Charlie LaVere

Charles LaVere Johnson, better known as Charlie LaVere (July 18, 1910, Salina, Kansas - April 28, 1983, Ramona, California) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, bandleader, and composer. He is best known for his extensive work with arranger Gordon Jenkins, including the 1948 million seller “Maybe You’ll Be There”, his own dixie jazz group LaVere's Chicago Loopers, and his later work for Disneyland's Golden Horseshoe Revue, for which he composed the music and led the band performances from 1955 to 1959, and which would go on to become the longest running stage show in the history of show business, running for over 31 years and over 39,000 performances.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 18, 1910 (Salina), Died April 28, 1983

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1938 - 1953

Roles Represented in DAHR: piano, vocalist, songwriter

= 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
Victor	PBS-042175	10-in.	10/9/1939	Cuban boogie woogie	Charlie Barnet Orchestra ; Judy Ellington	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	songwriter
Victor	PBS-042263	10-in.	11/21/1939	Sweet potato piper	Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	PBS-042264	10-in.	11/21/1939	Palms of paradise	Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	PBS-042265	10-in.	11/21/1939	The moon and the willow tree	Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	PBS-042266	10-in.	11/21/1939	Too romantic	Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	PBS-042384	10-in.	1/19/1940	I gotta right to sing the blues	Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	PBS-042385	10-in.	1/19/1940	It had to be you	Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	PBS-042386	10-in.	1/19/1940	Your kiss	Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	PBS-042387	10-in.	1/19/1940	This is the beginning of the end	Lou Bring ; Dorothy Lamour	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	instrumentalist, piano
Victor	BS-044032	10-in.	10/20/1939	Cuban boogie woogie	Delta Rhythm Band ; Bob Zurke	Jazz/dance band	songwriter
Decca	80037		10/7/1949	Who's sorry now	Castle Jazz Band ; Kid Ory and his Creole Band		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	102939		10/7/1949	I never knew	Charlie LaVere's Chicago Loopers		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 1201	10-in.	4/9/1938	Morocco	Ben Pollack and his Pick-A-Rib Boys		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 1202	10-in.	4/9/1938	Fare Thee honey, fare Thee well	Connie Boswell		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 1203	10-in.	4/9/1938	Mr. Freddie blues	Connie Boswell		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 1204	10-in.	4/9/1938	Nobody's gonna take you from me	Ben Pollack and his Pick-A-Rib Boys		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2259	10-in.	12/9/1940	De camptown races	Bing Crosby		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2260	10-in.	12/9/1940	Did your mother come from Ireland?	Bing Crosby		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2261	10-in.	12/9/1940	My old Kentucky home	Bing Crosby		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2262	10-in.	12/9/1940	Where the River Shannon flows	Bing Crosby		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2403	10-in.	5/24/1941	Boogie woogie piano man	Glen Gray Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2404	10-in.	5/24/1941	As if you didn't know	Glen Gray Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2405	10-in.	5/24/1941	Hep and happy	Glen Gray Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2406	10-in.	5/24/1941	Buck fever	Glen Gray Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2417	10-in.	5/27/1941	Woodland symphony	Glen Gray Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2418	10-in.	5/27/1941	Swing tonic	Glen Gray Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2419	10-in.	5/27/1941	Purple moonlight	Glen Gray Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	DLA 2420	10-in.	5/26/1941	Off and on	Glen Gray Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 4366		2/27/1947	Maybe you'll be there	Gordon Jenkins Orchestra		vocalist
Decca	L 4367		2/27/1947	My funny Valentine	Gordon Jenkins Orchestra		vocalist
Decca	L 4911		2/22/1949	Have a little sympathy	Charlie LaVere		vocalist
Decca	L 4912		2/22/1949	A dreamer with a penny	Charlie LaVere		vocalist
Decca	L 5128		8/28/1949	I don't want to be president	Charlie LaVere		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 5416		3/8/1950	God bless the child	Billie Holiday		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 5417		3/8/1950	This is heaven to me	Billie Holiday		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 6046		2/6/1951	You're just in love	Lil Hardin Armstrong ; Louis Armstrong		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 6047		2/6/1951	If	Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 6048		2/6/1951	(I want a) Big butter and egg man (from the West)	Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 6550		11/28/1951	It's all in the game	Louis Armstrong ; Louis Armstrong		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 6551		11/28/1951	When it's sleepy time South-1	Louis Armstrong ; Louis Armstrong		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 6552		11/28/1951	Jeannine, I dream of lilac time	Louis Armstrong ; Louis Armstrong		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 6553		11/28/1951	Indian love call	Louis Armstrong ; Louis Armstrong		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 7038		2/5/1953	One wild oat-1	Gordon Jenkins Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 7040		2/5/1953	The masquerade is over	Bob Craig ; Gordon Jenkins Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano
Decca	L 7049		2/12/1953	Gomen Nasai (Forgive me)-1	Gordon Jenkins Orchestra		instrumentalist, piano

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "LaVere, Charlie," accessed November 19, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/110022.

LaVere, Charlie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 19, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/110022.

"LaVere, Charlie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 November 2024.