Benny Goodman

Dubbed "the King of Swing" by Time Magazine, Benny Goodman was a great jazz clarinet player and the leader of one of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era (1935–1945). His January 16, 1938 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's 'coming out' party to the world of 'respectable' music." Goodman's bands launched the careers of many major names in jazz, and during an era of segregation, he also led one of the first racially-integrated musical groups. Goodman continued to perform to nearly the end of his life, including exploring his interest in classical music.

Benjamin David Goodman was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 30, 1909, into a large, poor Jewish family. His parents, who had moved to the United States from Eastern Europe, were Dora and David Goodman. Benny formally studied music at the famed Hull House (a settlement house that was originally opened by Jane Addams [1860%E2%80%931935] to provide services to poor members of the community), and at the age of ten he was already a skilled clarinetist. At age twelve, appearing onstage in a talent contest, he did an imitation of the popular Ted Lewis. So impressed was bandleader Ben Pollack that five years later he sent for Goodman to join his band in Los Angeles, California. After three years with Pollack, Goodman left the band in New York City in 1929 to make it on his own. In 1934 he led his first band on a radio series called "Let's Dance" (which became the title of Goodman's theme song). The band also played at dance halls and made a handful of records. The turning point

In 1935, armed with songs developed by some of the great African American arrangers, Goodman's band traveled the country to play their music. Not especially successful in most of its performances, the band arrived at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles in a discouraged mood. The evening of August 21, 1935, began coolly. Then, desperate to wow the unimpressed audience, Goodman called for the band to launch into a couple of fast-paced crowd pleasers, and the reaction ultimately sent shock waves through the entire popular music world. Hundreds of people stopped dancing and massed around the bandstand, responding with enthusiasm.

That performance turned out to be not only a personal triumph for the band, but for swing music in general. Goodman's popularity soared; the band topped almost all the magazine and theater polls, their record sales were huge, they were given a weekly radio show, and they were featured in two big-budget movies. But an even greater triumph awaited—a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York that was to win respect for Goodman's music. The night of January 16, 1938, is now famous; the band outdid itself, improving on recorded favorites such as "King Porter Stomp" and "Don't Be That Way." The band finished the evening with a lengthy, classic version of "Sing, Sing, Sing." Goodman the person

Two of the finest musicians ever to work with Goodman were pianist Teddy Wilson (1912–1986) and vibraphonist-drummer Lionel Hampton (1909–2002). However, they played only in small-group arrangements because of the unwritten rule that did not allow white musicians and African American musicians to play together. Goodman was the first white bandleader to challenge segregation (keeping people of different races separate) in the music business, and as the rules eased he hired other African American greats.

Many top-notch musicians joined and left Goodman's band over the years, more so than in other bands. Most musicians found Goodman an unfriendly employer. He was said to be stern and stingy with money. Moreover, Goodman was referred to in music circles as "the Ray," because of his habit of glaring at any player guilty of a "clam" or "clinker" (a wrong note), even in rehearsal. An outstanding clarinetist who was equally at home performing difficult classical music, Goodman was not very patient with anything that was not technically perfect. Later years

After 1945 the clarinet was pushed into a minor role in bebop music, the new style of jazz that was becoming popular. Goodman struggled for a while to accept the new music, but in 1950 he decided to dissolve his band. From that time forward his public appearances were rare. They were mostly with small groups and almost always for television specials, recordings, or European tours. His most celebrated tour, however, was part of the first-ever cultural exchange with the Soviet Union. In 1962, at the request of the U.S. State Department, he went to the Soviet Union with a band. The trip was a smashing success and greatly helped American jazz become popular in Eastern Europe.

After his marriage in 1941, Goodman's home was New York City. His wife, Alice, with whom he had two daughters, died in 1978. Goodman maintained his habit of performing on occasion. In 1985 he made a surprise and, by all accounts, spectacular appearance at the Kool Jazz Festival in New York. He died the following year of an apparent heart attack.

Goodman's ultimate contribution to jazz is still being debated. Much post-1940s jazz criticism has judged him to have been over-rated compared to other jazz greats. Nonetheless, Goodman's technical mastery, polished tone, highly individual (and influential) solo style, and undeniable swing certainly have earned him a permanent place in jazz history.

