Glenn Miller 1904 – 1944

Biography

Glenn Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa, and grew up in Colorado and Nebraska, learning trombone as a boy. After playing in big bands, he formed his own orchestra in 1938 and created the most popular sound in America, with a clarinet-led reed section that produced In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade, Chattanooga Choo Choo, and Tuxedo Junction. His band sold millions of records, starred in films, and broadcast weekly to a national radio audience. In 1942 he joined the Army Air Forces and led the Army Air Forces Band, bringing swing to troops in Britain. On December 15, 1944, he boarded a plane from England to Paris to arrange a Christmas broadcast, and the plane vanished over the English Channel. He was never found. His recordings remain bestsellers in the swing catalogue, and his Army Air Forces Band set the standard for military music.