Ray Noble facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ray Noble
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Ray Noble and his orchestra in 1935
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Raymond Stanley Noble |
| Born | 17 December 1903 Brighton, Sussex, England |
| Origin | Royal Academy of Music |
| Died | 2 April 1978 (aged 74) London, England |
| Genres | Jazz, big band |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1929-? |
| Labels | RCA Victor |
| Associated acts | Al Bowlly |
Ray Noble (born December 17, 1903 – died April 3, 1978) was a famous English musician. He was a talented bandleader, composer, and arranger of music. He also became a radio host, TV star, and actor, even performing in the United States. He is most famous for his song, "The Very Thought of You".
Ray Noble wrote both the words and music for many popular songs during the "Golden Age of British music." He often worked with his friend and singer, Al Bowlly. Some of their well-known songs include "Love Is the Sweetest Thing", "Cherokee", "The Touch of Your Lips", and "I Hadn't Anyone Till You". Noble also played a funny character on the radio with American ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his puppets, Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy. He also worked with the comedy duo Burns and Allen. Later, he brought these funny roles from radio to TV and movies.
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Early Life and Music Career
Ray Noble was born in Brighton, England. A special blue plaque on his childhood home remembers him. He was also the nephew of a famous church music composer named T. Tertius Noble.
Noble studied music at the Royal Academy of Music. In 1927, he won a contest for the best British dance band arranger. In 1929, he became the leader of the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra. This was a studio band for HMV Records, and it included musicians from many popular hotel orchestras. Noble made many recordings during this time. His music was also released in the United States by Victor Records. Some of his popular songs included "Butterflies in the Rain" and "The Very Thought of You."
The most popular singer with Noble's band was Al Bowlly, who joined in 1930. Together, they wrote songs like "Turkish Delight" and "By the Fireside." They also wrote "Goodnight, Sweetheart". This song became a number one hit for Guy Lombardo in America. You might also recognize it from an episode of the original Star Trek TV show.
Success in the United States
In 1934, Ray Noble moved to New York City. His recordings with Al Bowlly and the British New Mayfair Dance Orchestra were already popular in the United States.
Noble brought Al Bowlly and his drummer, Bill Harty, to America. He asked trombonist Glenn Miller to find other American musicians to complete the band. Glenn Miller played in Ray Noble's orchestra. They performed Miller's song "Dese Dem Dose" at the Rainbow Room in 1935. The American Ray Noble band had a very successful time performing at the Rainbow Room. Al Bowlly was their main singer.
Even though Noble wasn't a singer, he sometimes spoke on his records. He played the part of an upper-class Englishman on songs like "Top Hat" (1935) and "Slumming on Park Avenue" (1937). Noble was also a talented arranger. He helped create many hit songs in the 1930s, such as "Mad About the Boy" and "Easy to Love".
Ray Noble and his orchestra appeared in the 1937 movie A Damsel in Distress. This film starred famous actors like Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine, George Burns, and Gracie Allen. In the movie, Noble played a funny, slightly confused character who was in love with Gracie Allen. Al Bowlly went back to England in 1938. However, Noble continued to lead bands in America. He also started acting more, often playing a typical upper-class English character.
Noble played the piano, but he rarely played it with his orchestra during performances. In a short film from the 1940s, Ray Noble and singer Buddy Clark were featured. When asked to play one of his hits, Noble sat at the piano and played "Goodnight, Sweetheart."
Noble provided music for many radio shows, including The Chase and Sanborn Hour and The Charlie McCarthy Show. He also appeared as a guest in some of their movies. He worked with Edgar Bergen for almost fifteen years, playing the funny sidekick to Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. His orchestra also appeared with Edgar Bergen in the 1942 film Here We Go Again. He also helped create the music for the 1942 movie about baseball player Lou Gehrig, called The Pride of the Yankees. Noble's last big successes as a bandleader were with singer Buddy Clark in the late 1940s.
Later Years and Legacy
The TV show with the ventriloquist ended in the mid-1950s. After that, Ray Noble retired and moved to Santa Barbara, California. In the late 1960s, he moved to Jersey in the Channel Islands. In March 1978, he traveled to London for medical treatment. He sadly passed away in a London hospital in April 1978.
Even today, radio stations that play dance band music still play his records. Ray Noble's music is also often featured on the Manx Radio show Sweet and Swing.
Honors and Awards
- In 1987, Ray Noble was added to the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.
- In 1996, he was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
- In 2005, his song "The Very Thought of You" received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
See also
In Spanish: Ray Noble (músico) para niños