For his contribution to the music industry, Benny Goodman received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6101 Hollywood Blvd.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman http://www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Goodman-Benny.html http://www.bennygoodman.com/about/biography.html http://www.biography.com/articles/Benny-Goodman-9315335

He was the famous Benny Goodman King of Swing

http://pbskids.org/jazz/nowthen/goodman.html

Benny practiced, practiced, practiced...

Benny practiced his clarinet three to four hours everyday. Self-improvement was a way for him to get out of the ghetto. Throughout his career, he maintained a strict practice schedule. Benny was a perfectionist - - he wanted his music to be flawless.

GEDCOM Note

<p style="padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Early Life</p>00; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Benjamin David Goodman was born on May 30, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the ninth child of immigrants David Goodman and Dora Grisinsky Goodman, who left Russia to escape anti-Semitism. Benny's mother never learned to speak English. His father worked for a tailor to support his large family, which eventually grew to include a total of 12 children, and had trouble making ends meet.</p>nd-color: #fffadc;">When Benny was 10 years old, his father sent him to study music at Kehelah Jacob Synagogue in Chicago. There, Benny learned the clarinet under the tutelage of Chicago Symphony member Franz Schoepp, while two of his brothers learned tuba and trumpet. He also played in the band at Jane Addams' famous social settlement, Hull-House.</p>family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Talent and Success</p>ns-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Benny's aptitude on the clarinet was immediately apparent. While he was still very young, he became a professional musician and played in several bands in Chicago. He played with his first pit band at the age of 11, and became a member of the American Federation of Musicians when he was 14, when he quit school to pursue his career in music. When his father died, 15-year-old Benny used the money he made to help support his family. During these early years in Chicago, he played with many musicians who would later become nationally renowned, such as Frank Teschemacher and Dave Tough.</p>, he was hired by the Ben Pollack band and moved to Los Angeles. He remained with the band for four years, and became a featured soloist. In 1929, the year that marked the onset of the Great Depression and a time of distress for America, Benny left the Ben Pollack band to participate in recording sessions and radio shows in New York City.</p>ial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Then, in 1933, Benny began to work with John Hammond, a jazz promoter who would later help to launch the recording careers of Billie Holiday and Count Basie, among many others. Hammond wanted Benny to record with drummer Gene Krupa and trombonist Jack Teagarden, and the result of this recording session was the onset of Benny's national popularity. Later, in 1942, Benny would marry Alice Hammond Duckworth, John Hammond's sister, and have two daughters: Rachel, who became a concert pianist, and Benji, who became a cellist.</p>at Billy Rose's Music Hall, playing Fletcher Henderson's arrangements along with band members Bunny Berigan, Gene Krupa and Jess Stacy. The music they played had its roots in the Southern jazz forms of ragtime and Dixieland, while its structure adhered more to arranged music than its more improvisational jazz counterparts. This gave it an accessibility that appealed to American audiences on a wide scale. America began to hear Benny 's band when he secured a weekly engagement for his band on NBC's radio show "Let's Dance," which was taped with a live studio audience.</p>; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">The King of Swing</p>: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">The new swing music had the kids dancing when, on August 21, 1935, Benny's band played the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles. The gig was sensational and marked the beginning of the years that Benny would reign as King: the Swing Era.</p>line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Teenagers and college students invented new dance steps to accompany the new music sensation. Benny's band, along with many others, became hugely successful among listeners from many different backgrounds all over the country.