "sweet jazz" style remained popular with audiences for nearly five decades.

Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and other musicians from his hometown. They billed themselves as creating "the sweetest music this side of Heaven." The Lombardos are believed to have sold between 100 and 300 million records during their lifetimes,[3] many featuring the band's lead singer from 1940 onward, Kenny Gardner.[4][5]

Early life

Lombardo was born in London, Ontario, Canada.[6] His parents were Italian immigrants: Gaetano Alberto who was born in Lipari, Italy (1873-1954) and Angelina Lombardo.[7] Gaetano Sr. was employed as a tailor but was also an amateur baritone singer. He encouraged four of his five young sons to study musical instruments so that they could serve as his accompanists. Consequently, even as a young student in grammar school, Lombardo joined with his brothers to form their first orchestra. Rehearsals took place behind the family's tailor shop.[8] Lombardo's first public appearance with his brother Carmen occurred during an outdoor lawn party at a church in London, Ontario in 1914.[9] The Lombardo quartet made its first significant debut at an outdoor dance pavilion in Grand Bend, Ontario during the summer of 1919.[7]

By 1920, Lombardo's band showcased the talents of several of his brothers including: Carmen, who led the reed section while also composing and arranging, Lebert, who played lead trumpet, and subsequently Victor who played baritone sax.[10] Guy played violin but not with his orchestra.[10] The ensemble spent the winter season during 1922-1923 at the Winter Garden in London and the summer season of 1923 in Port Stanley, Ontario.[7] By 1923 the Lombardo Brothers' Orchestra now included: Archie Cunningham, (saxophone), Jim Dillon (trombone), Eddie "Muff" Mashurette (tube) and Francis Henry (guitar).[10] In late 1923, the band ventured outside Canada on tour to Cleveland, Ohio.[11] By 1924, the band was known as Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians and a two year residency started at the Claremont Tent nightclub in Cleveland. The owner of the club (Louis Bleet) is credited with coaching Lombardo's band and assisting in developing its unique performance style.[11] While in Cleveland, Lombardo arranged to perform on an unsponsored program for WTAM radio, which contributed to the development of a strong following for his appearances in the area.[11] His band's first recording session occurred in Richmond, Indiana, at the Gennett Studios in early 1924. This is also where cornetist Bix Beiderbecke made his recordings in the same year.[12]

Royal Canadians

Subsequently, Lombardo's orchestra recorded twice for Brunswick. The first session took place in Cleveland in late 1926 but the recording was rejected. The second recording was accepted for the Vocalion label in early 1927. Lombardo's ensemble left the Cleveland area in 1927 for Chicago, where it appeared at the Granada Cafe and broadcast on the radio station WBBM.[11] Soon thereafter, several lucrative recording contracts emerged. Between 1927 and 1931 Lombardo made forty five recordings on 78's for the Columbia label.[7] These were followed by forty additional recordings upon his return to the Brunswick label in 1932 which lasted until 1934, when he joined forces with Decca (1934–35).[11] By late 1935 an opportunity with Victor records emerged and Lombardo stayed with the label until the middle of 1938. Subsequently, he returned to Decca until 1957.[7] Total sales from Lombardo's recordings exceeded 300 million copies by the early 1970s and supported his reputation as the leader of the most popular dance band of his era.[7] Between 1941 and 1948, Lombardo's sister Rose Marie, the youngest of all seven Lombardo siblings, also joined the band as its first female vocalist.[13]

The Lombardo brothers: Lebert, Carmen, Guy, and Victor, circa 1931

In 1929, Lombardo began a series of appearances at the Roosevelt Grill in the Roosevelt Hotel which lasted for over three decades.[11] He also performed in Los Angeles during the 1930s,[11] and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1938.[14] He continued to tour in major cities within both Canada and the United States after leaving the Roosevelt Hotel in 1962.[11] Yet, despite his success as a recording artist, some jazz critics described Lombardo's "sweet" big-band style as "boring, mainstream pap." The legendary jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong disagreed and often described Lombardo's band as his favorite orchestra.[15][16] In fact, Lombardo's band enjoyed remarkable broad appeal which crossed racial boundaries.[10] While performing at the famed Savoy Ballroom in Harlem his band even set a new attendance record in 1930.[10][17]

After Guy Lombardo's death in 1977, his surviving brothers Victor and Lebert took over the Royal Canadians, though Victor left the band early in 1978 over creative differences.[18] From 1980, the name was franchised out to various band leaders. Lebert died in 1993, passing rights to the band name to three of his six children.[19] The band was revived in 1989 by Al Pierson and remained active as of 2021.[20][21]

New Year's Eve radio and TV programs

Lombardo his brothers and sister Rose Marie, 1954

Lombardo is perhaps best remembered for his big band remote broadcasts which were carried on several national radio and television networks for nearly fifty years. Starting in 1929, the Royal Canadians began broadcasting live from the Roosevelt Grill in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City as "radio's first nationwide New Year's Eve broadcast". Invariably, each broadcast closed with Lombardo's rendition of the song Auld Lang Syne as part of the annual New Year's Eve tradition.[6] The broadcasts proved to be immensely popular and continued from this venue until to 1959 when they were transferred to the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where they continued until 1976.[11] These radio and television broadcasts soon played a central role in New Year's celebrations across North America as literally millions of celebrants enjoyed the festivities within the comfort of their own homes.Time magazine even reported that the American public would simply not believe it was New Year's Day until Guy Lombardo heralded its arrival from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.[22] Due to his widespread popularity, Lombardo was nicknamed "Mr. New Year's Eve" and received a citation of recognition from the United States Congress for his musical message of hope, peace and happiness for all mankind.[23]

