Bobby Byrne (musician)
| Bobby Byrne | |
|---|---|
Byrne in 1946
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| Background information | |
| Born |
October 10, 1918 Columbus, Ohio |
| Died | November 25, 2006 (aged 88) Irvine, California |
| Genres | Jazz, Big band |
| Occupation(s) | bandleader, trombonist, arranger |
| Years active | 1930s–1960s |
| Labels | Decca, Cosmo Records, Top Rank Records, Command Records |
| Associated acts | The Dorsey Brothers, Jimmy Dorsey, Steve Allen |
| Notable instruments | |
| trombone, harp | |
Bobby Byrne (/bɜːrn/; October 10, 1918 – November 25, 2006) was an American bandleader, trombonist, and music executive. His big band was well regarded, although it never achieved the level of popularity that he had hoped for. He flew aircraft in World War II, and later became a musical producer for television and albums credited to other artists.
Byrne was born on October 10, 1918, on a farm near Columbus, Ohio, to Clarence Byrne and his wife. Both of his parents were musicians; his mother was a concert pianist before marriage and, at the time of Byrne's birth, his father was in France with the U.S. Army band. When Byrne was one, the family moved to Detroit so his father could take a position at Cass Technical High School, where he became a music teacher of high repute. Byrne was instructed musically at home by his parents from an early age, as well as at Cass Technical, which he later attended as a student. His father taught him musical technique with a mixture of tough criticism and high praise. In addition to trombone and harp, he studied piano, piccolo/flute, cello, and percussion. At one point, the senior Byrne invited Tommy Dorsey to hear the school's band, which was led by his son. Dorsey was impressed, and invited the younger Byrne to meet his brother Jimmy and hear the Dorsey Brothers band perform. He then asked Byrne to accompany the band to hear them play their next one-night stand. While there, he asked Byrne to sit in with the band for several minutes during the performance, taking Tommy's chair. Both Dorseys were impressed by his performance.
After an argument, the Dorsey Brothers ceased to speak to each other on May 30, 1935, resulting in Tommy refusing to play with the band. Their manager called in several replacements for the crucial trombone part, however, due to either personal or professional reasons, they all declined. The next offer was made to a sixteen-year-old Byrne, at 75 dollars a week. His mother instantly drove him (with a harp in addition to his three trombones) to the Glen Island Casino, where the orchestra was under contract to play for several months. Taking over Tommy's charts, Byrne was a success. Because of contractual obligations, Tommy returned to play with the orchestra, and Byrne was relegated to offstage. In the meantime, he learned from watching Tommy Dorsey perform. Escaping his contract, Tommy left the band permanently in September. When the Dorsey Brothers split, Byrne joined Jimmy's outfit, and took Tommy Dorsey's place leading the trombone section. By August, Byrne had recorded his first solo with the band on their hit single "From the Top of Your Head to the Tip of Your Toes". He married his first wife, Pat, in March 1939, two months after having met her in Dallas, Texas.
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