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Vaughn Monroe(1911-1973)

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Wilton Monroe was born October 7, 1911 in Akron, Ohio, and his family moved to Wisconsin shortly thereafter. Monroe showed an early talent for the trumpet and focused most of his early efforts on that. Monroe wanted to be an opera singer, but the Depression made pursuing such a career impractical. Instead, he sang as a vocalist with several bands, among them Austin Wylie (who later worked for Artie Shaw), Larry Funk (for which he made his recording debut), and Jack Marshard. It was Marshard who realized Monroe's talent, brought him out from the brass section, and turned him into a conductor. At the urging of Marshard and many others, Monroe started his own orchestra in 1940. RCA Victor immediately signed him to a contract. From 1940 until 1954, he had over 70 chart hits. One of these is the one he's best known for today: "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!", the 1946 version of which is heard at the end of the first two Bruce Willis "Die Hard" films.

The tall, handsome Monroe, whose signature tune was "Racing With the Moon", was very popular in the 1940s and early 1950s. His band was heard every Sunday on the radio in America (under contract to Camel cigarettes) and played to full ballrooms everywhere they went. Some of the musicians who regularly toured with Monroe included guitarist 'Bucky Pizzarelli', saxophonist Adny Bagni, Bobby Nichols, singer Mary Jo Grogan, Trumpeter Bobby Nichols, trombonist Ray Conniff, and well-known jazz pianist Arnold Ross.

The big band business started losing steam in the early 1950s, and Monroe gave up his band in 1953. For the next 20 years, he worked as a single and on the nightclub circuit, while maintaining his contract with RCA Victor as their spokesman.

Monroe died May 21, 1973, shortly after undergoing stomach surgery.
BornOctober 7, 1911
DiedMay 21, 1973(61)
BornOctober 7, 1911
DiedMay 21, 1973(61)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos6

Joan Leslie, Vaughn Monroe, and Harry Morgan in Kova mies Arizonasta (1952)
Lucille Ball, Spike Jones, Bert Lahr, Vaughn Monroe, Virginia O'Brien, and Dick Powell in Meet the People (1944)
Victor Jory, Vaughn Monroe, and Jean Parker in Kova mies Arizonasta (1952)
Charlita, Victor Jory, Joan Leslie, and Vaughn Monroe in Kova mies Arizonasta (1952)
Ward Bond, Walter Brennan, Vaughn Monroe, and Ella Raines in Laulu kullasta ja lemmestä (1950)

Known for:

Bruce Willis in Vain kuolleen ruumiini yli (1988)
Vain kuolleen ruumiini yli
8.2
  • Soundtrack("Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!")
  • 1988
Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2 - vain kuolleen ruumiini yli 2 (1990)
Die Hard 2 - vain kuolleen ruumiini yli 2
7.1
  • Soundtrack("Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!")
  • 1990
Bugsy (1991)
Bugsy
6.8
  • Soundtrack("There I've Said It Again!")
  • 1991
Ward Bond, Walter Brennan, Vaughn Monroe, and Ella Raines in Laulu kullasta ja lemmestä (1950)
Laulu kullasta ja lemmestä
6.3
  • Rhiannon
  • 1950

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Ed Sullivan in Toast of the Town (1948)
    Toast of the Town
    7.9
    TV Series
    • Singer
    • 1965
  • Bonanza (1959)
    Bonanza
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Hank Myers
    • 1962
  • Ronald Reagan in Se parhaiten nauraa... (1953)
    Se parhaiten nauraa...
    6.9
    TV Series
    • 1960
  • Air Time '57
    TV Series
    • Host
    • 1956
  • The Vaughn Monroe Show
    TV Series
    • Host
    • 1955
  • Joan Leslie and Vaughn Monroe in Kova mies Arizonasta (1952)
    Kova mies Arizonasta
    6.1
    • Marshal Matt Landry
    • 1952
  • The Vaughn Monroe Show
    TV Series
    • Host
    • 1950
  • Ward Bond, Walter Brennan, Vaughn Monroe, and Ella Raines in Laulu kullasta ja lemmestä (1950)
    Laulu kullasta ja lemmestä
    6.3
    • Rhiannon
    • 1950
  • Your Show of Shows (1950)
    Your Show of Shows
    8.8
    TV Series
    • Announcer
    • 1950
  • Lucille Ball in Meet the People (1944)
    Meet the People
    5.7
    • Vaughn Monroe (uncredited)
    • 1944

