Benny Goodman

Known as the King of Swing, Benny Goodman was an American clarinetist and bandleader who grew up in Chicago and joined Ben Pollack's orchestra in 1926, when he made his first recordings. He moved to New York City and worked as a session player before forming his own orchestra. From 1935 into the mid-1940s his big band was among the most popular in the country, and a 1935 run at the Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles is frequently cited as the start of the swing era. His trio and quartet were among the first integrated jazz groups, and his 1938 Carnegie Hall concert is widely viewed as a landmark. He also recorded bebop that critics praised and commissioned classical clarinet works. His films included The Gang's All Here (1943), Make Mine Music (1946) and A Song Is Born (1948). He received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame inducted him in 1957.