User:Teblick/Jack Leonard (singer)

Jack Leonard was a singer in the era of American big bands.

Early years
Born John Joseph Leonard

Singing
Leonard moved up in the musical world when Tommy Dorsey heard a radio broadcast of Bert Block's band. Leonard was Block's featured male soloist, and he sang with Block's group, The Three Esquires. Leonard joined the Dorsey group in 1937, when he was "about 19" and sang with the band almost four years, making more than 200 recordings that included For Sentimental Reasons, Little White Lies and "probably the most famous of all Dorsey sides, Marie." Twenty-four of the Dorsey-Leonard recordings made the top 10 in Billboard's popular music chart.

In his book, The Big Bands, George T. Simon wrote, "Jack turned out to be a real find and for several years rivaled Bing Crosby as the kids' favorite singer." On the other hand, Peter J. Levinson wrote in his book, Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way, that Leonard became "firmly established as the nation's favorite male band singer."

When World War II began, Leonard left Dorsey and went into military service. He was head of a military band at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Managing
In 1952, Leonard became the manager of the music firms Embassy and Dorsey Brothers Music, both of which were owned by Tommy Dorsey.

Death
Leonard died on June 17, 1988, aged 73.