Song:Ballerina
Album:The Very Best Of Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Monroe started out as a trumpet player. But a booming baritone voice and a desire to be an opera singer launched him to a very successful career as a singer and bandleader in the 40s. Ballerina was one of his biggest hits in 1947. He was born Oct. 7, 1911 in Akron, OH. His family moved to Wisconsin and he attended high school in the Pittsburgh suburb of Jeannette, PA. After studying at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, he started playing in regional bands like one led by Jack Marshard. By 1940, Monroe became the leader of that band. Marshard became his manager. Monroe soon signed with RCA Records and became one of their most popular artists in the 40s. Number one hits included There, I Said It Again in 1945, Let It Snow, Let it Snow in 1946, Ballerina in 1947 and Riders In The Sky and Someday in 1949. Supposedly Ballerina was Monroe's favourite record. The song was written by veteran lyricist Carl Sigman and Sidney Keith Russell. Sigman is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame and wrote Ebb Tide and It's All In The Game among others. You can get all his hits on this CD from the oldies label Taragon Records. Vaughn Monroe also appeared in movies in the late 40s and hosted two TV variety shows in the early 50s. With Rock 'N' Roll becoming popular in the mid-50s, Monroe saw the writing on the wall and retired from recording in 1958. He continued to work for RCA as a spokesman and talent scout. He signed Neil Sedaka. Vaughn Monroe died on may 21, 1973 at age 71. Here's Vaughn Monroe performing Ballerina 1965.
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