August 1, 1939: The Glenn Miller Orchestra records "In the Mood." It becomes one of the signature songs of the Big Band Era.
Miller, then 35 years old, was a trombonist, and had already become a star earlier in the year with "Moonlight Serenade." In 1940, he would record "Tuxedo Junction" and "PEnnsylvania 6-5000." In 1941 came "Chattanooga Choo Choo." In 1 day, May 20, 1942, he recorded "At Last" (now better known for the 1961 version by Etta James) and "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo."
So in a span of a little over 3 years, he recorded 7 iconic songs, which led to his band being featured in some movies. They became the biggest band of the World War II years (I'm talking about popularity, not just in number of members) -- bigger than Benny Goodman's, bigger than either Tommy Dorsey's or Jimmy Dorsey's, and (no doubt helped by the fact that he and his band were white) bigger than Duke Ellington's and Count Basie's.
Miller's career came to what was expected to be a temporary interruption when he joined the war effort. He was ready to give up a civilian income of $20,000 per week -- about $339,000 in 2022 money, or around $17 million a year, so it was comparable to today's biggest stars -- to put on a uniform and serve his country.
At 38, he was too old to be drafted by the U.S. Army. So he volunteered for the U.S. Navy. They told him they didn't need him. So he wrote to an Army General, suggesting that he "be placed in charge of a modernized Army band."
This was done, as he was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Forces, the precursor to the U.S. Air Force. This allowed his band members -- not the same ones he had in his Orchestra -- to fly to various U.S. installations and perform for their fellow troops.
On December 15, 1944, Major Glenn Miller boarded a single-engine UC-64 Norseman at Clapham, England, heading for recently-liberated Paris, where he would establish the headquarters his band intended to have for the duration of the War. No one was expecting the plane to arrive in Paris that afternoon, and so, when it didn't show up, no one thought to look for it. It was only when the rest of the band arrived at Paris' Orly Airport on December 18, and Miller wasn't there to meet them, that anybody realized that anything was wrong. The intended hotel was called, and Miller hadn't checked in.
On December 24, Christmas Eve, it was announced by the Army that Miller's plane was missing and presumed lost. No trace of it has ever been found. Investigations turned up nothing solid, but the most common theory is that, given the weather, the plane's carburetor iced up, causing a crash that would have killed everybody on impact with the water. Miller was 39, and left behind a wife and 2 children. His wife, Helen, was given a Bronze Star awarded to him 3 months later.
Although a "legacy band" performs under the Miller name today, as with some of the others I mentioned, trumpeter Ray Anthony was the last surviving member of the original Glenn Miller Orchestra. He turned 100 on January 20, 2022.
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August 1, 1939 was a Tuesday. Novelist Robert James Waller was born on this day.
The following Major League Baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers, 5-2 at Yankee Stadium. George Selkirk hit a home run, and Joe DiMaggio went 1-for-4, but it wasn't enough, as Dizzy Trout was backed by a home run from Hank Greenberg, allowing him to outpitch Red Ruffing.
* The New York Giants beat the Cincinnati Reds, 5-4 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. Harry "the Horse" Danning singled home the winning run in the top of the 10th inning.
* The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 5-3 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh.
* The Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-5 at Fenway Park in Boston. Bob Feller only lasted 6 innings for the Tribe, and Lefty Grove got the win for the BoSox, thanks to 2 home runs and 5 RBIs from Bobby Doerr. Rookie Ted Williams went 0-for-3 with a walk, but did get an RBI on a groundout.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Philadelphia Athletics, 4-1 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia.
* The Washington Senators beat the St. Louis Browns, 7-5 at Griffith Stadium in Washington.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 6-2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
* And the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Boston Bees, 4-3 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. (The Braves had a terrible season in 1935, and decided to rebrand as the Bees, but the name never caught on with the public, and they changed it back to Braves in 1941.)
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