The band's first New Year's Eve radio broadcast was in 1929; within a few years, they were heard live on the CBS Radio Network before midnight Eastern Time, then on the NBC Radio Network after midnight. As a result, by 1954 Lombardo's popularity soared and sales of his recordings with the Royal Canadians Orchestra soon exceeded 100 million copies. He had already played in Washington D.C. at the inaugural balls for every U.S. president from Franklin Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower and would later play at Ronald Reagan's inaugural ball in 1985.[24]

On December 31, 1956, the Lombardo's first New Year's TV special aired on the CBS network. The program showcased live segments from New York City's Times Square and continued on New Year's Eve for two decades. CBS continued to broadcast most of Lombardo's New Year's television specials on its national network between 1965 to 1970 and the special was also syndicated live to individual TV stations. By the mid 1970s, however, competition emerged for younger audiences who preferred Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. Nevertheless, Lombardo remained popular among older viewers.

Following Lombardo's death in 1977, his New Year's TV specials continued for an additional two years on CBS. Subsequently, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve came into prominence. The Royal Canadians' recording of the traditional song "Auld Lang Syne" is also played as the first song of the new year in Times Square followed by "Theme from New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra, "America the Beautiful" by Ray Charles, "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, "Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, and Kenny G's rendition of "Auld Lang Syne".[25]

Other radio

In the early 1940s Lombardo appeared as a guest on NBC's Red Network in the weekly broadcast of the "I'm An American" radio show.[26] Presented by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, the program included interviews with prominent naturalized American citizens of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds who made exceptional contributions to American society within literature, politics, the arts and sciences.[27] When asked to reflect upon the advantages of citizenship within America's democracy, Lombardo adeptly replied, "You don't have to be millionaires or even well-to-do to dance to good dance music in America".[28] Also included among the honorees on the program were: Frank Capra, Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann and Kurt Weill.[27]

Beginning June 14, 1953, Guy Lombardo and his orchestra had Guy Lombardo Time, the summer replacement for Jack Benny's radio program.[29]

External audio
audio icon Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians performing live at
Harrah's Club Lake Tahoe in 1960 Here on Archive.org'

Other television

In 1954, Lombardo briefly hosted a half-hour syndicated series called The Guy Lombardo Show, and in 1956 Lombardo hosted a show on CBS for three months called Guy Lombardo's Diamond Jubilee.[30][31][32]

Guy Lombardo played himself in the hit series Route 66 in the 1963 episode “But What Do You Do in March?” In 1975, Lombardo played himself again, in the first regular episode of Ellery Queen, "The Adventure of Auld Lang Syne," which was set at a Dec. 31, 1946 New Year's Eve gathering.

Film

As early as 1933, Lombardo appeared with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor performing in the film Rambling 'Round Radio Row for Warner Brothers' Vitaphone division.[33] Lombardo and his orchestra were also part of the 1934 film Many Happy Returns.[34] and he also made a cameo appearance in the 1970 film The Phynx. Clips of his own show appeared in the 1977 film Looking for Mr. Goodbar starring Diane Keaton.[35]

Jones Beach Theater

At the express invitation of Robert Moses, Lombardo served for two decades, as the impresario for numerous summer stock revivals of leading Broadway musicals at the Jones Beach Theater on the south shore of New York's Long Island.[36][37] Beginning in 1954 with a production of "Arabian Nights" starring the operatic tenor Lauritz Melchior, Lombardo also collaborated with the producer Arnold Spector and choreographer June Taylor in 1964 to produce "Around the World in 80 Days"[38] and continued to create opulent revivals of several Broadway musicals until 1977.[39] He would often commute from his home in Freeport, Long Island to the lagoon adjacent to the theater on his yacht "The Tempo IV" to conduct his Royal Canadians Orchestra for dances in the Schaeffer Beer Tent after the shows.[37][40][41]

Lombardo's productions at the seaside theater were noted for their glamorous and realistic waterborne set designs as well as their lush musical scores which were sometimes arranged by his brother Carmen. His early revival of "Song of Norway" in 1958 featured an actual iceberg floating down the lagoon toward the stage along with an authentic Viking ship. His 1961 rendition of the Hawaiian musical fantasy "Paradise Island" featured 32 native Hawaiian dancers diving off towers into the lagoon adjacent to the theater along with a 100 foot high waterfall. The 1965 production of "Mardis Gras" incorporated a floating set which ushered Louis Armstrong onstage for musical performances with his own band.[42][43]

External image
image icon Photograph of Jones Beach Theater's production of "Fiddler on the Roof" in 1974
Here on New York State Archives: Digital Collections

Over the decades, Lombardo also collaborated with leading musical artists in his revivals including: Nancy Dussault in the 1968 production of "South Pacific", Constance Towers in the 1970 production of "The Sound of Music".[40] and Norman Atkins in the 1974 production of "Fiddler on the Roof".[43] From the realm of grand opera, Lombardo recruited such luminaries as: Jerome Hines and James McCracken along with members of the New York City Ballet.[43] He also enlisted talented actors from the Broadway stage including William Gaxton and Arthur Treacher for his production of "Paradise Island" in 1961 and the film actor Jules Munshin for his 1960 production of "Hit the Deck".[44] During the early years, members of Lombardo's fifteen original Royal Canadians were augmented by professional musicians recruited from the New York City area to serve within the pit orchestra as well as on stage. As a result, the orchestra itself often included between thirty and forty accomplished instrumentalists.[39]

Over the decades, Lombardo faced many challenges in the course of producing extravaganzas in such an outdoor venue during the summer season. The fickle weather conditions which prevailed near the shoreline often featured spontaneous drenching downpours which discouraged concertgoers. Still others balked at the prospect of making a long road trip from New York City onto Long Island for a show. In addition, complex negotiations with a variety of unions representing the stagehands, carpenters and electricians contributed to mounting production costs.[39] Ultimately, the Lombardo brothers only broke even financially, despite years of dedicated service. Lombardo, however, did not have any regrets. In the final analysis his primary objective was to provide ordinary members of the general public with musical entertainment of the highest possible caliber, while also ensuring memorable nights of dancing pleasure to the strains of "the sweetest music this side of heaven".[39][45]

Hydroplane racing

Lombardo at the helm of Tempo VI, circa 1947.

Lombardo's talents also extended beyond the realm of jazz music. He was also an active nautical enthusiast and participated in the sport of Step Boat speedboat racing.[46] In 1946, he piloted his speedboat "Tempo VI" to victory, winning the Gold Cup. For a time, Lombardo even reigned as the U.S. national champion (1946-1949), utilizing a boat designed specifically for him and manufactured by John L. Hacker. He subsequently achieved victory in several other important races including: the Ford Memorial competition (1948), President's Cup (1952) as well as the Silver Cup in 1952. By the late 1950s, Lombardo had won every trophy in the field and retired from active competition.[46] This followed his attempt in 1959 to utilize a jet engine-powered Tempo Alcoa to exceed the absolute water speed record. During a test run, the radio-controlled craft was destroyed while it surpassed a velocity of 250 mph.[47][48] These numerous achievements led to his induction into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2002.[46]

Lombardo also unveiled a robust line of fiberglass boats in 1958. Branded as the "Guy Lombardo Royal Fleet", these crafts were both manufactured and marketed by a subsidiary of the U. S. Pools Co. in Newark, New Jersey [49] in accordance with a license from the Skagit Plastics Co. of La Conner, Washington.[50] Several years later, however, in 1961 the project was abandoned and Skagit Plastics discontinued production.[50][51][52][46]

Later in life, Lombardo retired near the seashore at his home on the south shore of New York's Long Island in Freeport, where he docked his speedboats:Tempo, Tempo VI, and Tempo VII.[53][54] The home has been designated as a historical landmark.[55] In keeping with his nautical interests, he also invested in a nearby seafood restaurant called "Liota's East Point House" that eventually became "Guy Lombardo's East Point House".[56]

Life

While playing at the Music Box in Cleveland, Lombardo met Lillibeth Glenn.[57] They married in 1926.

Death

On November 5, 1977, Lombardo died of a heart attack. Another source says he died "of a lung ailment."[1] His wife, who died in 1982, was at his bedside when he died in Houston Methodist Hospital.[1] He's interred at the Pinelawn Memorial Park in East Farmingdale, NY.

Tributes

Guy Lombardo's star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto

In 1971 the United States Congress honored Guy Lombardo with an official recognition of his humanitarian accomplishments.[23] In the same year he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music by the University of Western Ontario.[58][59]

The Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame inducted Guy Lombardo in 2008.[60]

Lombardo was featured on a postage stamp issued on December 17, 1999, as part of Canada Post's Millennium Collection.[61][62]

Guy Lombardo has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles.[63][64]

In 2002, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame and had a star on its Walk of Fame in Toronto. In 1978, the Canadian Music Hall of Fame also inducted Guy Lombardo.[5]

The home where Guy Lombardo and his siblings grew up is still standing in London, Ontario, at 202 Simcoe Street. A plaque to the Lombardos has been moved from the exterior wall of the Labatt Retail Store at Richmond and Horton streets in London to the store's entranceway off the parking lot, denoting the site of a subsequent home of the Lombardos.[65]

In his later home of Freeport, New York, there is Guy Lombardo Avenue.[66][5] There is a bridge named after Lombardo in London, Ontario near Wonderland Gardens, as well as Lombardo Avenue in north London near the University of Western Ontario.[5]

The Guy Lombardo Society is dedicated to preserving the music and history of Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians.[67]

Guy Lombardo museum

42°57′49″N 81°17′36″W / 42.963674°N 81.293225°W / 42.963674; -81.293225 From the mid-1980s until 2007, there was a museum dedicated to Guy Lombardo in London, Ontario, near the intersection of Wonderland Road and Springbank Drive. In September 2007, lacking visitors and funding, the museum was closed.[68] Although the city owned many of the exhibits, most of the collection can be found at the private home of former part-time curator Douglas Flood. City staff recommended that the museum not be reopened.[69] In early 2015 Flood scheduled an auction of remaining items from the collection, under protest from members of the Lombardo family.[70]

Lebert Lombardo's children also have an extensive collection of artifacts, including photographs, record albums, sheet music, awards, and the band's framed first paycheck from 1918 in their homes and storage units in Fort Myers and Sanibel, Florida. They have tried to donate the collection to various universities and museums but have had no takers. The Library of Congress has a collection of Lombardo films.[64]

Performance style

External audio
audio icon You may hear interviews with Guy Lombardo and performances on CBC Radio 1's "Rewind" in 2015 Here on Archive.org'

Over the decades, performances and recordings by Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians Orchestra were reviewed by critics in such noted magazines as: The Billboard,[71][72][73] the New York Times Theater Reviews.[74] and the New York Herald Tribune Book Reviews.[75] Lombardo was cited for his skillful use of muted drums, trumpets and clarinets, bright tempos and smooth, flowing melodic lines.[11][73][76] While emphasizing a sedate performance style, Lombardo also discouraged the use of solo improvisations, rifts and driving swing rhythms in his arrangements.[77] He also adopted the use of the tuba instead of the double bass in a harmonic role.[11]

