- Born
- Died
- Height1.88 m
- Vaughn Wilton Monroe was born October 7, 1911 in Akron, Ohio, and his family moved to Wisconsin shortly thereafter. Monroe showed an early talent for the trumpet and focused most of his early efforts on that. Monroe wanted to be an opera singer, but the Depression made pursuing such a career impractical. Instead, he sang as a vocalist with several bands, among them Austin Wylie (who later worked for Artie Shaw), Larry Funk (for which he made his recording debut), and Jack Marshard. It was Marshard who realized Monroe's talent, brought him out from the brass section, and turned him into a conductor. At the urging of Marshard and many others, Monroe started his own orchestra in 1940. RCA Victor immediately signed him to a contract. From 1940 until 1954, he had over 70 chart hits. One of these is the one he's best known for today: "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!", the 1946 version of which is heard at the end of the first two Bruce Willis "Die Hard" films.
The tall, handsome Monroe, whose signature tune was "Racing With the Moon", was very popular in the 1940s and early 1950s. His band was heard every Sunday on the radio in America (under contract to Camel cigarettes) and played to full ballrooms everywhere they went. Some of the musicians who regularly toured with Monroe included guitarist 'Bucky Pizzarelli', saxophonist Adny Bagni, Bobby Nichols, singer Mary Jo Grogan, Trumpeter Bobby Nichols, trombonist Ray Conniff, and well-known jazz pianist Arnold Ross.
The big band business started losing steam in the early 1950s, and Monroe gave up his band in 1953. For the next 20 years, he worked as a single and on the nightclub circuit, while maintaining his contract with RCA Victor as their spokesman.
Monroe died May 21, 1973, shortly after undergoing stomach surgery.- IMDb mini biography by: Tom Barrister
- SpouseMarion Baughman(April 2, 1940 - May 21, 1973) (his death, 2 children)
- Dramatic, jutting eyebrows
- Distinctive voice
- Was a virtuoso on the trumpet and trombone.
- He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1600 Vine Street and for Radio at 1755 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
- His version of 'Let it Snow' (from 1946) was featured in Die Hard I and Die Hard II.
- Was a licensed pilot and once owned a Lockheed-12 plane.
- He also Sang "Lili Marlene" in USA.
- As a bandleader, people expect you to be artistic. But to be successful you've got to also develop a keen sense of business. On the bandstand, you sing, play or direct. A show is expected and you provide it. But off the stand, when it comes to picking new tunes, choosing spots to play, tyring to work out recording dates and broadcasts, negotiating contracts, and thaings of that sort -- well, that's the other side of the picture. The part that doesn't show.
- At one time, a fellow with his ear to the ground was a politician. Now he's just somebody looking for a lost contact lens.
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