Les Brown Manuscript Music, 1930s-1990s

Les Brown (1912-2001) attended Duke University. He was a composer, music arranger, and big band leader. His band was called Les Brown and His Band of Renown. He and his band first became known in the 1930s. His band played swing and jazz. In the 1940s he had hits with songs like "Sentimental Journey" and "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" . His band performed with Bob Hope on radio and stage for almost fifty years. They did eighteen USO tours for American troops around the world. Tony Bennett had his first public appearance with Les Brown and his band. They were also the house band for the Dean Martin Variety Show and the Steve Allen Show. They performed with virtually every major performer; including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat "King" Cole.