In a 1973 interview with CBC radio, Lombardo credited his brother Carmen with utilizing his talents as a self-taught flautist to develop a unique "round" sound for the saxophones as well as the influence of Paul Whiteman's band on his style.[78] His "sweet" jazz style frequently incorporated lilting arrangements, much to the dismay of "serious" jazz devotees who favored "hot" jazz.[79][80][15] Ironically, even the executives at Columbia Records were inclined to reject a sample recording submitted by Lombardo's band in 1927 on the grounds that it lacked the fast staccato tempo popularized by dance bands in the 1920s and was therefore not suitable for dancing.[76]

Nevertheless, even Lombardo's detractors praised his orchestra for the skill and musicianship of its members.[10] In fact, Lombardo's band was highly respected throughout the industry for its professionalism.[81] Milt Gabler of Decca Records praised the band as "the most completely responsible band I ever knew."[82] The legendary Louis Armstrong even singled out Lombardo's band as one of his favorites.[15][83]

While Benny Goodman insisted that sweet music in general was "a weak sister incapable of holding its own in any artistic encounter with the real music of America", Lombardo's style continued to reign as the dominant influence among dance bands from the late 1920s until the arrival of the Swing Era in the mid 1930s and served as the foundation for the styles developed by Hal Kemp, Kay Kyser, Freddie Martin (who studied technique on the saxaphone with Carmen Lombardo) and Sammy Kaye.[76][81] In fact, Lombardo's smooth, mellow, lyrical style never quite disappeared even after World War II ended and helped to influence the subsequent development of various musical genres including easy listening.[81][10][80][84]

The music critic Winthrop Sargeant brushed aside all doubts about Lombardo's music In his Jazz: Hot and Hybrid (1959:53) by asserting that it was "unquestionably a variety of jazz, a hybrid variety that has come as close as anything does to being the folk-music of the great mass of Americans".[85] In the final analysis, Lombardo's simple direct interpretation of easily understood melodies continued to consistently attract huge audiences both in the dance halls and concert halls of America in a manner which remained popular with the public for five decades.[76]

Singles discography

Before the start of Billboard magazine's top 40 charts in 1940, Lombardo had over 140 hits from 1927 to 1940, including twenty-one No. 1 singles. The five biggest being "Charmaine", "It Looks Like Rain in Cherry Blossom Lane", "Boo-Hoo", "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye", and "Red Sails in the Sunset".

The following singles made the "Top Ten" of the American Billboard singles charts from 1927 to 1940:[86][87]

External audio
audio icon Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians performing "Boo-Hoo" by Carmen Lombardo in 1950 Here on Archive.org'

Columbia

The following appeared on the Columbia Records label:

  • 1927 – Charmaine
  • 1928 – Beloved
  • 1928 – Coquette
  • 1928 – Sweethearts on Parade
  • 1929 – College Medley Fox Trot (The Big Ten)
  • 1929 – I Get the Blues When It Rains
  • 1929 – Singin' in the Bathtub
  • 1929 – Where the Shy Little Violets Grow
  • 1930 – A Cottage for Sale
  • 1930 – Baby's Birthday Party
  • 1930 – Confessin' (That I Love You)
  • 1930 – Crying for the Carolines
  • 1930 – Go Home and Tell Your Mother
  • 1930 – Have a Little Faith in Me
  • 1930 – I Still Get a Thrill (Thinking of You)
  • 1930 – Lazy Lou'siana Moon
  • 1930 – Rollin' Down the River
  • 1930 – Singing a Song to the Stars
  • 1930 – Swingin' in a Hammock
  • 1930 – Under a Texas Moon
  • 1930 – You're Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do)
  • 1930 – You're the Sweetest Girl This Side of Heaven
  • 1931 – (There Ought to Be a) Moonlight Saving Time
  • 1931 – Begging for Love
  • 1931 – By the River Sainte-Marie
  • 1931 – Goodnight Sweetheart
  • 1931 – Now That You're Gone
  • 1931 – Sweet and Lovely
  • 1931 – Whistling in the Dark
  • 1931 – Without That Gal!
  • 1931 – You Try Somebody Else (We'll Be Back Together Again)

Brunswick

The following appeared on the Brunswick Records label:

Decca (1934–1935)

The following appeared on the Decca Records label:

Victor (1936–1938)

  • 1936 – Lost
  • 1936 – The Broken Record
  • 1936 – The Way You Look Tonight
  • 1936 – When Did You Leave Heaven
  • 1936 – When My Dream Boat Comes Home
  • 1937 – A Sail Boat in the Moonlight
  • 1937 – Boo–Hoo
  • 1937 – I Know Now
  • 1937 – It Looks Like Rain in Cherry Blossom Lane
  • 1937 – September in the Rain
  • 1937 – So Rare
  • 1937 – The Love Bug Will Bite You
  • 1938 – Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
  • 1938 – I Must See Annie Tonight
  • 1938 – It's a Lonely Trail (When You're Travelin' All Alone)
  • 1938 – Let's Sail to Dreamland
  • 1938 – Little Lady Make Believe
  • 1938 – So Little Time
  • 1938 – Ti–Pi–Tin

Decca (1939–1952)

The following singles made the "Top Ten" of the Billboard Singles Charts, 1940–1952.[88]

Albums discography

Decca: [89][90][91]

