Anthony (Antonini), Ray(mond)
Anthony (Antonini), Ray(mond)
Anthony (Antonini), Ray(mond), jazz trumpeter, bandleader; b. Bentleyville, Pa., Jan. 20, 1922. Anthony played with Glenn Miller for two years and with Jimmy Dorsey for ten years before forming his own band with only his trumpet and a French horn for brass. After navy service (1942–46), including leading a band in the Pacific, Anthony’s more conventional dance band was the most successful Miller imitator in the early 1950s. Anthony had several hit singles during 1950–54, including “Dragnet.” He co-wrote the novelty tune “The Bunny Hop,” and the hit single “Dancing in the Dark,” which won an award as the best dance band record of 1953. Anthony was married to actress Mamie Van Doren. He bought The Billy May Band in 1954, hiring Sam Donahue to front it. Anthony also had plenty of film and television work in the 1950s, including an appearance in the film “Daddy Long Legs.” He later led smaller combos, had a band in Las Vegas in 1980, and formed bands in the 1980s.
Discography
Jam Session at the Tower (1956); Swing Back to the 40s (1991).
—Music Master Jazz and Blues Catalogue