I Remember Frankeee

I remember Frankeee. Before he was Frankeee, Harry James hired an unknown vocalist for his swinging 1939 band, his first male singer. Frank was a slim little guy with a thin little voice. Everybody yawned. I’d like to be able to say that I saw the greatness that was to come, but the fact is that I yawned too.

Meanwhile, back at Tommy Dorsey’s, the Sentimental Gentleman wasn’t getting along with star vocalist Jack Leonard. After four years with the band and hits like “Marie,” Jack in 1939 was the most popular male band vocalist around. Bob Eberly, with brother Jimmy Dorsey, was a year away from stardom. Brother Ray Eberle (he kept the family spelling of the name) was just emerging with Glenn Miller. Kenny Sargent, popular through most of the Thirties with Glen Gray, was nevertheless no longer a serious rival to Leonard. When Jack quit Tommy that November, everyone wondered how TD would ever replace him.

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I remember Frankeee. Before he was Frankeee, Harry James hired an unknown vocalist for his swinging 1939 band, his first male singer. Frank was a slim little guy with a thin little voice. Everybody yawned. I’d like to be able to say that I saw the greatness that was to come, but the fact is that I yawned too.

Meanwhile, back at Tommy Dorsey’s, the Sentimental Gentleman wasn’t getting along with star vocalist Jack Leonard. After four years with the band and hits like “Marie,” Jack in 1939 was the most popular male band vocalist around. Bob Eberly, with brother Jimmy Dorsey, was a year away from stardom. Brother Ray Eberle (he kept the family spelling of the name) was just emerging with Glenn Miller. Kenny Sargent, popular through most of the Thirties with Glen Gray, was nevertheless no longer a serious rival to Leonard. When Jack quit Tommy that November, everyone wondered how TD would ever replace him.