Vaughn Monroe

Vaughn Monroe (Akron, 7 October 1911 - Stuart, 21 may 1973) was an American singer. He was with his big band on the weekly radio. More than fifty of singles ended up in the Billboard lists, of which nine and twenty-five in the top ten at number 1. His best known songs Let it snow! and Riders in the sky. He also acted in a few movies and series and hosted his own tv show. ==Biography[ Edit] == Monroe was born in Ohio and moved to Wisconsinas a child. His musical attention went to play trumpet and it was a cherished dream to ever to become an opera singer.The great depression of the 1930s left financially however no room to pursue a career as an opera singer. Though he managed to join as singer in territory bands, first of all in a band led by Austin Wylie, then at Larry Funk where Monroe knew his record debut and then at Jack Mars hand in Boston.

Here, he formed his first own Orchestra. There I go the single was his first hit in 1940 and, despite that the sound even for that time quite mak was, his Orchestra the same year named the Top college band of the year.

In the following years he released more than 50 singles, including Racing with the moon in 1941, which, although it was a minor hit but for years was his theme song.Nine singles which appeared on number 1 and twenty-five in the top ten. He experienced his most successful years between 1945 and 1950; in 1944 alone he sold five million records. His biggest hits were Ballerina and Riders in the sky .

Monroe with Susie Scott and Dan Blocker in Bonanza, 1962He was with his big band every Sunday to hear on the radio. His baritone-voice got nicknames like (translated) the voice with hair on the chest and old leather almonds. He was awarded two tiles on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with a star for his recordings and a star for his radio broadcasts. To his version of the Riders in the sky was in 1958 the skiffle band The Skyriders Dutch named.

In the early 1950s he tried to get a foothold in Hollywood in the genre of singing cowboy. Beyond a single role in a B-movie, however, he came not, as in Singing Guns (1950) and Toughest Man in Arizona (1952). In 1962 he played a role in an episode of the popular TV series Bonanza. In the meantime he had more success in the 1950s as host of his own television program The Vaughn Monroe Show.

Monroe had two daughters (1941 and 1944). He died shortly after stomach surgery In 1973 at the age of 61. ==Singles[ Edit] == Below are singles from Monroe who knew a Billboard-listing. However, he brought much more work than is shown in this list. Examples of songs that have an entry on Wikipedia, are Blue Moon (1945) and Red sails in the sunset (1957).