Woody Herman – born on May 16, 1913, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – was one of big
band and swing music’s most influential artists. Nominated for many Grammy
Awards – and winning three - over the course of his career, Woody Herman steered
his orchestra into many different directions, creating music that was comforting
while also remaining cutting edge. As a clarinetist, saxophonist, singer and
band leader, he came to prominence in the late 1930s. As a child performer, he
started as a tap dancer and singer in vaudeville before he started playing the
clarinet and saxophone at the age of...