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Les Brown

Les Brown and the Band of Renown brought Doris Day into prominence with their recording of "Sentimental Journey" in 1945. The release of "Sentimental Journey" coincided with the end of WWII in Europe and was the homecoming theme for many veterans. They had nine other number-one hit songs, including "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm." Les Brown and the Band of Renown performed with Bob Hope on radio, stage and TV for almost fifty years. They did 18 USO Tours for American troops around the world, and entertained over three million. Before the Super Bowls were televised, the Bob Hope Christmas Specials were the highest-rated programs in television history. Tony Bennett was "discovered" by Bob Hope and did his first public performance with Les and the Band. The first feature length film that Les and the band apperared in, was the war-time movie "Seven Days Leave" starring Victor Mature and Lucille Ball. "Rock-A-Billy Baby", a low budget 1957 film, was the Band of Renown's second movie and in 1963, they appeared in Jerry Lewis' comedy The Nutty Professor. Les Brown and the Band were also the NBC house band for the Dean Martin Variety Show, which ran for ten seasons, and for the Steve Allen show. Les Brown and the Band of Renown performed with virtually every major performer of their time, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat "King" Cole. Les Brown went to college at Duke University from 1932-1936. He played in and then led the Duke Blue Devils band as they performed on Duke's campus and up and down the east coast. Brown took the Duke Blue Devils on a one year three month tour after he graduated in 1936. At the end of the tour "the boys went back to school" and Brown went to New York where in 1938 he formed the band that would become the Band of Renown.

The Les Brown All-Stars: Mike's Peak

Read "Mike's Peak" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
June 20, 2006

The Les Brown All-Stars are actually three groups--the Dave Pell Octet, Ronny Lang Saxtet and Don Fagerquist Nonet--comprised for the most part of members or alumni of Brown's popular and long-lived Band of Renown and encircling on this anthology from the mid-'50s three numbers by Zoot Sims' older brother, trombonist Ray, with string section. Pell's group, the precursor of the others, is heard on eight tracks, Fagerquist's on four, Lang's on three.

Pell, who joined Brown's band in 1948, formed ...

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Album Review

Les Brown and His Band of Renown: Session #55

by Jack Bowers
September 1, 2001

Few bandleaders enjoyed longer or more successful careers than Les Brown. After coming out of Duke University in 1936, where he led his first dance band, the Blue Devils, Brown formed what would later become the Band of Renown in 1938. Les got a big break in 1947 when comedian Bob Hope hired the band to provide the music for his weekly radio (and later, television) programs. This led not only to a life–long friendship but to sixteen Christmas tours ...

Recording

Les Brown Plays Richard Rodgers

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
February 24, 2015

Les Brown's albums in the late 1950s and early 1960s are largely hit and miss. Some have punch while others sort of go through the motions. But when they hit, they're way out of the park. No other band had a swinging Hollywood sound like Brown's. Maybe it's because many of the recording band's West Coast players were working in TV at the time and slick as glass. Or because swing never left the West Coast ethos and survived all ...
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Obituary

Henry 'Butch' Stone Big-Band Singer, Saxophonist with Les Brown Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
May 31, 2009

Henry “Butch" Stone, 96, a big-band singer and saxophonist who had a long association with Les Brown and his Band of Renown, died May 19 at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Woodland Hills, according to a friend, songwriter and band leader Van Alexander.

A native of New York City, Stone learned baritone saxophone as a boy and played in his high school band and dance orchestra for four years. He also sang with the orchestra.

In the 1930s, he played with ...
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