Wilbur Schwandt
Also recorded as Don Swan
Wilbur Schwandt
- Full name
- Wilbur Clyde Schwandt.
- Born
- 1904 · Manitowoc.
- Died
- 1998 · Miami.
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- bandleader · composer · conductor · songwriter · musician
- Languages
- English
In this article
Key facts
• Name — Wilbur Schwandt • Birth Name — Wilbur Clyde Schwandt • Birthplace — Manitowoc, Wisconsin, U.S. • Born — 1904 6 28 • Place of death — Miami, Florida, U.S. • Died — 1998 7 23 • Occupation — Singer, composer/arranger, bandleader • Genre — Latin Jazz • Label — Liberty Records Wilbur Clyde Schwandt (June 28, 1904 – July 23, 1998) was an American musician, singer, composer and bandleader best known for his song "Dream a Little Dream of Me" with Fabian Andre and Gus Kahn. He frequently used the stage name Don Swan and released many Latin jazz albums in the 1950s and 1960s.
Composer
Wilbur Schwandz was born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, on June 28, 1904, he studied composition at the University of Chicago and became an arranger for various big bands, including comedian Bob Hope's touring show. In 1940, he became an arranger for Xavier Cugat's orchestra, a position he would hold for the next 20 years. He was an arranger and composer for Latin lounge musicians such as Skinnay Ennis and Freddy Martin as well as Latin dance musicians such as Perez Prado and Desi Arnaz.
Singer
In the late 1950s Schwandt was signed to Liberty Records as a recording artist and recorded five Latin lounge LPs, beginning with Mucho Cha Cha Cha. Subsequent LPs like All This and Cha Cha Too, Hot Cha Cha, and two volumes of Latino! featured an all-star ensemble of west coast musicians. The success of his albums allowed Swan to form a touring group with whom he played extensively in New York City and Las Vegas. Schwandt retired from music in the mid-1960s and eventually moved to Miami, Florida, where he died July 23, 1998, at the age of 94.
Named by the record
Places
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Manitowoc.
Birth place
Miami.
Death place
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Wilbur Schwandt, revision 1358674605 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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.mark-317x.com. Don Swan: Mucho Cha Cha.
- 2.AllMusic. Don Swan.
- 3.IMDb name 1062914 Wilbur Schwandt
Citations
References
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reference work
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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 28 August 2026.
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