  • Decca DL 9014 Guy Lombardo Presents Arabian Nights (1954)
  • Decca DL 8070 A Night At The Roosevelt With Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (1954)
  • Decca DL 8097 Lombardoland USA (1955)
  • Decca DL 8119 Guy Lombardo & His Twin Pianos (1955)
  • Decca DL 8135 Soft and Sweet (1955)
  • Decca DL 8136 Enjoy Yourself (1955)
  • Decca DL 8205 Waltztime (1956)
  • Decca DL 8208 The Band Played On (1956)
  • Decca DL 8249 Lombardoland Volume 1 (1956)
  • Decca DL 8251 Twin Piano Magic (1956)
  • Decca DL 8254 Everybody Dance to the Music (1956)
  • Decca DL 8255 Oh, How We Danced... (1956)
  • Decca DL 8256 Waltzland (1956)
  • Decca DL 8333 Silver Jubilee (1956)
  • Decca DL 8354 Jingle Bells (1956)
  • Decca DXM 154 The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven Vols. 1–4 (1957)
  • Decca DL 8843 Instrumentally Yours (1959)
  • Decca DL 8894 Sidewalks of New York (1959)
  • Decca DL 8895 Movieland Melodies (1959)
  • Decca DL 8898 Show Tunes (1959)
  • Decca DL 8962 Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven, A Musical Autobiography 1926–1932 (1960)
  • Decca DL 4123 The Sweetest Pianos This Side of Heaven (1960)
  • Decca DL 4149 Far Away Places (1962)
  • Decca DL 4117 New Year's Eve with Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (1962)
  • Decca DL 4180 Dance to the Songs Everybody Knows (1962)
  • Decca DL 4229 The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven 1932–1939 (1962)
  • Decca DL 4268 The Best Songs Are the Old Songs (1962)
  • Decca DL 4280 By Special Request (1962)
  • Decca DL 4288 Dancing Piano (1962)
  • Decca DL 4328 The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven 1941–1948 (1963)
  • Decca DL 4329 The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven 1949–1954 (1963)
  • Decca DL 4371 Play A Happy Song (1963)
  • Decca DL 4380 Golden Minstrel Songs for Dancing (1963)
  • Decca DL 4430 Golden Folk Songs for Dancing (1963)
  • Decca DL 4516 Italian Songs Everybody Knows (1964)
  • Decca DXB 185 The Best of Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (1964)
  • Decca DL 4567 Snuggled on Your Shoulder (1964)
  • Decca DL 4593 Golden Medleys (1965)
  • Decca DL 4735 Dance Medley Time (1966)
  • Decca DL 4812 Guy Lombardo's Greatest Hits (1967)

Vocalion:[92]

  • VL 3605 Dance in the Moonlight (1958)
  • VL 3833 Here's Guy Lombardo (1968)

Capitol:

  • Capitol W 738 Guy Lombardo in Hi-Fi (1956)
  • Capitol T 739 Your Guy Lombardo Medley Vol. 1 (1956)
  • Capitol T 788 A Decade on Broadway 1946–1956 (1956)
  • Capitol T 892 Lively Guy (1957)
  • Capitol T 916 A Decade on Broadway 1935–1945 (1958)
  • Capitol ST 1019 Berlin by Lombardo (1959)
  • Capitol ST 1121 Dancing Room Only (1959)
  • Capitol ST 1191 Lombardo Goes Latin (1959)
  • Capitol ST 1244 Your Guy Lombardo Medley Vol. 2 (1960)
  • Capitol ST 1306 The Sweetest Waltzes This Side of Heaven (1960)(reissued as SF522)
  • Capitol ST 1393 Lombardo at Harrah's Club (1960)
  • Capitol SKAO Sing The Songs of Christmas (1960)
  • Capitol ST 1453 Bells Are Ringing (1960)
  • Capitol ST 1461 The Best of Guy Lombardo (1961)
  • Capitol ST 1593 Drifting and Dreaming (1961)
  • Capitol ST 1598 Your Guy Lombardo Medley Vol. 3 (1961)
  • Capitol ST 1648 Guy Lombardo & The Royal Canadians Go Dixie (1962)
  • Capitol ST 1738 Waltzing with Guy Lombardo (1962)
  • Capitol 1843 Lombardo with a Beat (1963)
  • Capitol ST 1947 The Sweetest Medleys This Side of Heaven (1963)
  • Capitol ST 2052 Lombardo Touch (1964)
  • Capitol STDL The Lombardo Years (1964)
  • Capitol T 2298 Guy Lombardo Presents Kenny Gardner (1965)
  • Capitol T 2350 Guy Lombardo Plays Songs of Carmen Lombardo (1965)
  • Capitol ST 2481 A Wonderful Year (1966)
  • Capitol ST 2559 Guy Lombardo's Broadway (1966)
  • Capitol ST 2639 The Sweetest Sounds Today (1967)
  • Capitol ST 2777 Lombardo Country (1967)
  • Capitol ST 2825 Medleys On Parade (1967)
  • Capitol ST 2889 They're Playing Our Songs (1968)
  • Capitol SKAO 2940 The Best of Guy Lombardo Vol. 2 (1968)
  • Capitol ST 128 The New Songs The New Sounds
  • Capitol SM 340 Recorded Live at The Tropicana

London Records:

  • London XPS904 Every Night Is New Year's Eve with Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians at The Waldorf Astoria (1973)

Pickwick (Capitol) Budget Compilations / Reissues:

