Vaughn Monroe

 ( 1911 Births ) 

Monroe's orchestra had a number of notable musicians, including Bucky Pizzarelli, who later became famous for his career in jazz guitar. While the orchestra’s focus was largely on romantic ballads, they would also play swung jazz tunes at the end of the night. These performances were not recorded as frequently as their standard music, though they were enjoyed by patrons.

Monroe had some success in acting, and over his career appeared in Meet the People (1944), Carnegie Hall (1947), Singing Guns (1950), and Toughest Man in Arizona (1952). However, acting was not his main focus, so he “did not pursue a movie and television career with vigor.” Another non-music endeavour in his career was the co-authoring of The Adventures of Mr. Putt Putt (1949), a children's book about airplanes. He hosted The Vaughn Monroe Show on CBS Television (1950–51, 1954–55) and appeared on Bonanza, The Mike Douglas Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, Texaco Star Theatre, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and American Bandstand. Monroe was a major RCA stockholder and appeared in print ads and television commercials for the company's television and audio products.

After leaving the performing end of show business, Monroe remained with RCA for many years as a television spokesperson, executive, and talent scout. Though neither party confirmed or denied this, some have credited Monroe’s work as a talent scout for the discovery and fame of Neil Sedaka. He was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for recording at 1600 Vine Street and one for radio at 1755 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.