</p>r: #fffadc;">During this period Benny also became famous for being colorblind when it came to racial segregation and prejudice. Pianist Teddy Wilson, an African-American, first appeared in the Benny Goodman Trio at the Congress Hotel in 1935. Benny added Lionel Hampton, who would later form his own band, to his Benny Goodman Quartet the next year. While these groups were not the first bands to feature both white and black musicians, Benny's national popularity helped to make racially mixed groups more accepted in the mainstream. Benny once said, "If a guy's got it, let him give it. I'm sellingmusic, not prejudice."</p>Era prompted Time magazine in 1937 to call him the "King of Swing." The next year, at the pinnacle of the Swing Era, the Benny Goodman band, along with musicians from the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands, made history as the first jazz band ever to play in New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall.</p>ormal; background-color: #fffadc;">Following the concert at Carnegie Hall, the Benny Goodman band had many different lineup changes. Gene Krupa left the band, among others, and subsequent versions of the band included Cootie Williams and Charlie Christian, as well as Jimmy Maxwell and Mel Powell, among others.</p>ine-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Enduring Icon of the Swing Era</p>al; background-color: #fffadc;">The Swing Era began to come to a close as America got more involved in World War II. Several factors contributed to its waning success, including the loss of musicians to the draft and the limits that gas rationing put on touring bands. However, though the big band days were drawing to a close and new forms of music were emerging, Benny continued to play music in the swing style. He dabbled in the "bop" movement of the 1940s, but never succumbed, as the rest of the world did, to the allure of rock and roll influences in the 1950s and 1960s. Instead, Benny tried his hand at classical music, doing solos with major orchestras, and studying with internationally acclaimed classical clarinetist Reginald Kell.</p>: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">These appearances further demonstrated Benny's range as a musician. His talent was unquestionable from the time he was 10 years old, and in recording sessions throughout his career, he very rarely made mistakes. Krell had helped him to improve some of his techniques, making Benny's playing even stronger.</p>"padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">In 1953, Benny's band planned to join Louis Armstrong and his All Stars in a tour together, but the two band leaders argued and the tour never opened at Carnegie Hall, as had been planned. It is not certain whether the tour was canceled due to Benny's illness or the conflict between the band leaders. The rest of the decade marked the spread of Benny's music to new audiences around the world. The Benny Goodman Story, a film chronicling his life, was released in 1955, exposing new and younger audiences to his music. Benny also toured the world, bringing his music to Asia and Europe. When he traveled to the USSR, one writer observed that "the swing music that had once setthe jitterbugs dancing in the Paramount aisles almost blew down the Iron Curtain."</p>nd-color: #fffadc;">During the late 1960s and 1970s, Benny appeared in reunions with the other members of his quartet: Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton. In 1978, the Benny Goodman band alsoappeared at Carnegie Hall again to mark the 30th Anniversary of when they appeared in the venue's first jazz concert.</p>erif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">In 1982, Benny was honored by the Kennedy Center for his lifetime achievements in swing music. In 1986, he received both an honorary doctorate degree in music from Columbia University and the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He continued to play the music that defined his lifetime in occasional concert dates until his death in June 1986,of cardiac arrest. He was laid to rest after a short nonsectarian service with around 40 family members and friends in attendance on June 15, 1986 at Long Ridge Cemetery in Stamford, Connecticut. Through his amazing career, Benny Goodman did not change his style to conform to the latest trends, but retained the original sound that defined the Swing Era and made him the world renowned King of Swing.</p>

בני גודמן

' (באנגלית: Benny Goodman;‏ 30 במאי 1909 - 13 ביוני 1986) נולד כבנימין דוד גודמן, נגן קלרינט יהודי אמריקאי. גודמן היה ג'אזיסט חשוב בעיקר בתקופת הסווינג, והיו לו כינויים רבים כגון "מלך הסווינג"[1] או "הפרופסור". גודמן הוביל את אחת התזמורות החשובות והמפורסמות ביותר בתולדות הג'אז. מבחינת ביג בנדים שמו נזכר בשורה הראשונה, יחד עם דיוק אלינגטון וקאונט בייסי.

תוכן עניינים 1 השנים המוקדמות 2 תקופת הסווינג 3 לאחר תקופת הסווינג 4 המוזיקה הקלאסית 5 קישורים חיצוניים 6 הערות שוליים השנים המוקדמות גודמן נולד בשיקגו כילד התשיעי למשפחת מהגרים יהודים עניים מפולין. אביו היה חייט מוורשה ואמו הייתה מקובנה. הוריו נפגשו בארצות הברית, בבולטימור.

כשהיה בני בן עשר רשם אביו אותו ושנים מאחיו לשיעורי מוזיקה, בהם גודמן התבלט מאד. הוא החל לנגן בלהקת ג'אז של נערים, וקיבל הדרכה גם בתחום הג'אז וגם במוזיקה קלאסית, דבר שהשפיע על נגינתו ויצירתו. גודמן למד מהר והשתלב בנגינה המקצועית כבר מגיל צעיר מאד. כשהיה בן 16 הצטרף לאחת הלהקות המובילות של שיקגו, התזמורת של בן פולק, איתם הקליט את הקלטותיו הראשונות. ההקלטה הראשונה תחת שמו הוקלטה אחרי שנתיים בלבד.

תקופת הסווינג בסוף שנות העשרים עבר גודמן לניו יורק, שם זכה להערכה רבה. בשנת 1932 הקים את התזמורת שלו, שהפכה לאחת הגדולות והחשובות בתולדות הג'אז. בתזמורת של גודמן התגלו מוזיקאים רבים וחשובים, והיא הופיעה באינספור הופעות והקליטה אינספור הקלטות. בני גודמן נחשב לאחד מהמוזיקאים שעיצבו את תקופת הסווינג. לא רק שהיה אחד משלושת מנהיגי התזמורות הגדולים (כשהאחרים הם אלינגטון ובייסי) הוא גם גילה מוזיקאים רבים וחשובים, כשהחשוב מביניהם הוא כנראה צ'ארלי כריסטיאן.

כריסטיאן הופיע בהרכב בשנת 1939, הביא אתו את הגיטרה החשמלית שלו, ונחשב לאבי הגיטרה החשמלית בג'אז. זה לא הדבר היחיד שכריסטיאן הביא איתו להרכב. הוא הביא גם את סגנונו הייחודי ואת רעיונותיו המורכבים. בהמשך הפך כריסטיאן לאחת ההשפעות הגדולות על מייסדי הבי בופ, וניצנים מהשפעה זו נראו עוד בתקופתו עם גודמן. במשך השנתיים שכריסטיאן ניגן עם התזמורת הוא כתב קטעים רבים (שעל חלקם גודמן לקח את הקרדיט) והיווה השראה למוזיקאים.

ב-1942 התחתן עם אליס האמונד, אחותו של המפיק שלו ג'ון האמונד ונצר למשפחת ואנדרבילט.

לאחר תקופת הסווינג בשנות הארבעים הביג בנדים נהיו פחות פופולריים, ויותר קשים להקלטה (בשל בעיות עם חברות התקליטים). כשהחל הבי בופ להופיע וקצת יותר מאוחר הקול ג'אז גודמן השתתף במעבר. הוא הקליט עם להקות קטנות, כנהוג בסגנון, ונגינת הקלרינט שלו השפיעה על כל הנגנים שבאו אחריו. גם ההקלטות שלו זכו לתהודה חיובית הן ממבקרים והן מהקהל. בפעם הראשונה שהוא שמע את נגינתו של ת'לוניוס מונק, פסנתרן שהיה מחלוצי הבי בופ, הוא אמר: "אני אוהב את זה, אני אוהב את היצירה ואני אוהב את הדרך שבה הוא מבצע אותה [...] אני חושב שיש לו חוש הומור ויש לו כמה דברים טובים שם".

למרות שבשנה וחצי הראשונות זכה גודמן לביקורת חיובית, בהמשך הוא לא עמד בקצב השינויים שהתרחשו בתחילת מהפכת הבופ. עד מהרה הוא הפך מתוסכל ועזב את הסגנון לחלוטין. אין ספק שגודמן נזכר בספרי ההיסטוריה בזכות נגינת הסווינג שלו, שנמשכה גם לאחר שהופיע הבופ. בסופו של דבר שינה גודמן את דעתו לחלוטין ואף טען כי "אולי הבופ החזיר את המוזיקה אחורה יותר מכל דבר אחר [...] באופן בסיסי זה שגוי לחלוטין, אפילו הסולמות לא נכונים".

המוזיקה הקלאסית לאחר שהתייאש מהבי בופ חזר גודמן לנגן גם מוזיקה קלאסית ואף הצטיין בכך. רבים החשיבו אותו לגדול נגני הקלרינט של אותה התקופה. הוא התנסה גם בשילובים בין הסווינג למוזיקה הקלאסית, וכתב עיבודים רבים ליצירות קלאסיות, למשל של המלחין בלה בארטוק.

