Al Donahue
Al Donahue (June 12, 1904, Dorchester, Massachusetts - February 20, 1983, Fallbrook, California) was an American violinist and big band leader. Donahue got his start playing in Boston-area campus bands and led a band at Boston's Weber Duck Inn in 1925. The ensemble attracted enough notice to obtain engagements at Florida hotels; one of these, the Bermudiana, contracted with Donahue to set up bands to play at all its hotels, as well as onboard Eastern Steamship ocean liners. During the mid-1930s he substituted for Ray Noble as leader at the Rainbow Room of Rockefeller Center. Over time he moved from playing sweet pop music to swing music and toured nationally. He took an engagement at the Palladium in Hollywood immediately after Glenn Miller's departure. Paula Kelly, Dee Keating, Lynne Stevens, Phil Brito, and Snooky Lanson all served as vocalists in his ensemble at times. Donahue recorded copiously between 1935 and 1942, recording for Decca Records, Vocalion, and Okeh. His biggest hit was a rendition of "Jeepers Creepers", which went to #1 on the Billboard chart in 1938. He also later recorded for University Recording Company. After World War II he moved the ensemble again toward light music, playing throughout the West Coast and appearing in films such as Sweet Genevieve. Later, he would return to cruise ships once more, directing music for the Furness Bermuda Line; from 1950 to 1963 he played on the Queen of Bermuda and the Ocean Monarch. He opened a record store in Bermuda, but the government took the store over, forcing Donahue to abandon the business. Following this, he settled in Oceanside, California, where he ran a store called Ponzi's House of Music until his death. |
Birth and Death Data: Born June 12, 1904 (Dorchester), Died February 20, 1983
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1935 - 1938
Roles Represented in DAHR: tenor saxophone, songwriter, composer, arranger
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-024075 | 10-in. | 7/22/1938 | Don't cross your fingers, cross your heart | Jimmy Brown ; Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-024423 | 10-in. | 8/1/1938 | A pretty girl milking her cow | Larry Clinton Orchestra ; Bea Wain | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | composer | |
Victor | BS-024456 | 10-in. | 8/5/1938 | Don't cross your fingers, cross your heart | Johnny Messner ; Music Box Band ; Three Jacks | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | songwriter | |
Victor | BS-026573 | 10-in. | 9/1/1938 | A pretty girl milking her cow | Burt Shaw ; Willie Farmer Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | arranger | |
Decca | 60071 | 10-in. | 10/16/1935 | The morning after | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60072 | 10-in. | 10/16/1935 | I live for love | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60093 | 10-in. | 10/22/1935 | Twenty-four hours a day | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60094 | 10-in. | 10/22/1935 | It's dangerous to love like this | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60095 | 10-in. | 10/22/1935 | Mine alone | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60106 | 10-in. | 10/24/1935 | Love makes the world go round | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60165 | 10-in. | 11/22/1935 | How do I rate with you? | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60166 | 10-in. | 11/22/1935 | Alone | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60167 | 10-in. | 11/22/1935 | You took my breath away | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60168 | 10-in. | 11/22/1935 | The Winter waltz | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60253 | 10-in. | 12/19/1935 | Too much imagination | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60254 | 10-in. | 12/19/1935 | Please believe me | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60255 | 10-in. | 12/19/1935 | I built a dream one day | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 60256 | 10-in. | 12/19/1935 | Somebody ought to be told | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 61326 | 10-in. | 10/14/1936 | To Mary with love | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 61327 | 10-in. | 10/14/1936 | For sentimental reasons | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 61328 | 10-in. | 10/14/1936 | Bermuda buggy ride | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 61329 | 10-in. | 10/14/1936 | When my dreamboat comes home | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 61330 | 10-in. | 10/14/1936 | I want the whole world to love you | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 61331 | 10-in. | 10/14/1936 | It's love I'm after | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 61332 | 12-in. | 10/14/1936 | For sentimental reasons ; It's love I'am after | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone | ||
Decca | 61333 | 12-in. | 10/14/1936 | When my dream boat comes home ; To Mary with love | Al Donahue Orchestra | instrumentalist, tenor saxophone |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Donahue, Al," accessed November 14, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106887.
Donahue, Al. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 14, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/106887.
"Donahue, Al." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 14 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Al Donahue
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Donahue, Al, 1904-1983 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93057041
Wikidata: Al Donahue - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1110450
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