  • SPC 1011 – Deck the Halls
  • SPC 3073 – Sweet and Heavenly
  • SPC 3140 – Taking a Chance On Love
  • SPC 3193 – Enjoy Yourself
  • SPC 3257 – Red Roses for a Blue Lady
  • SPC 3312 – The Impossible Dream
  • SPC 3358 – Alley Cat
  • ACL 7057 – Guy Lombardo Plays (1977 reissue of RCA Camden CAL255, 1965)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Band Leader Guy Lombardo Dead at 75". Rushville Republican. Rushville, Indiana. Rushville Republican. November 7, 1977. p. 2. Retrieved February 11, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. ↑ Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1509. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  3. ↑ Koda, Cub. "Guy Lombardo". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Goldman, Ari L. (31 July 2002). "Kenny Gardner, 89, Guy Lombardo's Crooner". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 The Canadian Music Hall of Fame - Guy Lombardo on canadianmusichalloffame.ca
  6. 1 2 Roberts, Joe (December 28, 1977). "Lombardo: Old Acquaintance Not Forgotten". California, Van Nuys. Valley News. p. 25 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Canadian Encyclopedia: "Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians" Mookg, Edward B. (6 April 2008 rev. 4 March 2015) on thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en
  8. ↑ "Gaetano Lombardo, Father of Musicians". The New York Times. October 7, 1954. p. 23.
  9. ↑ Lombardo, Guy (1975). Auld Acquaintance. Doubleday. ISBN 9780385028639.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Encyclopedia of music in the 20th Century. Stacey, Lee. Henderson, Lol Editors. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group London 2014 p. 379 Guy Lombardo Biography on Google Books
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 The Canadian Encyclopedia: "Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians" Mookg, Edward B. (6 April 2008 rev. 4 March 2015) on thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en
  12. ↑ Chronology of American Popular Music 1900-2000. Hoffman, Frank. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, London 2016 p. 55 ISBN 9781135868864: "March 10, 1924 Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians first record for Gennett in Richmond indiana.." Guy Lombrdo Gennett Studios on Google Books
  13. ↑ "Lombardo's sister left stage for family life".
  14. ↑ "I'm an American | USCIS". 6 January 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 Wald, Elijah (September 2012). "Louis Armstrong Loves Guy Lombardo". In Ake, David; Garret, Charles; Goldmark, Daniel (eds.). Jazz/Not Jazz: The Music and Its Boundaries. University of California Press Online. p. 31. doi:10.1525/california/9780520271036.003.0003. ISBN 9780520271036. Louis Armstrong often referred to Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians as his favorite band, but this fact is rarely cited and almost never pursued. Critics and historians who celebrate African American music tend to dismiss Lombardo's music as boring, mainstream pap, unworthy to be treated alongside the masterpieces of Armstrong or Duke Ellington. Thus, while celebrating Armstrong, they ignore his musical opinion—and that of the public, which made Lombardo's orchestra the most popular dance band not only of white America, but also at Harlem's Savoy Ballroom. How have such prejudices affected our views of the past? How has our understanding of black musicians been limited by an insistence that they fit modern definitions of hipness or authenticity?
  16. ↑ Wald, Elijah (2007). "Louis Armstrong loves Guy Lombardo! Acknowledging the smoother roots of jazz". Jazz Research Journal. 1 (1): 129. doi:10.1558/jazz.v1i1.129. Though Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians were always considered the sweetest of American dance bands and the antithesis of what is usually called jazz, Louis Armstrong regularly named them as his favorite orchestra. This judgment is usually dismissed as an odd quirk, but by exploring it we can learn something about what made Armstrong unique. Likewise, it is worth examining Armstrong's admiration for classical virtuosos like Herbert Clarke of the Sousa band. In broader terms, we cannot understand the evolution of jazz if we do not explore the deep African-American classical tradition and the extent to which artists like Armstrong and Lombardo shared a single world, and appealed to a broadly overlapping audience. Sweet orchestras and classical concert music, rather than being the opposite of jazz, were among the many inspirations for Armstrong and his peers, and our understanding and appreciation of these musicians is increased when we realize the breadth of their interests.
  17. ↑ Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Volume 8- Genres North America. Horn, David. Shephard, John Editors. Bloombury Publishing 2012 p. 472 "Armstrong and Lombardo did not view their worlds as diametrically opposed, nor did many other contemporary musicians of the 1930s. ...Lombardo himself always took great pride in the number of black orchestras that imitated his style." Guy lombardo band popularity on Google Books
  18. ↑ "Clipped from the Paris News". The Paris News. 15 February 1978. p. 15.
  19. ↑ "Lebert Lombardo, 88, Co-Founder of Band". The New York Times. 22 June 1993.
  20. ↑ "A New Year's Gig, 1,765 Miles from the Waldorf". 30 December 2008.
  21. ↑ "Photos: Al Pierson returns to Lake DePue with Guy Lombardo's Royal Canadians". 29 July 2021.
  22. ↑ Crump, William D. Encyclopedia of New Year's Holidays Worldwide. McFarland & Co. Publishers. London. 2008 p. 101 ISBN 978-0-7864-3393-3 Guy lombardo on Google Books
