About Tex Beneke
Gordon Lee "Tex" Beneke ( BEN-ə-kee; February 12, 1914 – May 30, 2000) was an American saxophonist, singer, and bandleader. His career is a history of associations with bandleader Glenn Miller and former musicians and singers who worked with Miller. His band is also associated with the careers of Eydie Gormé, Henry Mancini, and Ronnie Deauville. Beneke also solos on the recording the Glenn Miller Orchestra made of their popular song "In the Mood" and sings on another popular Glenn Miller recording, "Chattanooga Choo Choo". Jazz critic Will Friedwald considers Beneke to be one of the major blues singers who sang with the big bands of the early 1940s. == Early life == Beneke was born in Fort Worth, Texas. He started playing saxophone at age nine, switching from soprano to alto to tenor saxophones and staying with the last. == Career == His first professional work was with bandleader Ben Young in 1935, but when he joined the Glenn Miller Orchestra three years later, his career hit its stride. Beneke stated, "It seems that Gene Krupa had left the Goodman band and was forming his own first band. He was flying all over the country looking for new talent and he stopped at our ballroom one night [to listen to the Ben Young band].
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.