Tex Beneke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tex Beneke
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Shep Fields and Beneke, Glen Island Casino, New Rochelle, N.Y., May 16, 1947.
Photograph by William P. Gottlieb. |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gordon Lee Beneke |
| Born | February 12, 1914 Fort Worth, Texas, US |
| Died | May 30, 2000 (aged 86) Costa Mesa, California, US |
| Genres | Big band, swing, jazz, blues |
| Occupation(s) | musician |
| Instruments | Saxophone, vocals |
Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke (born February 12, 1914 – died May 30, 2000) was a famous American musician. He played the saxophone, sang, and led his own bands. Tex Beneke is best known for working with the legendary bandleader Glenn Miller. He also worked with other famous musicians like Eydie Gormé and Henry Mancini. You can hear Tex Beneke playing a saxophone solo on Glenn Miller's hit song "In The Mood". He also sang on another popular Glenn Miller song, "Chattanooga Choo Choo". Many music experts say he was one of the best blues singers of the 1940s.
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Early Life
Tex Beneke was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He started playing the saxophone when he was only nine years old. He tried different types of saxophones, like the soprano and alto, before choosing the tenor saxophone. He stuck with the tenor sax for the rest of his career.
Music Career
Tex Beneke started his professional music career in 1935 with a band led by Ben Young. But his career really took off three years later when he joined the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Joining Glenn Miller
Tex Beneke joined Glenn Miller's band in 1938. Another famous musician, Gene Krupa, suggested Beneke to Miller. Glenn Miller quickly saw how talented Beneke was. Miller made Beneke his main tenor saxophone soloist. Beneke played almost all the tenor solos on the band's recordings and live shows until 1942.
On the song "In The Mood," recorded in 1939, Beneke played short saxophone solos with another band member, Al Klink. They also traded solos on the 1941 song "A String of Pearls." Tex Beneke appeared with Glenn Miller's band in two movies: Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Orchestra Wives (1942). These movies helped him become very popular.
Singing Hits
In 1942, Glenn Miller's orchestra won the first-ever Gold Record for their song "Chattanooga Choo Choo." This song was part of the movie Sun Valley Serenade. Tex Beneke was the main singer in the movie and on the record. He sang with Paula Kelly and a vocal group called The Modernaires.
The next year, they tried to repeat that success with "I've Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" for the movie Orchestra Wives. Tex Beneke sang and played saxophone solos on this song too. It also featured the Modernaires and singer Marion Hutton. "Kalamazoo" was another hit for the band.
After Glenn Miller
In August 1942, Glenn Miller stopped his band to join the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Tex Beneke then joined the United States Navy. He led a Navy band in Oklahoma. Glenn Miller had told Beneke he could lead his own band after the war. By 1945, Beneke felt ready to do this.
Leading the Glenn Miller "Ghost Band"
Glenn Miller went missing in December 1944. After the war, the Miller family allowed a new band to be formed in 1946. This band was called the official Glenn Miller "ghost band." Tex Beneke led this band. It sounded a lot like Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band. Henry Mancini was the pianist and an arranger for this band. Another arranger was Norman Leyden.
This band played for huge audiences all over the United States. They even made a short movie called Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Band in 1947. The band recorded music for RCA Victor, just like the original Miller band. However, Tex Beneke wanted his band to have its own unique sound. The Miller family wanted the band to sound exactly like Glenn Miller's original band. Because of these differences, Beneke and the Miller family stopped working together in 1950.
Later Career
After leaving the Miller estate, Tex Beneke continued to perform with his own band. He recorded for smaller music labels. In the late 1950s, people became interested in swing music again. Beneke joined other bandleaders to make new recordings of their old hit songs.
In 1958, Beneke and former Miller singers Ray Eberle, Paula Kelly, and The Modernaires recorded an album called Reunion in Hi-Fi. They recreated many of the original Miller songs. They also recorded new songs in the Miller style.
Tex Beneke continued to perform for many years. He appeared at Disneyland and on TV talk shows like The Tonight Show. In the 1970s and 1980s, he led a new band that played both classic Miller songs and newer music. He even toured with other famous singers like Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly.
In the mid-1990s, Tex Beneke had a stroke. This meant he could no longer play the saxophone. However, he continued to conduct his band and sing. In 1991, Tex Beneke received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He lived in Costa Mesa, California, and kept performing until the late 1990s. In 1998, he started another tour to honor The Army Air Force Band.
Death
Tex Beneke passed away on May 30, 2000, at the age of 86. He died from breathing problems in Costa Mesa, California. He was buried in Greenwood Memorial Park in Fort Worth, Texas. His saxophone is now used by the Arizona Opry.
See also
