Ray Anthony

Ray Anthony (born Raymond Antonini; January 20, 1922) is an American retired bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his tenure as a member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra, from 1940 to 1941, and later for successfully leading his own big band.

After returning to professional music in 1945 following a stint in the United States Navy, he formed his own orchestra, and penned numerous successful compositions, some of which became chart successes, including "The Bunny Hop", "Thunderbird", "Houseparty Hop", "Trumpet Boogie", "Dream Dancing", "Dream While You Dance", "Dance My Heart", "Let's All Do the Swim", "Big Band Boogie", and "Mr. Anthony's Boogie". He also had a limited professional acting career and frequently appeared in the tabloids during his brief marriage to actress Mamie Van Doren.

Anthony continued to tour around the United States in big bands before retiring in 1998. At the age of 104, he is the last living member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. He is listed as the oldest living recorded musician.

Early life Anthony was born to an Italian family in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, but moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio, where he studied the trumpet after his father gave him a trumpet on his fifth birthday. As a teenager he was influenced by Harry James, later saying of him: "In my opinion, I think Harry James was the greatest trumpet. He had a complete mastery of the instrument and a conception I admired".

Anthony played in his family group, The Antonini Family Orchestra.

Career Music Anthony made his professional debut in 1940, backing Al Donahue. He had seen the band live three months before he joined them.

Anthony lasted less than a year in the group, leaving without return in 1941 after six months over not getting along with Miller. He had a No. 2 chart hit on Billboard with a recording of the tune "At Last" in 1952, which also reached no. 20 on Cash Box; it was the highest charting pop version of the song in the U.S. His 1962 recording "Worried Mind" received considerable radio airplay, reaching no. 20 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. thumb

In 1953, Anthony and his orchestra were featured when Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly headlined a summer replacement program for Perry Como's CBS television show.

From 1953 to 1954, Anthony was musical director of the television series TV's Top Tunes. In 1957, Anthony and his orchestra recorded the music score for the film This Could Be The Night, with vocals performed by Julie Wilson.

He continued his musical career and had another hit record with the jazzy drumming theme from the Peter Gunn private detective series featuring Craig Stevens, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart with its popularity enduring for decades. Among the Anthony band's pianists was Allen "Puddler" Harris, a native of Franklin Parish, in Louisiana, who had been a member of the original rock singer Ricky Nelson's band, and Kellie Greene, who also played the vibraphone.

In the early 1980s, Anthony formed Big Band '80s, with other members of the band including Buddy Rich, Harry James, Les Brown, and Alvino Rey. His later works tended to break away from the big-band jazz style, ranging from MOR and lounge music to blues, film and television themes.Anthony also made tv appearances and recordings as a vocalist.

Acting Anthony began his acting in the mid 1950s, and trained with the likes of Estelle Harman and Sanford Meisner. Anthony and his band appeared in the movie The Girl Can't Help It (1956). Anthony and Keating had met while both were working with Al Donahue. Their son Perry Ray was born on March 18, 1956. After Van Doren filed for divorce in 1958, citing "cruelty" and long absences, they divorced in 1961, with Van Doren being granted custody.

As of 2022 he was still living in Hollywood, in the same house since 1975. Anthony has reported to have suffered from hearing loss in recent years, described as having "diminished considerably".

Anthony became the last living member of Glenn Miller's band when trombonist Nat Peck died in 2015.

Legacy Anthony was considered one of the most modern big band leaders.

In the lyrics to "Opus One", which imagine a number of players all performing the song, he is cited along with Les Brown and his Band of Renown:

Anthony has been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

He is listed as the oldest living recorded musician.

Billboard 200 Cash Box 1950 Dance Time (split album with Jan Garber [one side by each])

— — H-199 1951 Arthur Murray Favorites: Fox Trots — — H-258

Houseparty Hop 10 — H-292 Campus Rumpus! — — H-362

The Young Man With The Horn — — H-373 The Anthony Choir — — H-442

I Remember Glenn Miller 6 — H-476 Ray Anthony Plays TV's Top Tunes — — H-9118 Arthur Murray Swing Fox Trots — — H-546

Golden Horn 10 — T-563 Swingin' On Campus! — — T-645 Standards By Ray Anthony — — T-663 Big Band Dixieland — — T-678

Dream Dancing 15 21 T-723 Jam Session at the Tower — — T-749

Dancers in Love — — T-786 Star Dancing — — T-831 Young Ideas — — T-866 This Could Be The Night MGM — — E3530 ST

Moments Together

— — T-917 The Dream Girl — — T-969 Dancing Over the Waves — — T-1028 Anthony Plays Steve Allen — — T-1086

Anthony Italiano — — ST-1149 Sounds Spectacular — — ST-1200 More Dream Dancing — — ST-1252

Like Wild! — — ST-1304 Dancing Alone Together: Torch Songs For Lovers — — ST-1420 The New Ray Anthony Show — — ST-1421

That's Show Biz — — ST-1496 Swing-Dance-Dream to 'The Unsinkable Molly Brown' — — ST-1576 Dream Dancing Medley — — ST-1608 The Twist — — ST-1668

Worried Mind: The Soul Of Country Western Blues 14 15 ST-1752 I Almost Lost My Mind: The Soul Of Big City Rhythm & Blues — — ST-1783

Smash Hits of '63! — — ST-1917 Charade and Other Top Themes — — ST-2043 My Love, Forgive Me (Amore Scusami) — — ST-2150 Swim, Swim, C'mon and Swim — — ST-2188

Dream Dancing Today — — ST-2457 Hit Songs to Remember — 93 ST-2530 To Each His Own Sears — — SP-429 1967 Today's Trumpet Capitol — — ST-2750 1968 Ray Anthony Now

— — RLP-8033

Lo Mucho Que Te Quiero (The More I Love You) — — RLP-8046 Love Is For The Two Of Us [AKA Great Country Music Hits] — — RLP-8059 1970 I Get The Blues When It Rains [reissue of Ray Anthony Now] — — RLP-8062

Direction '71: My Sweet Lord — — RLP-8078 Dream Dancing in Hawaii

— — RA-1004 1972 Dream Dancing Around The World — — SR 1007 1975 A Little Bit Country Capitol — — SM-11411 1976 Great Golden Hits Ranwood — — R-8153

Touch Dancing Aero Space — — RA-1008 Swing Goes On Vol. 10 Capitol — — 1 C 054-52 719 Dance Along Sunnyvale — — SVL-1018 1980 Big Band Series/Original Recording

— — PIC-3422 1981 Volume II-Big Band Series — — PIC-3545 1987 Best 20

— — CP32-5391

A Música De Glenn Miller — — 054 791016 1988 & All That Jazz Aero Space — — RACD-1030 1989 Ray Anthony Capitol — — CP28-5908 1993 In The Miller Mood Vol. II Aero Space — — RACD-1037