[ Peter York Concert Orch. ]
Currently no information available.

[ Sterling Young Orch. ]
Theme: "Blue Is The Night"
Sterling grew up on Catalina Island, off the coast of southern California. While still in High School, he became a Ham Radio operator. Young had begun violin studies at age 8, and as a youngster later maintained weekly boat trips to Los Angeles for lessons with the distinguished musician Calmon Lubovski. At age 19, he found work with the radio band of Ted Dahl, in Hollywood.

In 1935, he formed his own band. The band's first engagement was the opening of the ultra swank and prestigious Wilshire Bowl in Los Angeles. Following this MCA booked the band for an impressive tour that took them as far East at Bill Green's Casino in Pittsburg, PA (the very place that brought national fame to Sammy Kaye). Max Walter, the band's saxist was also the arranger/writer.

Sterling was now touted as 'The New Jan Garber'. Listening to his Aragon Ballroom (Chicago) broadcasts, Lawrence Welk became one of his admirers and once even called him to compliment his playing.

During most of 1939, the band toured the West Coast playing at such venues as the Wilshire Bowl; the Lodi; the California Grape Festival; the Del Mar Club at Santa Monica; Jantzen Beach in Portland OR (Sterling's Birthplace), and the San Clemente Casino (then owned by the Bank of America). For about four months, the band played at, and did nightly broadcasts at 5PM from, The Casino. Listeners must have visualized dancers fox-trotting under rotating mirrored globes, but in later years, Bobbie Ennis, the band's vocalist, recalled a different kind of scene. At 5 PM, the band was in bathing suits playing to a near empty room for the live radio broadcast. And only four hours later, they were back in formal attire playing for, and times with, a very lively, excited, celebrity studded crowd. Judy Garland who had just finished her picture 'The Wizard of Oz', often came down from Hollywood and would share the Microphone with Bobbie. Judy's good friend, Mickey Rooney, would often sit in at Ken Coffey's drums.

The story of Bobbie Ennis, the band's girl vocalist is interesting. She had won a singing contest at one of the local theaters in her home town of Hattiesburg, MS. when she was just 8 years old. Later, the young girl vocalist, using the stage name of Bobbie Ennis, started her career with her own nightly 15 minute radio show on station WJBX, in Jackson, MS, using the stage name of Billie Marshall. The financial arrangement called for her and the pianist to get paid only when a 'commerical spot' was sold during their time slot. In time, Wyatt Sharp, a New Orleans style trombonist/bandleader hired her. The band enjoyed an intermittent series of one-nighters in and around the Jackson area. But on Mondays to Fridays, Billie Marshall dressed conservatively and worked at the Jackson Telephone Company, as a draftswoman, using her real name of Bobbie Ennis.

Alone in her room at night, she would often listen to bands on her radio. In 1937, she heard a band playing something that was, to her, absolutely beautiful. The music was apparently coming from a Mexican radio station. But the program was never clear enough to hear the name of either he band or the song.

Someone at station WJBX gave her a letter of recommendation to Maurie Lipsey and Lew Wasserman of MCA. Leaving the telephone company, Bobbie rushed to Chicago. MCA got her a job there singing with the Jimmy Joy orchestra. She next replaced Dorothy Lamour, the vocalist with the Herbie Kay band, and stayed on the road with Kay for several months. In 1938, MCA sent her for an audition at the Stevens Hotel with the Sterling Young band (also managed by MCA). As Billie walked across the darkened dance floor, the band started playing their Theme song "Blue Is The Night". It was the band, - that nameless band on the Mexican station back in Jackson. Young hired her. Five years later, they were married.

   [ Victor Young Orchestra ]
Violinist, leader, composer, arranger
b. Aug. 8, 1900, Chicago, IL, USA. d. Nov. 11, 1956, Palm Springs, CA, USA.
Please see our Composer's Database for the full biography on Victor Young
Overview:
Composer and bandleader Victor Young was an important force in American popular music from the early thirties until his death in I956. All through the mid-1930s, his was a ubiquitous presence as a radio conductor. In 1935 Young went to Hollywood, where, over the next 20 years, he wrote scores for over 200 movies including: "For Whom the Bells Toll", "Golden Earrings", "The Greatest Show on Earth" and "Around the World In Eighty Days". "Ghost of A Chance" was just one of his many hit compositions.

Some of his most popular songs were 1928's "Sweet Sue, Just You," 1933's "A Ghost of a Chance." and "Street of Dreams," 1946's "Stella by Starlight." 1950's "My Foolish Heart," 1952's "When I Fall in Love," and 1956's "Around the World." Other songs he wrote include "The Old Man of the Mountain", and "Beautiful Love."

He received an Academy Award posthumously for his score for the movie Around the World in 80 Days. Young is a member of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.

   [ Yoeng's Orchestra ]
In the very early 1920s, Yoeng's Chinese-American Restaurant was a popular dining venue in New York City. In the evenings, the restaurant featured orchestral music for the diners pleasure, with the band taking the establishments name while appearing there. For example, there was:
Paul Tremaine's Yoeng Dance Orchestra, (late 1920s -early 1930s).
Al Freidman's Yoeng Dance Orchestra, (mid-1920s). This was a group out of the Harry Reser Orchestra
and some others too.