Started First Band
|
1923 – 1964
|
Where
|
Oakland, California – his first engagement at the nearby Claremont Hotel.
|
Tag Lines
|
“Horace Heidt and his Californians,” “Horace Heidt and his Brigadiers,” and “Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights”
|
Contemporaries
|
Bob Hope, Gene Autry, Fred Waring, Guy Lombardo
|
Theme Song
|
“I’ll Love You in My Dreams”
|
Musical Signature
|
Triple-Tonguing Trumpeteers
|
Inspiration
|
Ralph Waldo Emerson (Law of Compensation)
|
Book
|
|
Recording Affiliations
|
RCA Victor, Brunswick, Columbia, Magnolia Records
|
Hit Records (#1 & #2)
|
Gone with the Wind (1937), Once in a While (1937), Ti-Pi-Tin (1938), the Man with the Mandolin (1939), G’Bye Now (1941), I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire (1941), It’s in the Book (1952).
|
Arrangers
|
Buzz Adlam, Bill Finegan, Frankie Carle, Frank DeVol, Benny Carter, Don Wilson, Harrison Carlisle
|
Dancers
|
Don Sky (Choreographer), Heidt Steppers-Don Spruance, Eddie Grieg, Ken Berry, Russ Budd, Shirley Schmidt, Jeannine Meister, Jana Lund, Beverly Estabrook, Gloria Moore, Jeanne Harvey, Reita Green, Liz Lynch, Doreen Dolney, Charlene Lance, Lila Jackson, Betty Cole, Jackie Marcy, Kay Hess, Tanya Garside, Bobby Stein, Raine Winslow, Gloria Heaton, Janet Hoffman, Ginger Crowley, Cookie Gorman, Joyce Layton, Za Za Callahan, Diane Billough to name a few.
|
Entertainers
|
Alvino Rey, King Sisters, Frankie Carle, Frank DeVol, Gordon MacRae, Mary Martin, Ronnie Kemper, Johnny Carson, Art Carney, Dean Jones, Mike Douglas (talk show host), Pat Boone, Foster Brooks, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, Dick Contino, Ken Berry, Ollie O’Toole, Fred Lowery (whistle), Johnny Standley, Pepperettes, Doodles Weaver, Reita Green, Keith Thibodeaux, Allen Breneman, Ralph Sigwald.
|
Sidemen with Band Included
|
Jerry Bowne, Art Thorsen, Warren Lewis, Harold Plummer, Paul Knox, Dave Phennig, Clarence Moore, Harold Moore, Lee Lykins, Charles Midgely, Charles Bradshaw, Lee Fleming, Leroy Shield, Norman Kingsley, Wayne Webb, Bob Riedel, Jimmy DeMeo, Jerry Kasper, George Dessinger, Frankie Carle, Alvino Rey, Eddie McKinney, Bernie Mattinson, Ernie Passoja, Frank Strasek, Jerry Borshard, Jim Beiten, Beatrice Perron, Mary Drane, Virginia Drane, Bob Knight, Henry Russell (novachord), Glenn Miller, Tony Martin, Bobby Hackett, Jack Kovatch, Jimmy Skiles, Bob Knight, Buddy Saffer, Tex Beneke, Mel Torme, Irving Fazola, Warren Covington, “Shorty” Sherock, Thurman ‘Quig’ Guigley, Joe Rushton, Ronnie Kemper, Jess Stacey, Frankie Carlson, Ollie Mitchell, Red Nichols, Pete Candoli, Al Hirt, Lou Busch, Mel Henke, Conley Graves, Jimmy Sheldon, Pete Fountain, Abe Aaron, Ted Nash, Dick Contino, Vic Valenti, Jimmy Salko, Frank Wylie, Billie Usselton, Tex Satterwhite, Leo Nisbauer, Nino Tempo, Bill Richmond, Charlie Brosen, Harvey Levine, Lou Prohut, Dominic Frontiere, Bill Dolney & Tony Johnson to name a few.
|
Vocalists with Band Included
|
Larry Cotton, Bob McCoy, the King Sisters (Luise, Maxine, Donna, Alyce, Yvonne, Anita and Marilyn), Lysbeth Hughes, Kings Men, Four Jacks, Four Kings, Glee Club, Charioteers, Charles Goodwin, Charlie Goodman, Emily Stevenson, Red Farrington, Frank DeVol, the Heidt-Lights (Mary Walsh, Jane Bryant, Fay Vermillion, Tony Russell & Lou Hurst), Henry Russell, LeAhn Sisters (Virginia LeAhn, Miriam LeAhn), Art Carney, Ollie O’Toole, Ruth Davis, Trudy Williams, Ronnie Kemper, Horace Heidt, Jean Farney, Josette Romay, Donna and her Don Juans (Charlie Goodman, George Jackson & Gordon MacRae), Mimi Hatton, Bob Mathews, Lucky 7 Swingsters, Gloria Wood, Mary Martin, Gene Walsh, Dorothy Rae, Sweetswingsters, Bob Anthony, Barbara O’Brien, Harold Parr, Harmanotes, Robert Morton, Marilyn Tilton, Bob Hite, Wingmen, Pepperettes, Dave Hamilton, Joe Schirmer, Mellissa Smith, Mike Douglas, Polly Bergen, Jack Emil, Dick Kerr, Jimmy Kellner, Ralph Sigwald, Florence Henderson.
|
Businesses Owned and Operated
|
Hotels: The Biltmore Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada; The Lone Palm Hotel, Palm Springs, CA.
Ballroom: Trianon, South Gate, CA.
Restaurants: Heidt Time, Beverly Hills, CA; Java Time, Santa Monica, CA.
Apartments: Horace Heidt Estates and Haleakala Apartments, Sherman Oaks, CA.
Horace Heidt Productions, Sherman Oaks, CA.
Radio Show: America Swings
|
Charities
|
Horace Heidt Big Band Foundation
|
Sponsored Radio Shows
|
1932, Blue Network, Ship of Joy (Shell Oil) and Answers by the Dancers.
Feb. 26, 1935-April 23, 1935, CBS. Captain Dobbsie’s Ship of Joy (Alemite Motor Oil).
1935-1939, NBC, Blue and Red. Horace Heidt for Alemite.
Sept. 26, 1939-June 5, 1941. Pot o’ Gold (Tums).
June 11, 1940-Jan. 11, 1944, NBC. Tums Treasure Chest (Tums).
1943-1944, Blue Network, Anniversary Night with Horace Heidt.
Jan. 24, 1944-Jan. 15, 1945, Blue Network. Welcome Home (Hires Root Beer).
Dec. 7, 1947-Aug. 28, 1949, NBC. The Youth Opportunity Program(Philip Morris).
Jan. 1-Dec. 24, 1953 the American Way (Lucky Strike).
|
Television with Band
|
“The Original Youth Opportunity Program” (1949-1950), “The Swift Family Show Wagon” (1954-1955) (Swift & Company), “Family Night with Horace Heidt” (1964).
|
Movies
|
Pot O’ Gold (1941) Starring Jimmy Stewart and Paulette Goddard
|
Legacy
|
Record engagement at the Palace Theatre in New York for 16 weeks
Pot O’Gold-1st Radio Broadcast giveaway money Game Show in America
Original Youth Opportunity Program-1st televised, travelling talent show
|
Motto
|
“‘Tis Better to Build Boys than to Mend Men”
|
