Leo Diamond
Leo Diamond | |
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Born | ABC-Paramount, Reprise | June 29, 1915
Leo Diamond (June 29, 1915 – September 15, 1966) was an American
Biography
Diamond was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and learned the flute and piccolo before winning a harmonica contest held by bandleader Edwin Franko Goldman in Central Park. Diamond joined Borrah Minevitch's Harmonica Rascals in 1930, and appeared with the group in several films. He arranged and composed tunes for the Harmonica Rascals, toured with them in Europe and South America, and premiered his Concerto for the Harmonica at the Queen's Hall in London.[1]
He left to form his own group, the Solidaires (sometimes cited as the Harmonaires) around 1943. They appeared on American Forces Network radio, and in movies including Coney Island, Hi'ya, Sailor (both 1943), Swing Out, Sister and Forever Yours (both 1945).[2][3]
By 1950, Diamond started to establish a solo career, principally as a recording artist, although he also performed in clubs across the US. He provided the soundtracks to several films, including Miss Sadie Thompson and The Eddie Cantor Story. His self-penned instrumental, "Off Shore", for Ambassador Records, reached number 14 on the US pop chart in 1953,[4] and he also recorded an album, Harmonica Moods, for the label.[2]
In 1955,
Diamond then moved to
Frank Sinatra championed Diamond, and as a result he signed to Reprise Records when it was established in 1960. Diamond released several albums on the label in 1961 and '62: Exciting Sounds of the South Seas, Themes From The Great Foreign Films, Off Shore, and Harmonica Sounds In Country And Western Music.[6] However, by this time "the popular audience had lost what little interest it had in harmonica music",[7] and the albums were criticized for "boring arrangements... [which] only exaggerated the inappropriateness of the harmonica".[2]
Diamond died in Los Angeles, California, in 1966, aged 51.[2]
References
- ^ Sleeve notes, Leo Diamond, Harmonica Moods. Retrieved 24 April 2019
- ^ a b c d Biography by Tony Wilds, Allmusic.com. Retrieved 24 April 2019
- ^ a b "Leo Diamond and His Harmonica", Mental Itch. Retrieved 24 April 2019
- ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
- ^ a b Leo Diamond, Discogs.com. Retrieved 24 April 2019
- ^ a b Leo Diamond, Space Age Pop. Retrieved 24 April 2019