קישורים חיצוניים Green globe.svg אתר האינטרנט הרשמי של בני גודמן

ויקישיתוף מדיה וקבצים בנושא בני גודמן בוויקישיתוף Last.fm icon.png בני גודמן , באתר Last.fm (באנגלית) Allmusic Favicon.png בני גודמן , באתר AllMusic (באנגלית) MusicBrainz Logo 2016.svg בני גודמן , באתר MusicBrainz (באנגלית) בני גודמן , באתר Discogs (באנגלית) Songkick logotype.svg בני גודמן , באתר Songkick (באנגלית) בני גודמן , באתר "Find a Grave" (באנגלית) F icon.svg בני גודמן , ברשת החברתית פייסבוק IMDB Logo 2016.svg בני גודמן , במסד הנתונים הקולנועיים IMDb (באנגלית) Allmovie Logo.png בני גודמן , באתר AllMovie (באנגלית) https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%91%D7%A0%D7%99_%D7%92%D7%95%D7%93...

---------------------------------------------

Dubbed "the King of Swing" by Time Magazine, Benny Goodman was a great jazz clarinet player and the leader of one of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era (1935–1945). His January 16, 1938 concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City is described by critic Bruce Eder as "the single most important jazz or popular music concert in history: jazz's 'coming out' party to the world of 'respectable' music." Goodman's bands launched the careers of many major names in jazz, and during an era of segregation, he also led one of the first racially-integrated musical groups. Goodman continued to perform to nearly the end of his life, including exploring his interest in classical music.

Benjamin David Goodman was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 30, 1909, into a large, poor Jewish family. His parents, who had moved to the United States from Eastern Europe, were Dora and David Goodman. Benny formally studied music at the famed Hull House (a settlement house that was originally opened by Jane Addams [1860%E2%80%931935] to provide services to poor members of the community), and at the age of ten he was already a skilled clarinetist. At age twelve, appearing onstage in a talent contest, he did an imitation of the popular Ted Lewis. So impressed was bandleader Ben Pollack that five years later he sent for Goodman to join his band in Los Angeles, California. After three years with Pollack, Goodman left the band in New York City in 1929 to make it on his own. In 1934 he led his first band on a radio series called "Let's Dance" (which became the title of Goodman's theme song). The band also played at dance halls and made a handful of records. The turning point

In 1935, armed with songs developed by some of the great African American arrangers, Goodman's band traveled the country to play their music. Not especially successful in most of its performances, the band arrived at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles in a discouraged mood. The evening of August 21, 1935, began coolly. Then, desperate to wow the unimpressed audience, Goodman called for the band to launch into a couple of fast-paced crowd pleasers, and the reaction ultimately sent shock waves through the entire popular music world. Hundreds of people stopped dancing and massed around the bandstand, responding with enthusiasm.

That performance turned out to be not only a personal triumph for the band, but for swing music in general. Goodman's popularity soared; the band topped almost all the magazine and theater polls, their record sales were huge, they were given a weekly radio show, and they were featured in two big-budget movies. But an even greater triumph awaited—a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York that was to win respect for Goodman's music. The night of January 16, 1938, is now famous; the band outdid itself, improving on recorded favorites such as "King Porter Stomp" and "Don't Be That Way." The band finished the evening with a lengthy, classic version of "Sing, Sing, Sing." Goodman the person

Two of the finest musicians ever to work with Goodman were pianist Teddy Wilson (1912–1986) and vibraphonist-drummer Lionel Hampton (1909–2002). However, they played only in small-group arrangements because of the unwritten rule that did not allow white musicians and African American musicians to play together. Goodman was the first white bandleader to challenge segregation (keeping people of different races separate) in the music business, and as the rules eased he hired other African American greats.

