Larry Clinton
Larry Clinton (August 17, 1909 – May 2, 1985) was an American musician, best known as a trumpeter who became a prominent American bandleader and arranger. His jazz and pop standards were "The Dipsy Doodle" (1937), "My Reverie" (1938), and "Heart and Soul" (1938). He also composed "Satan Takes a Holiday", "Midnight in the Madhouse", and "Calypso Melody".
Larry Clinton
![Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. Larry Clinton and Betty George, Copacabana(?), New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1947] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Larry_Clinton_and_Betty_George.jpg/1024px-Larry_Clinton_and_Betty_George.jpg)
The Library of Congress · [Portrait of Larry Clinton and Betty George, Copacabana(?), New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1947] (LOC) · No known copyright restrictions
- Name
- Larry Clinton
- Born
- August 17, 1909
- Birthplace
- Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
- Died
- May 2, 1985 (aged 75)
- Place of death
- Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
- Occupation
- Bandleader, composer, jazz musician
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
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Documentary summary
Larry Clinton (August 17, 1909 – May 2, 1985) was an American musician, best known as a trumpeter who became a prominent American bandleader and arranger. His jazz and pop standards were "The Dipsy Doodle" (1937), "My Reverie" (1938), and "Heart and Soul" (1938). He also composed "Satan Takes a Holiday", "Midnight in the Madhouse", and "Calypso Melody".
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Larry Clinton (1909–1985) was a bandleader, composer and conductor, among other activities, of American nationality. The bandleader was born in Brooklyn and died in Tucson. Languages used include English.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q1806037 · wikipedia · Larry Clinton
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Larry Clinton • Born — August 17, 1909 • Birthplace — Brooklyn, New York, U.S. • Died — May 2, 1985 (aged 75) • Place of death — Tucson, Arizona, U.S. • Genre — Jazz, big band • Occupation — Bandleader, composer, jazz musician • Instrument — Trombone, trumpet • Years Active — 1930-1961 • Label — RCA Victor • Associated Acts — Bea Wain
Biography
Biography
Clinton was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. He became a versatile musician, playing trumpet, trombone, and clarinet. While in his twenties, he became a prolific arranger for dance orchestras; bandleaders Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Glen Gray, Louis Armstrong, and Bunny Berigan all used Larry Clinton charts. His first stint as a bandleader was from 1937 to 1941, and he recorded a string of hits for RCA Victor. The Clinton band's repertoire was split between pop tunes of the day ("I Double Dare You", "Summer Souvenirs", "Deep Purple"); ambitious instrumentals penned by Clinton like "Satan Takes a Holiday" (recorded by Tommy Dorsey), "The Big Dipper", "Midnight in the Madhouse", and the most popular, "A Study in Brown", which begat four sequels in different "colors"; and swing adaptations of classical compositions. This last category swept the industry, and orchestras everywhere were "swinging the classics" by adding pop lyrics to melodies by Debussy and Tchaikovsky. His arrangement and adaptation of Debussy's "Reverie", with vocalist Bea Wain, was particularly popular. Entitled "My Reverie", his version peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Record Buying Guide in 1938. "Abba Dabba" was based on Tchaikovsky's "Arabian Dance" from The Nutcracker; "Martha", with new pop-ballad lyrics sung by Wain, was adapted from the Friedrich von Flotow opera. Clinton was the first to record and release the standard "Heart and Soul" featuring Bea Wain on vocals in 1939. The single reached no. 1. His classic composition "The Dipsy Doodle" became his theme song and was widely covered by other bands and singers. Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra were the first to record it (in 1937, with Edythe Wright as vocalist).
Radio
Radio
In 1938, Clinton had his own program, The Larry Clinton Show on NBC.
Death
Death
Clinton died in 1985 in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 75.
![Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Larry Clinton and Betty George, Copacabana(?), New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1947] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in. Caption from Down](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/%28Portrait_of_Larry_Clinton_and_Betty_George%2C_Copacabana%28%3F%29%2C_New_York%2C_N.Y.%2C_ca._Sept._1947%29_%28LOC%29_%285268903043%29.jpg/800px-%28Portrait_of_Larry_Clinton_and_Betty_George%2C_Copacabana%28%3F%29%2C_New_York%2C_N.Y.%2C_ca._Sept._1947%29_%28LOC%29_%285268903043%29.jpg)
Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Larry Clinton and Betty George, Copacabana(?), New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1947] 1 negative: b w; 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 in. Caption from Down
The Library of Congress · [Portrait of Larry Clinton and Betty George, Copacabana(?), New York, N.Y., ca. Sept. 1947] (LOC)
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Brooklyn.
Birth place
Tucson.
Death place
Appearances in film
Clinton's band was predominantly a recording group that also played college proms and hotel ballrooms. On the strength of Clinton's record hit "The Dipsy Doodle", Vitaphone and Paramount Pictures signed the band to star in three 10-minute theatrical films. All were filmed in New York. In 1941, Clinton and his band appeared in six short musical films, designed for then-popular "movie jukeboxes". (The films were ultimately released as Soundies in 1943.) This was one of his last jobs as a bandleader; he quit the music business upon the outbreak of World War II, and joined the United States Army Air Forces. A rated pilot, he rose to the rank of captain, was stationed with the Air Transport Command in Calcutta and China during Hump airlift, and was a flight instructor with the 1343rd Base Unit. He resumed his musical career and enjoyed further success as a bandleader from 1948 to 1950. Clinton's composition "Calypso Melody" was a chart hit for bandleader and composer David Rose in 1957 on MGM Records, becoming a million seller and earning a gold disc. The single reached #25 on Music Vendor, #33 on Cash Box, and #42 on Billboard. Clinton remained active in the music business, often leading a studio band for pop singers until 1961.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Colin Larkin. The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Guinness Publishing. 509. 1992. 0-85112-939-0.
- 2.Larry Clinton "True Confession" by Christopher Popa, accessed December 31, 2010
- 3.Scott MacGillivray and Ted Okuda, The Soundies Book, iUniverse, 2007, p. 49.
- 4.Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 95.
- 5.Terrace, Vincent. Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. 192. 1999. 978-0786445134.
- 6.Wilson, John S. Larry Clinton, Band Leader Who Wrote 'Dipsy Doodle'. The New York Times. May 7, 1985.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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