World War II Music

American trombonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader who defined the swing era with his distinctive 'Miller Sound'.Glenn Miller rose to fame in the late 1930s leading one of the most popular and commercially successful big bands. His orchestra achieved unprecedented success with hits like 'In the Mood,' 'Moonlight Serenade,' 'Chattanooga Choo Choo,' and 'Pennsylvania 6-5000.' Miller disbanded his civilian orchestra to join the US Army Air Forces during WWII, leading the Glenn Miller Army A...

Mexican composer, concert pianist, and author, best known for writing one of the most recorded songs in history.Consuelo Velazquez was a classically trained pianist who achieved global fame for composing the iconic bolero 'Besame Mucho' in her teens. Born in Ciudad Guzmán, Mexico, she studied at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. Beyond her legendary song, she composed numerous others, performed as a concert pianist, served as a federal deputy in the Mexican Congress, and was ...

American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras.Sibling trio LaVerne (1911–1967), Maxene (1916–1995), and Patty Andrews (1918–2013) formed in Minneapolis during the Great Depression. They rose to fame with Decca Records in 1937, selling over 75 million records worldwide. Iconic for WWII morale-boosting hits like 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy' and 'Rum and Coca-Cola,' they dominated charts through the 1940s-1950s with 113 Billboard chart entries....

Frank W. Meacham was an American composer, arranger, and music publisher best known for his enduringly popular march, 'American Patrol'.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Meacham worked primarily as an arranger and publisher in the late 19th century. His most significant contribution was composing the instrumental march 'American Patrol' around 1885, which cleverly wove together popular patriotic melodies of the time....

Czech brass band composer renowned for creating one of the world's most famous polkas.Jaromír Vejvoda was a Czech composer and bandmaster, born in Zbraslav (now part of Prague). He worked primarily as a butcher but achieved global fame as a composer. His most famous work, 'Škoda lásky' (Modřanská polka), written in 1927, became internationally known as the 'Beer Barrel Polka' ('Roll Out the Barrel')....