  23. 1 2 United States Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the 92nd Congress First Session December 7, 1971 p. 45269 Guy Lombardo on Google Books
  24. ↑ Auld Lang Syne: Guy Lombardo. CBC Radio December 31, 2015 Biography of Guy Lombardo on the Canadian Broadcasting Company CBC on cbc.ca
  25. ↑ "Auld Lang Syne: Guy Lombardo". Rewind with Michael Enright. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. December 31, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
  26. ↑ I'm An American - INS's Foray into Radio Broadcasting - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on uscis.gov
  27. 1 2 Ellis Island Nation: Immigration policy and American Identity in the Twentieth Century. Fleegler, Robert L. University of Pennsylvania Press 2013 p. ISBN 9780812245097 Guy Lombardo I'm An Amerian Radio show on Google Books
  28. ↑ Guy Lomardo's quote from the "I'm An American" radio program on National public radio at npr.org
  29. ↑ Kirby, Walter (June 14, 1953). "Better Radio Programs for the Week". The Decatur Daily Review. The Decatur Daily Review. p. 54. Retrieved July 1, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ↑ "Lombardo Jubilee Set For Video". Greensboro Daily News. March 18, 1956. p. 58. Retrieved November 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ↑ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 571. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  32. ↑ "the Guy Lombardo Show" on imdb.com
  33. ↑ "Rambling 'Round Radio Row" - Top cast & Photograph on imbd.org
  34. ↑ Spoonts, Lucille (April 17, 1934). "Lombardo Brothers Agree on Two Things — Fishing and Music; Dynamos of Energy". The Amarillo Globe-Times. Texas, Amarillo. The Amarillo Globe-Times. p. 7. Retrieved February 11, 2016 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  35. ↑ Guy Lombardo on imdb.com
  36. ↑ Jones Beach: An Illustrated History. Hanc, John. Globe Pequot, 2 March 2010, Chapter 7; The Guy Who Loved The Beach pp127-131 ISBN 9781461747949 Guy Lombardo Jones Beach Theater on Google Books.com
  37. 1 2 Jones Beach. Theodosiou, Constantine E. Arcadia Publishing Inc., 30 April 2018 Chapter Five: A Slice of the Good Life ISBN 9781439664575 Guy Lombardo Jones Beach Theater on Google Books
  38. ↑ "Theater: At Jones Beach; Lombardo Back with 'Around the World'" The New York Times June 29, 1964 p. 33 on nytimes.com
  39. 1 2 3 4 The Lombardo Story. Cline, Beverly Fink.Ebookit.com 10 July 2012 ISBN 9780986876318 Guy Lombardo Robert Moses Jones Beach Theater on Google Books
  40. 1 2 "Remembering When Jones Beach Brought Broadway to Long Island" Merritt, Jim. Newsday June 16, 2022 Guy Lombardo Jones Beach Theater on Newsday.com
  41. ↑ The New York Times Obituary: Arnold Spector 74 a Producer; Directed Shows at Jones Beach April 16, 1981 Section B p. 12 on nytimes.com
  42. ↑ "Remembering When Jones Beach Brought Broadway to Long Island" Merritt, Jim. Newsday June 16, 2022 Guy Lombardo Jones Becth Theater on Newsday.com
  43. 1 2 3 The New York Times: "Drydocked 'Fiddler" is Lombardo's New Flagship" July 3, 1974 p. 20 on nytimes.com
  44. ↑ Broward College Archives: "Jones Beach Stadium (Long Island, NY) Hit the Deck (1960-06-25 Playbill Collection on archives.broward.edu
  45. ↑ Encyclopedia of Music in the 20th Century. Stacey, Lee & Henderson, Lol. Taylor and Francis Publishers. 27 January 2014, p. 379 ISBN 9781135929466 Guy Lombardo: the Sweetest Music This Side of heaven on Google Books
  46. 1 2 3 4 Western Outdoor Times: "Guy Lombardo Was Also A Speedboat Racer" Publisher Arizona Boating & Watersports Scottsddale, Az 1 August 2021 Guy Lombardo on westernoutdoortimes.com
  47. ↑ Bonnier Corporation (December 1959), Popular Science, Bonnier Corporation, pp. 94–, retrieved 22 August 2017
  48. ↑ Motorboating: Special Boat Show Annual. "Detroiter Building Jet Boat for Record Try" January 1961 p. 380 Guy Lombardo United States Boat Company on Google Books
  49. ↑ Yachting. Yachting Publishing Co., Vol 107, 1960 p. 164 "Guy Lombardo Royal Fiberglass Boats" on Google Books
  50. 1 2 Skagit Plastics: A Brief History - "In 1958 Skagit licensed production rights to some of their designs to ...a boat bulider in New Jersey...under the name Guy Lombardo Boats, owned by the famous bandleader and raceboat driver" Guy Lombardo Skagit Plastics on Google Books
  51. ↑ Western Outdoor Times. Publisher: Arizona Boating and Watersports, Scotsdale, Arizona, August 1, 2021 "Guy Lombardo was Also a Speedboat Racer" on Google Books
  52. ↑ "Guy Lombardo Boats". Fiber Classics. 12 February 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
  53. ↑ The Long Island Press - "Freeport's Guy Lombardo Was the Original Mr. New Year'sa Eve" Ann Wiltkinson. December 26, 2022 on longislandpress.com
  54. ↑ New York Heritage Digital Collections - Guy Lombardo - "Color Photograph of Guy Lombardo taken at Jones BeachLombardo lived at 710 South grove Street...Freeport, NY on nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org
  55. ↑ The Historical Marker Database "Guy lombardo's House" on hmdb.org
  56. ↑ New York Heritage Digital Collections - "Guy Lombardo's East Point House, Freeport, Long Island" Postcard on contentdm.oclc.org
  57. ↑ The Villanovan, April 29, 1967, page seven
  58. ↑ Italian Americans: The History and the Culture of a People. Martone, Eric. Editor. "Guy Lombardo (1902=1977)", Hartsock, Ralph. ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, California 2017 ISBN 978-1-61069-994-5 Guy Lombardo on Google Books
  59. ↑ The Canadian Encyclopedia. "Music at Western University: Honorary Degress- Guy Lombardo (1971) University of Western Ontario Guy Lombardo on thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en
