Thinking Of You - The Story Of Kay Kyser

Kay Kyser was one of the giants of the American music business of the Twentieth Century. He was a bandleader for some twenty years, roughly the 1930s and 1940s. During the 1940s he was the most popular bandleader of his time-ore celebrated than Glenn Miller and the Dorseys and even Guy Lombardo. But today, for some reason, nobody seems to remember him! This book tries to correct this oversight.

Born in 1905 in Rocky Mount, N.C, Kay Kyser studied law at the University of North Carolina but - influenced by bandleader Hal Kemp - decided to become a bandleader himself. Though not a musician, Kyser developed into a good frontman and, with George Duning as musical director and arranger, after some time his band developed into one of the better "Sweet" - or "Mickey-Mouse" -bands. This was the Depression era and the band struggled for some years for success. When they finally hit the big time, it was through the medium of radio.

Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge was the most popular radio show at that time. During World War II Kyser devoted most of his time to performing for the men and women serving in the military. In the early Forties he changed his style from sweet to a moderate swing style that proved popular with the younger crowd. Kyser and his band appeared in several Hollywood films where he-unlike his contemporaries-was also featured as an actor. He disbanded his group in 1948, working in televison for some time and then was active in the Christian Science movement. He died in 1985.

Thinking of You contains the life story of Kay Kyser plus short biographies of the musicians and vocalists who worked for him. Also included is a list of his films, his LPs and CDs including his million sellers.