Monroe, Vaughn, 1911-1973

Vaughn Monroe (1911-1973) was an American baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader and actor. Born in Akron, Ohio, on October 7, 1911, he graduated from Jeannette High School in Pennsylvania in 1929, later attending the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In the late 1930s he studied voice at the New England Conservatory of Music. Monroe formed his own band in Boston in 1940, and immediately had a big hit with There I Go, quickly followed by My Devotion, When The Lights Go On Again, Let's Get Lost and his theme tune Racing With The Moon. During this time he also opened his own nightclub, The Meadows, in Framingham, Massachusetts. His robust baritone, sometimes called The Voice With Hairs On Its Chest, sold the band to the public. Monroe recorded extensively in the 1940s with the RCA Victor label and had several Top 10 hits. Monroe also dabbled in movies, most notably in Meet the People (1944), Carnegie Hall (1947), Singing Guns (1950), and The Toughest Man in Arizona (1952). In the 1950s, Monroe directed most of his energies to TV appearances, hosting his own show on CBS, The Vaughn Monroe Show, from 1950-1951 and 1954-1955, while also appearing on Bonanza, The Mike Douglas Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, Texaco Star Theatre, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Tonight Show, and American Bandstand. Monroe died on May 21, 1973 in Florida due to complications from stomach surgery.