By: Jaclyn Breeze — Glenn Miller was an American conductor, arranger, composer, and trombonist in the early 1900s. He was born in 1904 in Clarinda, Iowa, and had one of the most popular and successful bands of the century. He started playing trombone in middle school and played for the town orchestra. During high school, he formed his first band with some classmates and they played dance music. By the end of high school, he decided he would be a professional musician. He moved to New York City a few years after graduation and started writing his own music and touring with several groups. He had his first songbook published in 1928. In the late 1930s, Glenn formed his own band and started orchestrating his music in a way that was different from all the other big bands, giving them a distinctive sound that couldn’t be reproduced. They began recording and their popularity grew. He was the first person in history to win a gold record after selling over 1,200,000 copies of “Chattanooga Choo Choo.”
At the peak of his career, Glenn joined the Air Force with the intention of “streamlining modern military music.” He finished his training in 1942 and started playing with base bands and training other military musicians. His performances were enjoyed by all ranks and he received many letters of appreciation. One general famously announced at one of the performances, “Captain Miller, next to a letter from home, your band is the greatest morale booster in the European Theater.”
In 1944, Glenn was scheduled for a performance in France. He boarded his flight in London, and the plane went missing over the English Channel on its way to Paris. There was a search for the unit, but nothing was found. His band was on a different plane, and they continued performing for a few years, but as members were gradually discharged, they were eventually disbanded.
Listen to some of his work here:
Learn a dance to go with Glenn Miller’s piece “In the Mood” here
Or you can make up your own!
For the Parents: Hear more about Glenn Millers disappearance in this episode of The UnXplained (Season 7, Episode 3: The Lost, Rated TV-14) https://play.history.com/shows/the-unxplained