Artist:Don Cherry
Song:Band of Gold
Album:The Best of Don Cherry: The Columbia and Monument Sides
Not to be confused with jazz trumpeter Don Cherry or hockey commentator Don Cherry, this Don Cherry is a now forgotten crooner who had success in the early 50s. The 1955 single Band of Gold was his biggest hit. He was born Jan. 11, 1924 in Wichita Falls, TX. Cherry started out singing in bands led by Jan Garber and then Victor Young. He recorded with Young. During WWII, he served in the US Army Air Forces. Afterwards, Cherry sang with Artie Shaw's band. Then he signed with Decca Records. He scored his first top five hit with the 1950 single Thinking of You. But Cherry's career stalled at Decca. So he moved to Columbia in 1955. Band of Gold was his first single. It reached #4 on the Hit Parade. It was one of several chart singles that Cherry recorded with Ray Conniff. Not to be confused with the Freda Payne soul classic Band of Gold, this Band of Gold was written by Bob Musel and Jack Taylor. Musel was a journalist for United Press International in England. He wrote lyrics in his spare time. Taylor was his frequent songwriting partner. Band of Gold was their biggest hit. Kit Carson recorded Band of Gold first but Cherry's version was the bigger hit. You may have heard Band of Gold in the AMC series Mad Men. Of course Cherry's singing career was killed by Rock 'N' Roll. He left Columbia in 1959. Cherry recorded for Warwick, Roulette and Verve. He had a good run with Monument in the late 60s. This Collector's Choice comp covers Cherry's Columbia and Monument recordings. Like his fellow crooner Johnny Mathis, Cherry was a great golfer. A top ranked amateur golfer, Cherry turned pro in 1962. He played in nine Masters tournaments. Cherry was pals with Willie Nelson and they recorded a couple of albums together in the 90s. He died on Apr. 4, 2018 at age 94. Here's Don Cherry performing Band of Gold on one of those PBS Magic Moments specials.
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