  60. ↑ Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame: "Guy Lombardo" on limusichalloffame.org
  61. ↑ "Guy Lombardo: Happy New Year". Canadian Postage Stamps. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  62. ↑ "Guy Lombardo New Year's Eve Party premieres in New York". Canadian Stamp News. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  63. ↑ "Guy Lombardo | Hollywood Walk of Fame". Walk of Fame. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  64. 1 2 Wozniak, Mary (31 December 2012). "For Auld Lang Syne: Guy Lombardo's History Needs a Home". USA TODAY. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  65. ↑ The Guy Lombardo Wing: "Guy Lombardo's London Homes" on dotydoc.theatreinlondon.ca/Archives
  66. ↑ The Long island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame - Guy Lombardo on limusichalloffame.org
  67. ↑ Canadian Bands - Guy Lombardo biography on canadianbands.com
  68. ↑ "Clock Strikes Midnight for Guy Lombardo Museum". National Post, Toronto, Canada. October 29, 2007. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved 2009-10-23.
  69. ↑ "Lombardo relics off limits to city". The London Free Press. January 30, 2009. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012.
  70. ↑ Maloney, Patrick (19 January 2015). "Legacy for sale". The London Free Press. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  71. ↑ The Billboard. "Reviews and Ratings of Popular New Albums: A Night at the Roosevelt=Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (28 August 1954) p. 64 Guy Lombardo Critical Reviews on Google Books
  72. ↑ The Billboard. "On the Records: Guy Lombardo (Decca 4135) (14 Feb. 1942) p. 64 Guy Lombardo Critical Reviews on Google Books
  73. 1 2 The Billboard. "Music Reviews: On The Records - Guy Lombardo (Decca 4199) (21 March 1942) p. 24 Guy Lombardo Guy Lombardo Critical Reviews on Google Books
  74. ↑ The New York Times Theater Reviews "Sound of Music is Back" (12 July 1971) p. 106 Guy Lombardo reviews the New York Times on Google Books
  75. ↑ The New York Herald Tribune. "Book Review: Thirty Years at the Same Sweet Bandstand" Vol 37, Part 2 1961 p. 10 Guy Lombardo reviews the New York Times on Google Books
  76. 1 2 3 4 New York Times "'Mr. New Year's-Eve' for Nearly Half a Century" Wilson, John. Nov. 7, 1977 p. 38 Guy Lombardo musical style and social meaning on google Books
  77. ↑ Lonesome Roads and Streets of Dreams: Place Mobility and Race in Jazz of the 1930 sand '40s. Berish, Andrew S. University of Chicago Press 2012 p.45, "The Casino Ballroom: White and Sweet" pp.41-50 ISBN 9780226044941 Guy Lombardo Sweet Jazz on Google Books
  78. ↑ "Auld Lang Syne Guy Lombardo" 31 December 2015 Interview with Guy Lombardo on archive.org
  79. ↑ CBC Radio 1 Encyclopedia of music in the 20th Century. Stacey, Lee. Henderson, Lol Editors. Routledge Taylor and Francis Group London 2014 p. 379 Guy Lombardo Biography on Google Books
  80. 1 2 Musical Style and Social Meaning: Selected Essays. Scott, Dereck B. Taylor & Francis July 5, 2017 p. 85 ISBN 9781351556873 Guy Lombardo musical style on Google Books
  81. 1 2 3 Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Volume 8- Genres North America. Horn, David. Shephard, John Editors. Bloombury Publishing 2012 p. 472 Guy Lombardo band popularity on Google Books
  82. ↑ Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World Volume 8- Genres North America. Horn, David. Shephard, John Editors. Bloombury Publishing 2012 p. 472 Quote by Nilt Gabler at Decca Records about Guy Lombardo's band Guy Lombardo band popularity on Google Books
  83. ↑ Pearl Harbor Jazz: Change in Popular Music in the 1940s. TOwnsend, Peter. University Press of Mississippi (2 March 2009) p. 122 ebook ISBN 9781604731477 Guy Lombardo Winthrop Sergeant on Google Books
  84. ↑ The Los Angeles Times - "Hollywood Star Walk Guy Lombardo" November 6, 1977 on projects.latimes.com
  85. ↑ Pearl Harbor Jazz: Change in Popular Music in the 1940s. TOonsend, Peter. University Press of Mississippi (2 March 2009) p. 122 ebook ISBN 9781604731477 Quote by Winthrop Sargeant on the hybrid nature of Guy Lombardo's jazz style. Guy Lombardo Winthrop Sergeant on Google Books
  86. ↑ "Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians Top Songs". MusicVF. musicVF.com. Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  87. ↑ Hawtin, Steve; et al. "Guy Lombardo Chart Hits At TsorT.info". TsorT. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  88. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's Billboard Pop Hits Singles & Albums 1940-1954. Menomonee, Wisconsin: Record Research. ISBN 0-89820-152-7.
  89. ↑ Edwards, David; Callahan, Mike; Eyries, Patrice; Watts, Randy; Neely, Tim. "Decca Album Discography, Part 6: Decca DL 9000-9190 (1950-1971)". bsnpubs.com. Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  90. ↑ Edwards, David; Callahan, Mike; Eyries, Patrice; Watts, Randy; Neely, Tim. "Decca Album Discography, Part 5, Main 12-inch Series: DL4000-5397 (1959-1972)". bsnpubs.com. Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  91. ↑ Edwards, David; Callahan, Mike; Eyries, Patrice; Watts, Randy; Neely, Tim. "Decca Album Discography, Part 4 Main 12-inch 8000 Series (1949-1960)". bsnpubs.com. Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  92. ↑ Edwards, Dave; Callahan, Mike; Eyries, Patrice; Watts, Randy; Neely, Tim. "Vocalion Album Discography". bsnpubs.com. Both Sides Now Publications. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
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