Vaughn Monroe

Vaughn Wilton Monroe was an American baritone singer trumpeter big band leader actor and businessman who was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame one for recording and another for radio performance Monroe formed his first orchestra in Boston in 1940 and became its principal vocalist He began recording for RCA Victors subsidiary Bluebird label That same year Monroe built The Meadows a restaurant and nightclub to the west of Boston on Massachusetts Route 9 in Framingham Massachusetts After he ceased performing he continued running the club until his death in 1973 The summer of 1942 brought a 13week engagement on radio as Monroe and his orchestra had a summer replacement program for Blondie on CBS Monroe hosted the Camel Caravan radio program from The Meadows starting in 1946 and during this time was featured in a Camel cigarettes commercial In 1952 Monroe and his orchestra had a weekly program on Saturday nights on NBC radio Monroe was tall and handsome which helped him as a band leader and singer as well as in Hollywood He was sometimes called the Baritone with Muscles the Voice with Hair on its Chest Ol Leather Tonsils or Leather Lungs Monroe recorded extensively for RCA Victor until 1956 and his signature tune was Racing With the Moon It sold more than one million copies by 1952 becoming Monroes first millionseller and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA Among his other hits were In the Still of the Night There I Go There Ive Said It Again Let It Snow Let It Snow Let It Snow Ballerina Melody Time Riders in the Sky Someday Youll Want Me To Want You Sound Off and In the Middle of the House He also turned down the chance to record Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer Monroes orchestra had a number of excellent musicians including future jazz guitar great Bucky Pizzarelli While their musical focus was largely romantic ballads in person the band had a fiercely swinging side only occasionally captured on record In ballrooms Monroe often reserved the final set of the evening for unrestrained swinging music Movies also beckoned although he did not pursue it with vigor Monroe appeared in Meet the People Carnegie Hall Singing Guns and Toughest Man in Arizona He coauthored The Adventures of Mr Putt Putt a childrens book about airplanes and flying a personal interest of his He hosted The Vaughn Monroe Show on CBS Television and appeared on Bonanza The Mike Douglas Show The Ed Sullivan Show Texaco Star Theatre The Jackie Gleason Show The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and American Bandstand He was a major stockholder in RCA and appeared in print ads and television commercials for the companys television and audio products After leaving the performing end of show business he remained with RCA for many years as a television spokesperson executive and talent scout In the latter capacity he helped give Neil Sedaka among others his first major exposure He was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame one for recording and one for radio in Hollywood California