Biography for
Jimmy Dorsey More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

29 February 1904, Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, USA

Date of Death

12 June 1957, New York City, New York, USA (lung cancer)

Birth Name

James Francis Dorsey

Mini Biography

A clarinetist, saxophonist and bandleader, he appeared with his own orchestra in a few films of the 40's but is much better remembered for his band's recordings - like "Green Eyes" and "Tangerine" (both of them sung by 'Helen O'Connell' and Bob Eberly).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Bill Takacs

Mini Biography

Legendary saxophonist, conductor, songwriter and composer ("I'm Glad There Is You" and "Contrasts" [his theme]), educated in public schools and a cornet student of his father. Through the 1920s he was a saxophonist in orchestras including those of Paul Whiteman, Red Nichols, and the California Ramblers. He formed an orchestra with his brother, Tommy Dorsey, lasting from 1933 to 1935, and then led his own orchestra, rejoining Tommy's orchestra in 1953 and taking over the orchestra at Tommy's death. He made many records. Joining ASCAP in 1941, his chief musical collaborators included Larry Clinton, Paul Mertz, and James Van Heusen. His other popular-song and instrumental compositions include "Oodles of Noodles", "John Silver", "Beebe", "Dusk in Upper Sandusky", "Waddlin' at the Waldorf", "It's the Dreamer In Me", and "Two Again".

IMDb Mini Biography By: Hup234!

Spouse

Jane Porter

(1927 - September 1949) (divorced) 1 child

Trivia

Brother of bandleader Tommy Dorsey.

In 1938 Jimmy was included in "Ripley's 'Believe It Or Not'" for being able to play "The Flight of the Bumblebee" in two breaths. Later, on the CBS television show "Swing Time", Jimmy performed the tune in one breath.

Jimmy and Tommy formed The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in 1930. Tommy, the more temperamental one, is usually blamed for igniting the longstanding feud that broke them up in 1935. Apparently an argument erupted over the tempo of one of their songs which led to Tommy storming out. They appeared together costarring in one film in 1947, but did not reunite their bands until 1953. The final years of their lives were spent co-hosting a musical variety show, which introduced Elvis Presley to TV for the first time (he sang "Heartbreak Hotel").

The first variety show on which Elvis Presley appeared was "Stage Show", a summer replacement for "The Jackie Gleason Show", hosted by former big band leaders Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Gleason, the show's producer, later apologized for putting on "a porno act" and Ed Sullivan said he would never have anything like that on his show. Sullivan later changed his mind after Elvis' made another TV appearance on a rival show.

Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1983.

Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's father, Thomas Dorsey, Sr., was a cornet-playing coal miner who also led the Shenandoah town band and gave music lessons on the side. He was his sons' first teacher. Their mother, Tess Dorsey, would outlive both her sons by several years.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6506 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

He had one daughter, Julie Lou, with his wife Jane Porter.

He called his wife "Beebe.".

He met his wife in 1924.

His wife was Miss Detroit of 1925.

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