Biography
Guy Lombardo (Gaetano Alberto Lombardo Jr.) was born on June 19, 1902, in London, Ontario, Canada, to Italian immigrant parents. Trained as a violinist from an early age, Lombardo came from a deeply musical family where his father, a tailor, encouraged his sons to learn instruments. Along with his brothers Carmen (saxophone), Lebert (trumpet), and Victor, Lombardo established his first orchestra while still in grammar school, rehearsing in the back of his father's tailor shop. The group played their first professional engagement in Grand Bend, Ontario, in 1919, followed by performances in London and Port Stanley before relocating to the United States in pursuit of greater opportunities.
In November 1923, the expanding band of ten members moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where they adopted the name "the Royal Canadians" in 1925. By 1924, they were known as Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians and secured a two-year residency at the Claremont Tent nightclub in Cleveland, where club owner Louis Bleet coached the band and helped develop its distinctive performance style. The orchestra billed themselves as creating "the sweetest music this side of heaven," a slogan that became their trademark. From Cleveland, they moved to Chicago in 1927, where they performed at the Granada Cafe and broadcast on radio station WBBM. Lombardo's national broadcasts began in 1927 from Chicago, and by 1929 he secured a long-term engagement at New York City's Roosevelt Grill, a booking he repeated for over 30 years. Beginning in 1929, the Royal Canadians initiated their famous New Year's Eve radio broadcasts, which became an American tradition for 48 years, culminating with the playing of "Auld Lang Syne."
Lombardo's recording career was prolific and commercially successful. Between 1927 and 1931, he made 45 recordings for Columbia Records, followed by contracts with Brunswick (1932-1934), Decca (1934-1935 and 1938-1957), and Victor (1935-1938). The Royal Canadians recorded over 100 albums throughout their career and achieved remarkable sales, with total recordings exceeding 300 million copies by the early 1970s, making them the most popular dance band of their era. Notable million-selling singles included "The Thin Man" movie theme, "Humoresque," "Winter Wonderland," and "Easter Parade." Lombardo and the Royal Canadians performed at inaugural balls for U.S. presidents from Franklin Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower, and later at Ronald Reagan's inaugural ball in 1985. Beyond music, Lombardo was an accomplished speedboat racer who won the Ford Memorial competition (1948), the President's Cup (1952), and the Silver Cup (1952), earning induction into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2002. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1937 and continued his career until his death on November 5, 1977, in Houston, Texas.
Fun Facts
- Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians are credited with making 'Auld Lang Syne' the definitive New Year's Eve song through their 48-year tradition of New Year's Eve broadcasts that began in 1929.
- Despite being derided by some music critics as the 'king of corn,' Lombardo achieved remarkable commercial success with estimated sales between 100 and 300 million phonograph records during his lifetime, making the Royal Canadians the most popular dance band of their era.
- Beyond his musical career, Lombardo was an accomplished speedboat racer who won multiple prestigious competitions including the Ford Memorial competition (1948) and the President's Cup (1952), and he was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2002.
- Lombardo and the Royal Canadians performed at inaugural balls for every U.S. president from Franklin Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower, and later performed at Ronald Reagan's inaugural ball in 1985, demonstrating their enduring prominence in American cultural life.
Members
- Guy Lombardo
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Louis Bleet - Owner of the Claremont Tent nightclub in Cleveland who coached Lombardo's band and assisted in developing its unique performance style (Royal Canadians performances at Claremont Tent) [1924-1927]
Key Collaborators
- Carmen Lombardo - Brother who played lead saxophone and vocals in the Royal Canadians (All Royal Canadians recordings and performances) [1923-1977]
- Lebert Lombardo - Brother who played lead trumpet in the Royal Canadians (All Royal Canadians recordings and performances) [1923-1977]
- Victor Lombardo - Brother who was a band member in the Royal Canadians (All Royal Canadians recordings and performances) [1923-1977]
- Rose Marie Lombardo - Sister and youngest of the seven Lombardo siblings who joined as the band's first female vocalist (Royal Canadians recordings and performances) [1941-1948]
- Dewey Bergman - Arranger for the Royal Canadians from the orchestra's inception until his death (All Royal Canadians arrangements) [1923-1971]
- Kenny Gardner - Lead singer of the Royal Canadians (Royal Canadians recordings and performances) [1940 onward]
External Links
Tags: #society-dance-band, #vocal-music
References
Heard on WWOZ
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians has been played 4 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.