[Dixielandjazz] : Glenn Miller Band--query from Randy Fendrick

[Robert Ringwald]

Randy Fendrick wrote:



I recently finished reading an autobiography by Carlyle Nelson who

was married to Hilo Hatty and was also a violinist and sax/clarinet player.

During World War II, Nelson indicated that at one time he had been assigned

to one of Glenn Miller's three radio bands, which were located in New York,

Fort Worth and Santa Ana, California.  The New York band in 1943 or 44, was

transferred to London with the Fort Worth band moving to New York.  While it

stands to reason concerning time differences, etc., I had never heard that

where actually three bands with full staffs etc.  Is there anyone in your

group that might be able to shed a little more light on this for me?

Apparently William Holden was one of the actors in the cast for the Fort

Worth band and was replaced by Gene Raymond when Holden went home on leave

for the birth of his child.  Kind of interesting.

Thanks

Randy Fendrick=





Dear Randy,



Zeke Zarchy played lead trumpet in the Glenn Miller Army Air Force band in WWII and was the first musician that Glenn asked to join the band when he went into the service. Zeke played trumpet in my Great pacific Jazz Band in Los Angeles for 16 years from 1979 to 1995.. Zeke told us many stories about Glenn and the band. 



He told us the same story that Peanuts did regarding Glenn getting the band out of London the day before their barracks was blown up. 



Regarding the movie, “The Glenn Miller Story” with Jimmy Stewart playing Miller, Zeke said that Glenn was nothing like the bumbling, unsure Stewart. Glenn was a business man. He knew exactly what he wanted. He was a very good band leader. 



Zeke said that the only thing true about the film was that Glenn was married and that he was a band leader…



In my 31  year friendship with Zeke, I never once heard anything about there being a Glenn Miller band in the States while Glenn was in England with the band. 



Zeke said that they worked the band like crazy. They played morning, noon and night. And when they weren’t playing radio broadcasts or concerts, they were rehearsing. 



They did radio broadcasts into Germany with Glenn reading German in English phonetics. 



Zeke remembered playing the outdoor concert depicted in the film where they could see the buzz bomb coming while they were playing. 



Zeke was Glenn’s best friend and was one of the last band members to see Glenn when he left to fly to France to get things ready for the band to come over. 



When the band arrived in France, they were very surprised that Glenn was not there to meet them. That was unusual of Glenn. 



They took the entire band somewhere and then announced that Glenn was lost, evidently over the Channel. Zeke said the entire band was in shock. 



He told us so many stories about those days with the band during the war. I wish I had been recording him. 



One more thing. As the war with Germany was winding down, the band was playing a concert somewhere in England or France. They were scheduled, and had their orders, to be shipped to the Pacific. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was there with his Aids. One of the aids spoke to the band very officially with a typical formal military speech. 



Then the General stepped up with as Zeke said, “That famous ear to ear Eisenhower smile” and talked to the band just like he was one of the boys. When he was done thanking them for the great job that they had done for the War effort and that how much they had meant to the G.I.s, he asked if there was anything that he could do for them. 



One of the band members spoke up and said that they would like to go home instead of going to the Pacific. 



The General spoke to one of his aids and said, “See that these guys go home.” 



Sure enough. In a few days, they got their orders to go home, instead of going to the pacific. 



 Incidentally, while I lived in Los Angeles and led the Great pacific Jazz Band with Zeke Zarchy, trumpet, Bob Havens trombone, we made a really good recording, 



“The Music Of Louis Armstrong” “The Great pacific Jazz Band.” 



The CD is available by check at:



www.ringwald.com/recordings.php



Or with credit card at 



www.cdbaby.com



-Bob Ringwald