Benny Goodman

The King of Swing! Famed clarinetist, composer ("Stompin' at the Savoy") and conductor, educated at the Lewis Institute in Chicago and a student of Schillinger and Schoepp. He was a clarinetist with the orchestras of Bix Beiderbecke, Jules Herbuveaux, Arnold Johnson and Ben Pollack, and also played in Broadway theater orchestras. He began to lead his own orchestras in 1934 at the Billy Rose Music Hall, then conducted the orchestra on the weekly radio program "Let's Dance" in 1934-1935, and played at numerous hotels, colleges and theaters. Expanding his musical efforts, he performed in chamber music concerts, later touring throughout the US, Europe, the Far East, South America and the USSR and made many recordings. Joining ASCAP in 1945, his chief musical collaborators included Count Basie, Harry James, Mitchell Parish, Andy Razaf, Edgar M. Sampson, Chick Webb, and Teddy Wilson. Some of his other popular songs and instrumental compositions include "Lullaby in Rhythm," "Don't Be That Way," "Seven Come Eleven," "Flying Home," "Two O'Clock Jump," "Air Mail Special," "Dizzy Spells," "If Dreams Come True," "Georgia Jubilee," "Four Once More," and "The Kingdom of Swing".

Benny Goodman is known for work in acting across film and television. New Release currently presents 27 verified screen credits connected to this profile. Selected work includes Jazz (2001), A Song Is Born (1948), Make Mine Music (1946), The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), The Mike Douglas Show (1961), What's My Line? (1950), The Dick Cavett Show (1968), The South Bank Show (1978). The recorded credits span 1938 to 2001, including 12 movies and 15 TV shows. The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.