Writer

  • Hood Ornament
    6.7
    • story "Racing with the Man" (1943 segment)
    • 1979

Soundtrack

  • Rachel Brosnahan in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
    The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
    8.7
    TV Series
    • performer: "Cool Water"
    • 2018
  • Kirstie Allsopp in Kirstie's Handmade Christmas (2014)
    Kirstie's Handmade Christmas
    7.0
    TV Series
    • performer: "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (uncredited)
    • 2018
  • L.A. Noire (2011)
    L.A. Noire
    8.7
    Video Game
    • performer: "Seems Like Old Times"
    • 2011
  • Kotirintaman naiset (2009)
    Kotirintaman naiset
    7.0
    TV Series
    • writer: "Happy Go Lucky" (uncredited)
    • 2011
  • Todistettavasti syyllinen (2003)
    Todistettavasti syyllinen
    7.6
    TV Series
    • performer: "Sound Off"
    • performer: "When The Lights Go On Again"
    • 2007–2008
  • Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer in Friends (1994)
    Friends
    8.9
    TV Series
    • performer: "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (uncredited)
    • 2000
  • EastEnders (1985)
    EastEnders
    4.7
    TV Series
    • performer: "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (uncredited)
    • 1999
  • Bugsy (1991)
    Bugsy
    6.8
    • performer: "There I've Said It Again!"
    • 1991
  • Avalon (1990)
    Avalon
    7.2
    • lyrics: "Racing with the Moon"
    • performer: "Racing with the Moon"
    • 1990
  • Bruce Willis in Die Hard 2 - vain kuolleen ruumiini yli 2 (1990)
    Die Hard 2 - vain kuolleen ruumiini yli 2
    7.1
    • performer: "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
    • 1990
  • Bruce Willis in Vain kuolleen ruumiini yli (1988)
    Vain kuolleen ruumiini yli
    8.2
    • performer: "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
    • 1988
  • Ed Sullivan in Toast of the Town (1948)
    Toast of the Town
    7.9
    TV Series
    • performer: "Queen of the Senior Prom"
    • performer: "Just One of Those Things", "Shall We Dance?"
    • performer: "Riders in the Sky", "Singin' My Way Back Home", "Dance, Ballerina, Dance" ...
    • 1949–1965
  • Bonanza (1959)
    Bonanza
    7.3
    TV Series
    • performer: "Early One Morning", "Cowboy's Lament (Streets of Laredo)"
    • 1962
  • Joan Leslie and Vaughn Monroe in Kova mies Arizonasta (1952)
    Kova mies Arizonasta
    6.1
    • performer: "Hound Dog (Bay at the Moon)", "The Man Don't Live Who Can Die Alone", "A Man's Best Friend Is His Horse"
    • writer: "A Man's Best Friend Is His Horse"
    • 1952
  • Ward Bond, Walter Brennan, Vaughn Monroe, and Ella Raines in Laulu kullasta ja lemmestä (1950)
    Laulu kullasta ja lemmestä
    6.3
    • performer: "Mule Train", "Singing My Way Back Home", "Mexicali Trail"
    • writer: "Singing My Way Back Home", "Mexicali Trail"
    • 1950

Personal details

Edit
  • Official site
    • Official Site
  • Height
    • 1.88 m
  • Born
    • October 7, 1911
    • Akron, Ohio, USA
  • Died
    • May 21, 1973
    • Stuart, Florida, USA(after surgery)
  • Spouse
    • Marion BaughmanApril 2, 1940 - May 21, 1973 (his death, 2 children)
  • Other works
    (1950s) TV commercials: RCA portable radios.

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Was a virtuoso on the trumpet and trombone.
  • Quotes
    As a bandleader, people expect you to be artistic. But to be successful you've got to also develop a keen sense of business. On the bandstand, you sing, play or direct. A show is expected and you provide it. But off the stand, when it comes to picking new tunes, choosing spots to play, tyring to work out recording dates and broadcasts, negotiating contracts, and thaings of that sort -- well, that's the other side of the picture. The part that doesn't show.
  • Trademarks
      Dramatic, jutting eyebrows

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