Stardust: The Bible of the Big Bands

by Richard Grudens, Frankie Laine (Foreword), Kathryn Crosby (Introduction)

The complete Big Band Bible covering the Bands, the bandleaders, the musicians, the vocalists, the arrangers, the singing groups of most of the previous century told through a collection of personal profiles featuring the twentieth century's greatest musical stars with a foreword by Frankie Laine and an introduction by Kathryn Crosby, Mrs. Bing Crosby. The book will include the history of the song Stardust, bandleader Van Alexander's 'So You Want to Lead a Band.' The lists will document every known band and its theme song, as well as two lists documenting every girl and boy singer who ever sang with a band or bands. Your Lucky Strike Hit Parade, The Cotton Club, Big Band Million sellers, Presentation of the First Gold Record, Great Moments in Big Band History, WNEW radio polls, the Recording Ban, Anecdotes and Fables, interviews with almost every Big Band Leaders and their vocalists. Vignettes of every known singing group, Big Band Associates like Mitch Miller and John Hammond, a chapter on the songwriters, the arrangers, the broadcasters, the Ghost-tribute bands and their tours of today, a list and interviews with the current crop of singers, The Music of Your Life story, 50 pages devoted to the bands of England and Europe, the complete alphabetical list of all known bands from 1920-1980's, Big Band organizations, clubs, and publications. Big Band Anecdotes and Nom de Plumes; the performers real names, and much more. The book has over 600 photos, many never before published.

704 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2008