Born March 15, 1916 in Albany, Georgia, Harry James was a trumpeter and band
leader who was immensely popular during the 1940s. Born into a circus family,
James learned to play the trumpet and read music as a child. His family
relocated to Beaumont, Texas, where he began to perform with local dance bands.
With the swing era in full bloom, he had a stint with the Benny Goodman
Orchestra before he launched his own band, Harry James and His Music Makers. The
band was not an immediate commercial success, but once he added a string section
in 1941, Harry James and His Orchestra struck...