Many top-notch musicians joined and left Goodman's band over the years, more so than in other bands. Most musicians found Goodman an unfriendly employer. He was said to be stern and stingy with money. Moreover, Goodman was referred to in music circles as "the Ray," because of his habit of glaring at any player guilty of a "clam" or "clinker" (a wrong note), even in rehearsal. An outstanding clarinetist who was equally at home performing difficult classical music, Goodman was not very patient with anything that was not technically perfect. Later years

After 1945 the clarinet was pushed into a minor role in bebop music, the new style of jazz that was becoming popular. Goodman struggled for a while to accept the new music, but in 1950 he decided to dissolve his band. From that time forward his public appearances were rare. They were mostly with small groups and almost always for television specials, recordings, or European tours. His most celebrated tour, however, was part of the first-ever cultural exchange with the Soviet Union. In 1962, at the request of the U.S. State Department, he went to the Soviet Union with a band. The trip was a smashing success and greatly helped American jazz become popular in Eastern Europe.

After his marriage in 1941, Goodman's home was New York City. His wife, Alice, with whom he had two daughters, died in 1978. Goodman maintained his habit of performing on occasion. In 1985 he made a surprise and, by all accounts, spectacular appearance at the Kool Jazz Festival in New York. He died the following year of an apparent heart attack.

Goodman's ultimate contribution to jazz is still being debated. Much post-1940s jazz criticism has judged him to have been over-rated compared to other jazz greats. Nonetheless, Goodman's technical mastery, polished tone, highly individual (and influential) solo style, and undeniable swing certainly have earned him a permanent place in jazz history.

For his contribution to the music industry, Benny Goodman received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6101 Hollywood Blvd.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Goodman http://www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Goodman-Benny.html http://www.bennygoodman.com/about/biography.html http://www.biography.com/articles/Benny-Goodman-9315335

He was the famous Benny Goodman King of Swing

http://pbskids.org/jazz/nowthen/goodman.html

Benny practiced, practiced, practiced...

Benny practiced his clarinet three to four hours everyday. Self-improvement was a way for him to get out of the ghetto. Throughout his career, he maintained a strict practice schedule. Benny was a perfectionist - - he wanted his music to be flawless.

