Ben Bernie
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Ben Bernie | |
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![]() Ben Bernie as seen on early 1930s sheet music | |
Background information | |
Born | Bayonne, New Jersey, U.S. | May 30, 1891
Died | October 23, 1943 Hollywood, California, U.S. | (aged 52)
Genres | Jazz, big band, traditional pop |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) | Violin |
Benjamin Anzelevitz, known professionally as Ben Bernie (May 30, 1891 – October 23, 1943),[1] was an American jazz violinist, bandleader, and radio personality, often introduced as "The Old Maestro". He was noted for his showmanship and memorable bits of snappy dialogue, being part of the first generation of "stars" of American popular music, alongside other artists such as Paul Whiteman (a fellow violinist and bandleader), Ted Lewis and Al Jolson.
Career
Early years
Bernie was born Bernard Anzelevitz (another source says Benjamin Anzelevitz)[2] in Bayonne, New Jersey. He attended Columbia University and the New York College of Music.[1] By the age of 15 he was teaching violin, but this experience apparently diminished his interest in the violin for a time.
Bernie performed in vaudeville, appearing with Charles Klass as The Fiddle Up Boys in 1912[3] and with Phil Baker as Baker and Bernie,[4] but he met with little success until 1922 when he joined his first orchestra. Later, he had his own band, The Lads, seen in the early DeForest Phonofilm sound short, Ben Bernie and All the Lads (1924–25), featuring pianist Oscar Levant. He toured with Maurice Chevalier in Europe.
Radio and other performances
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6a/Benbernie.gif)
Bernie and his orchestra were heard November 15, 1926, via a remote broadcast from the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City, on the first NBC broadcast.[1] In 1928, he starred in the Broadway musical, Here's Howe, as Dan Danny.
His musical variety radio shows through the 1930s, usually titled, Ben Bernie, The Old Maestro received ratings that placed him among radio's top ten programs. He was heard on radio as early as 1923, broadcasting on
On the Blue Network from 1935 to 1937, Bernie's sponsor was the
His theme was "It's a Lonesome Old Town" and his signature trademark, "yowsah, yowsah, yowsah" (also spelled "yowsa" or "yowza"), became a national catchphrase.[4] The term was memorably used by a character in the film They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), Richie Cunningham in a 1976 episode of Happy Days, "They Shoot Fonzies, Don't They?" (1976), by the band Chic with their hit "Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah)" (1977),[5] Frank Zappa in his 1979 single "Dancin' Fool" and Ritch Brinkley as Cappy in 1994's comedy, Cabin Boy.[citation needed]
Announcers for Bernie's programs included Harlow Wilcox, Harry von Zell and Bob Brown. His radio shows featured comedy from Lew Lehr and Fuzzy Knight, and the line-up of vocalists included Buddy Clark, Little Jackie Heller, Scrappy Lambert, Pat Kennedy, Jane Pickens, Dinah Shore, and Mary Small.
To boost ratings,
Recordings
Bernie's orchestra recorded throughout the 1920s and 1930s on Vocalion (1922–25), Brunswick (1925–33), Columbia (1933), Decca (1936), and ARC (Vocalion and OKeh) (1939–40). In 1923 Bernie and the Hotel Roosevelt Orchestra recorded "Who's Sorry Now?".
In 1925 Ben Bernie and his orchestra recorded "Sweet Georgia Brown". Bernie was the co-composer of this jazz standard, which became the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters.
Personal life
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/CarolinaInTheMorningBenBernie.jpg/220px-CarolinaInTheMorningBenBernie.jpg)
On December 24, 1915, Bernie married Rose Harris (maiden; 1893–1965) in
Bernie died from a pulmonary embolism in October 1943, aged 52, and was buried in Mount Hebron Cemetery, in Queens, New York.[6]
Bernie has a star at 6280 Hollywood Boulevard in the Radio section of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was dedicated February 8, 1960.[7]
Selected discography
- "Sweet Georgia Brown" July 1925 (#1 hit for 5 weeks)
- "Sleepy Time Gal" March 1926 (#1 hit for 4 weeks)
- "Ain't She Sweet" May 1927 (#1 hit for 4 weeks)
- "Marching Along Together" August 21, 1933 (Columbia)
- "We Won't Have to Sell the Farm" (Columbia)
- "The Duke Is on a Bat Again" (Columbia)
- "Ain't That Marvelous" (Columbia)
- "This Is Romance" Voc. Frank Prince, Sept. 19, 1933 (Columbia)
- "You Gotta Be a Football Hero", Sept. 19, 1933 (Columbia)
- "Shanghai Lil", Sept. 26, 1933 (Columbia)
- "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf", Sept. 26, 1933 (Columbia)
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 32.
- ^ a b "Ben Bernie, Band Leader, Is Dead". Virginia, Fredericksburg. The Free Lance-Star. October 20, 1943. p. 2. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah) by Chic Songfacts at www.songfacts.com
- ^ "Ben Bernie Rites Attended By 1,200 - Friends of Stage, Screen and Radio Say 'Au Revoir' Here to the 'Old Maestro'". The New York Times. October 29, 1943. p. 22. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Ben Bernie". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
Bibliography
- Dunning, John. On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, ISBN 0-19-507678-8
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Ben Bernie at IMDb
- Ben Bernie at AllMovie
- "Biography". Archived from the original on 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2005-12-05.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - Ben Bernie and All the Lads (1924-25) made in Phonofilm by Lee DeForest
- Ben Bernie recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings