Trivia

Unlike many of his contemporaries, he always kept an open, and enthusiastic, mind about what was going on in the music world. In 1966, he admitted that The Beatles were "turning out some lovely stuff," and that "were I a young man getting started in the music business these days, I'd probably grow my hair long and form a rock 'n' roll band."

Co-founded Capitol Records in 1942, along with songwriter/film producer Buddy G. DeSylva, singer/songwriter Johnny Mercer, and record retailer Glen Wallichs.

A close friend of George Gershwin. Whiteman, with Gershwin at the piano, introduced Rhapsody in Blue to the public in 1924 and recorded it later that same year. Whiteman appeared as himself in Gershwin's film biography Rhapsodie en bleu (1945) and conducted numerous Gershwin tribute concerts over the years.

Composer Richard Rodgers originally wrote The Carousel Waltz especially for Whiteman's orchestra. Whiteman never used it, so Rodgers inserted it into the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.

A legendary judge of talent, Whiteman's discoveries over the years included Bing Crosby, Dick Clark, and Bobby Rydell.

His father, Dr. Wilburforce Whiteman, was a prominent musician and music teacher in the Denver, Colorado area. His students included future big-band legend Jimmie Lunceford. He was one of the founders of the Denver Symphony Orchestra now the Colorado Philharmonic Orchestra.

He was nominated for the 2014 New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Arts and the Entertainment Category.

Bandleader.

Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1993.

Father of Loyce Whiteman.

Ex-father-in-law of Harry Barris.

Grandfather of Marti Barris.

Brother-in-law of Ivy Livingston.

He was awarded 2 Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6157 Hollywood Boulevard and for Radio at 1601 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.

In 1929, Whiteman agreed to take part in a weekly radio show for Old Gold Cigarettes for which he was paid $5,000 per broadcast. Old Gold Presents Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra was an hour-long show on Tuesday nights over CBS from station WABC in New York. The Whiteman Hour had its first broadcast on February 5, 1929, and continued until May 6, 1930. On May 7, 1930, he was paid $325,000 for 65 radio episodes.