GEDCOM Note

<p style="padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Early Life</p>00; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Benjamin David Goodman was born on May 30, 1909 in Chicago, Illinois. He was the ninth child of immigrants David Goodman and Dora Grisinsky Goodman, who left Russia to escape anti-Semitism. Benny's mother never learned to speak English. His father worked for a tailor to support his large family, which eventually grew to include a total of 12 children, and had trouble making ends meet.</p>nd-color: #fffadc;">When Benny was 10 years old, his father sent him to study music at Kehelah Jacob Synagogue in Chicago. There, Benny learned the clarinet under the tutelage of Chicago Symphony member Franz Schoepp, while two of his brothers learned tuba and trumpet. He also played in the band at Jane Addams' famous social settlement, Hull-House.</p>family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Talent and Success</p>ns-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Benny's aptitude on the clarinet was immediately apparent. While he was still very young, he became a professional musician and played in several bands in Chicago. He played with his first pit band at the age of 11, and became a member of the American Federation of Musicians when he was 14, when he quit school to pursue his career in music. When his father died, 15-year-old Benny used the money he made to help support his family. During these early years in Chicago, he played with many musicians who would later become nationally renowned, such as Frank Teschemacher and Dave Tough.</p>, he was hired by the Ben Pollack band and moved to Los Angeles. He remained with the band for four years, and became a featured soloist. In 1929, the year that marked the onset of the Great Depression and a time of distress for America, Benny left the Ben Pollack band to participate in recording sessions and radio shows in New York City.</p>ial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Then, in 1933, Benny began to work with John Hammond, a jazz promoter who would later help to launch the recording careers of Billie Holiday and Count Basie, among many others. Hammond wanted Benny to record with drummer Gene Krupa and trombonist Jack Teagarden, and the result of this recording session was the onset of Benny's national popularity. Later, in 1942, Benny would marry Alice Hammond Duckworth, John Hammond's sister, and have two daughters: Rachel, who became a concert pianist, and Benji, who became a cellist.</p>at Billy Rose's Music Hall, playing Fletcher Henderson's arrangements along with band members Bunny Berigan, Gene Krupa and Jess Stacy. The music they played had its roots in the Southern jazz forms of ragtime and Dixieland, while its structure adhered more to arranged music than its more improvisational jazz counterparts. This gave it an accessibility that appealed to American audiences on a wide scale. America began to hear Benny 's band when he secured a weekly engagement for his band on NBC's radio show "Let's Dance," which was taped with a live studio audience.</p>; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">The King of Swing</p>: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">The new swing music had the kids dancing when, on August 21, 1935, Benny's band played the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles. The gig was sensational and marked the beginning of the years that Benny would reign as King: the Swing Era.</p>line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Teenagers and college students invented new dance steps to accompany the new music sensation. Benny's band, along with many others, became hugely successful among listeners from many different backgrounds all over the country.</p>r: #fffadc;">During this period Benny also became famous for being colorblind when it came to racial segregation and prejudice. Pianist Teddy Wilson, an African-American, first appeared in the Benny Goodman Trio at the Congress Hotel in 1935. Benny added Lionel Hampton, who would later form his own band, to his Benny Goodman Quartet the next year. While these groups were not the first bands to feature both white and black musicians, Benny's national popularity helped to make racially mixed groups more accepted in the mainstream. Benny once said, "If a guy's got it, let him give it. I'm sellingmusic, not prejudice."</p>Era prompted Time magazine in 1937 to call him the "King of Swing." The next year, at the pinnacle of the Swing Era, the Benny Goodman band, along with musicians from the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands, made history as the first jazz band ever to play in New York's prestigious Carnegie Hall.</p>ormal; background-color: #fffadc;">Following the concert at Carnegie Hall, the Benny Goodman band had many different lineup changes. Gene Krupa left the band, among others, and subsequent versions of the band included Cootie Williams and Charlie Christian, as well as Jimmy Maxwell and Mel Powell, among others.</p>ine-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">Enduring Icon of the Swing Era</p>al; background-color: #fffadc;">The Swing Era began to come to a close as America got more involved in World War II. Several factors contributed to its waning success, including the loss of musicians to the draft and the limits that gas rationing put on touring bands. However, though the big band days were drawing to a close and new forms of music were emerging, Benny continued to play music in the swing style. He dabbled in the "bop" movement of the 1940s, but never succumbed, as the rest of the world did, to the allure of rock and roll influences in the 1950s and 1960s. Instead, Benny tried his hand at classical music, doing solos with major orchestras, and studying with internationally acclaimed classical clarinetist Reginald Kell.</p>: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">These appearances further demonstrated Benny's range as a musician. His talent was unquestionable from the time he was 10 years old, and in recording sessions throughout his career, he very rarely made mistakes. Krell had helped him to improve some of his techniques, making Benny's playing even stronger.</p>"padding: 0px; color: #000000; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">In 1953, Benny's band planned to join Louis Armstrong and his All Stars in a tour together, but the two band leaders argued and the tour never opened at Carnegie Hall, as had been planned. It is not certain whether the tour was canceled due to Benny's illness or the conflict between the band leaders. The rest of the decade marked the spread of Benny's music to new audiences around the world. The Benny Goodman Story, a film chronicling his life, was released in 1955, exposing new and younger audiences to his music. Benny also toured the world, bringing his music to Asia and Europe. When he traveled to the USSR, one writer observed that "the swing music that had once setthe jitterbugs dancing in the Paramount aisles almost blew down the Iron Curtain."</p>nd-color: #fffadc;">During the late 1960s and 1970s, Benny appeared in reunions with the other members of his quartet: Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa and Lionel Hampton. In 1978, the Benny Goodman band alsoappeared at Carnegie Hall again to mark the 30th Anniversary of when they appeared in the venue's first jazz concert.</p>erif; line-height: normal; background-color: #fffadc;">In 1982, Benny was honored by the Kennedy Center for his lifetime achievements in swing music. In 1986, he received both an honorary doctorate degree in music from Columbia University and the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He continued to play the music that defined his lifetime in occasional concert dates until his death in June 1986,of cardiac arrest. He was laid to rest after a short nonsectarian service with around 40 family members and friends in attendance on June 15, 1986 at Long Ridge Cemetery in Stamford, Connecticut. Through his amazing career, Benny Goodman did not change his style to conform to the latest trends, but retained the original sound that defined the Swing Era and made him the world renowned King of Swing.</p>