Those few out there who follow such trivial things are likely aware that the late Dick Clark began his “Rockin’ New Year’s Eve” telecast in 1974, and hosted--or appeared on it--until his final, 2012 broadcast. However, Clark’s long-running New Year’s Eve broadcasts were rivaled, in terms of longevity, by the entertainer some consider to have virtually invented New Year’s Eve. His name? Guy Lombardo. His band? The Royal Canadians. His music? “The sweetest music this side of heaven.” Lombardo knew he was purveying pure corn, but Mickey Mouse band or not, his band sold somewhere between 100 and 300 million records since the unit began recording in 1924. Their New Year’s Eve broadcast began on radio in 1928, switched to television in 1956, and continued to air every December 31 until 1977. In fact, for the years 1974, 1975 and 1976, Lombardo and Dick Clark were going head-to-head in the New Year’s Eve rating’s wars. What’s particularly charming about Lombardo’s music is that as corny as it was, few jazz musicians put it down. “What Lombardo did was skillful, and it worked,” said one musicologist. And among Lombardo’s admirers? Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Oscar Peterson, Leonard Bernstein, Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. And yes, you sure as hell could dance to it. Here is a clip of the Lombardo crew in action for their last ever New Year’s Eve broadcast, December 31, 1976. Yes, it was still corny. But yes, he was still packin’ them in. Pictures don’t lie. https://youtube/watch?v=pL60HdslvOk
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:06:48 +0000
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