Artie Shaw
Birthday:
23 May 1910, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name:
Arthur Jacob Arshawsky
Artie Shaw was the rival of Benny Goodman in the Swing era. With a different style of playing, his sound on clarinet was more liquid than Goodman's sound. After playing in different orchestras in the late 1920s and '30s, he formed his own orchestra in 1936, and he added a string quartet to the Big Band. In 1938, he had a famous hit with t...
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Artie Shaw was the rival of Benny Goodman in the Swing era. With a different style of playing, his sound on clarinet was more liquid than Goodman's sound. After playing in different orchestras in the late 1920s and '30s, he formed his own orchestra in 1936, and he added a string quartet to the Big Band. In 1938, he had a famous hit with the recording of the Cole Porter song "Begin the Beguine." After months of success and popularity, he dissolved his band in 1939. The year after, he appeared with a new band.In the 1950s, he went into a semi-retirement and wrote two books: "The trouble with Cinderella" and "I love you, I hate you, drop dead." His last recordings were in 1954 with a small group with Hank Jones on piano and others. After this, he retired from the music scene, except for a brief appearance for a week in the 1980s. Show less «
[on why he left fame behind in 1954] It's like having a gangrenous arm. The only thing you can do is amputate it. Obviously you're gonna mis...Show more »
[on why he left fame behind in 1954] It's like having a gangrenous arm. The only thing you can do is amputate it. Obviously you're gonna miss the arm, but if you don't cut it off you'll die. Show less «
You have no idea of the women I didn't marry.
You have no idea of the women I didn't marry.
Benny Goodman played clarinet. I played music.
Benny Goodman played clarinet. I played music.
I could never understand why people wanted to dance to my music. I made it good enough to listen to.
I could never understand why people wanted to dance to my music. I made it good enough to listen to.
I did all you can do with a clarinet. Any more would have been less.
I did all you can do with a clarinet. Any more would have been less.
[on Ava Gardner] Ava has been completely victimized by the kind of life she has led, and as a result has become the kind of person she is to...Show more »
[on Ava Gardner] Ava has been completely victimized by the kind of life she has led, and as a result has become the kind of person she is today. Show less «
Artie Shaw's Photos
