Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was a Canadian and American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer whose unique sweet jazz style remained popular with audiences for nearly five decades.
Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and other musicians from his hometown. They billed themselves as creating "the sweetest music this side of Heaven". The Lombardos are believed to have sold between 100 and 300 million records during their lifetimes, many featuring the band's lead singer from 1940 onward, Kenny Gardner.
Lombardo was born in London, Ontario, Canada. His parents were Italian immigrants: Gaetano Alberto who was born in Lipari, Italy (1873–1954), and Angelina Lombardo. Gaetano Sr. was employed as a tailor but was also an amateur baritone singer. He encouraged four of his five young sons to study musical instruments so that they could serve as his accompanists. Consequently, even as a young student in grammar school, Lombardo joined with his brothers to form their first orchestra. Rehearsals took place behind the family's tailor shop. Lombardo's first public appearance with his brother Carmen occurred during an outdoor lawn party at a church in London, Ontario, in 1914. The Lombardo quartet made its first significant debut at an outdoor dance pavilion in Grand Bend, Ontario, during the summer of 1919.
By 1920, Lombardo's band showcased the talents of several of his brothers including: Carmen, who was the group's music director and arranger, played lead saxophone in the distinctive four saxophone sound, led the reed section while also composing many songs, Lebert, who played lead trumpet, and subsequently Victor who played baritone sax. Guy played violin but not with his orchestra. The ensemble spent the winter season during 1922–1923 at the Winter Garden in London and the summer season of 1923 in Port Stanley, Ontario. By 1923 the Lombardo Brothers' Orchestra now included: Archie Cunningham, (saxophone), Jim Dillon (trombone), Eddie Mashurette (tuba) and Francis "Muff" Henry (guitar). In late 1923, the band ventured outside Canada on tour to Cleveland, Ohio. By 1924, the band was known as Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians and a two-year residency started at the Claremont Tent nightclub in Cleveland. The owner of the club (Louis Bleet) is credited with coaching Lombardo's band and assisting in developing its unique performance style. While in Cleveland, Lombardo arranged to perform on an unsponsored program for WTAM radio, which contributed to the development of a strong following for his appearances in the area. His band's first recording session occurred in Richmond, Indiana, at the Gennett Studios in early 1924. This is also where cornetist Bix Beiderbecke made his recordings in the same year.
Subsequently, Lombardo's orchestra recorded twice for Brunswick. The first session took place in Cleveland in late 1926 but the recording was rejected. The second recording was accepted for the Vocalion label in early 1927. Lombardo's ensemble left the Cleveland area in 1927 for Chicago, where it appeared at the Granada Cafe and broadcast on the radio station WBBM. Soon thereafter, several lucrative recording contracts emerged. Between 1927 and 1931 Lombardo made 45 recordings on 78's for the Columbia label. These were followed by forty additional recordings upon his return to the Brunswick label in 1932 which lasted until 1934, when he joined forces with Decca (1934–35). By late 1935 an opportunity with Victor records emerged and Lombardo stayed with the label until the middle of 1938. Subsequently, he returned to Decca until 1957. Total sales from Lombardo's recordings exceeded 300 million copies by the early 1970s and supported his reputation as the leader of the most popular dance band of his era. Between 1941 and 1948, Lombardo's sister Rose Marie, the youngest of all seven Lombardo siblings, also joined the band as its first female vocalist.
Between 1927 and 1954, Lombardo & His Royal Canadians sold well above 100 million records on all labels, including Columbia, Brunswick, Decca, and RCA Victor and estimates place his total worldwide record sales between 100 and 300 million copies. This figure makes the band one of the highest selling recording groups of all time, despite the low population base and family incomes of Lombardo's prime decades.
In 1929, Lombardo began a series of appearances at the Roosevelt Grill in the Roosevelt Hotel which lasted for over three decades. He also performed in Los Angeles during the 1930s, and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1938. He continued to tour in major cities within both Canada and the United States after leaving the Roosevelt Hotel in 1962. Yet, despite his success as a recording artist, some jazz critics described Lombardo's "sweet" big-band style as "boring, mainstream pap." The legendary jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong disagreed and often described Lombardo's band as his favorite orchestra. In fact, Lombardo's band enjoyed remarkable broad appeal which crossed racial boundaries. While performing at the famed Savoy Ballroom in Harlem his band even set a new attendance record in 1930.
After Guy Lombardo's death in 1977, his surviving brothers Victor and Lebert took over the Royal Canadians, though Victor left the band early in 1978 over creative differences. From 1980, the name was franchised out to various band leaders. Lebert died in 1993, passing rights to the band name to three of his six children. The band was revived in 1989 by Al Pierson and remained active as of 2021.
New Year's Eve radio and TV programs
Lombardo is perhaps best remembered for his big band remote broadcasts which were carried on several national radio and television networks for nearly fifty years. Starting in 1929, the Royal Canadians began broadcasting live from the Roosevelt Grill in the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City as "radio's first nationwide New Year's Eve broadcast". Invariably, each broadcast closed with Lombardo's rendition of the song Auld Lang Syne as part of the annual New Year's Eve tradition. The broadcasts proved to be immensely popular and continued from this venue until 1959 when they were transferred to the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel where they continued until 1976. These radio and television broadcasts soon played a central role in New Year's celebrations across North America as millions of celebrants enjoyed the festivities within the comfort of their own homes.Time magazine even reported that the American public would simply not believe it was New Year's Day until Guy Lombardo heralded its arrival from the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Due to his widespread popularity, Lombardo was nicknamed "Mr. New Year's Eve" and received a citation of recognition from the United States Congress for his musical message of hope, peace and happiness for all mankind.
The band's first New Year's Eve radio broadcast was in 1929; within a few years, they were heard live on the CBS Radio Network before midnight Eastern Time, then on the NBC Radio Network after midnight. As a result, by 1954 Lombardo's popularity soared and sales of his recordings with the Royal Canadians Orchestra soon exceeded 100 million copies. He and the band played in Washington D.C. at the inaugural balls for every U.S. president from Franklin Roosevelt to Dwight Eisenhower, and the Royal Canadians would later play at Ronald Reagan's inaugural ball in 1985.
On December 31, 1956, the Lombardo's first New Year's TV special aired on the CBS network. The program showcased live segments from New York City's Times Square and continued on New Year's Eve for two decades. CBS continued to broadcast most of Lombardo's New Year's television specials on its national network between 1965 and 1970 and the special was also syndicated live to individual TV stations. By the mid-1970s, however, competition emerged for younger audiences who preferred Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve. Nevertheless, Lombardo remained popular among older viewers.