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Sometimes when I think of everything that's happened to me since to be a singer, it seems I've been living in a great, big wonderful dream. Every once in a while I get in a reminiscent mood and take stock of my memories. And I guess when I add them all up, I've my share of good ones. But there are other memories, too.
In the past couple of years, I've made many trips back and forth from New York to California. But I can't forget my first trip to Hollywood, in 1939. I had just joined Harry James' orchestra and we were going out to play the ten-popular Palomar Ballroom Nancy was with me, and we could'nt have been happier. Though Harry's band was new, we felt sure that a successful engagement was all we needed to put us on top. But, when we got to Denver, our high spirits took a sudden nose dive. We were told that the Palomar had burned to the ground! You've never seen an unhappier bunch of musicians. Harry wired ahead immmediately and fortunately was able to arrange a two-week booking at the Victor Hugo Restaurant in Beverly Hills, which at that time was an ultra-ultra dine and dance spot. So we felt we had better, knowing we had some place to play. But when we arrived in Los Angeles, Harry was slapped with a subpoena for a lawsuit. It seems when he was in Hollywood with the Benny Goodman band |
a year earlier, his roommate had smashed up a U-Drive car in an accident, injuring one of the occupants of the other car. The automobile had been signed out to Harry, so he was the one who got sued. His earnings were attached, and he had no way of paying any of us.
I was really worried because Nancy was expecting little Nancy, and we didn't have a cent. We were living in an apartment in Beverly Hills, which we shared with two of the boys in the band. Nancy is a terrific cook, so when any of the musicians would round up a dollar or so, I'd rush out and buy hamburger or something and she'd whip it up to go as far as possible. This was way before points and meat shortages, but we had our own rationing system. We hadn't written home for money because we didn't want my folks or Nancy's to know what was going on. Luckily, when we closed at the Victor Hugo, we were signed for the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles. Everybody was okay in the pocketbook department once more, and I was no longer singing on an empty stomach. In looking back on that period of panic, I can truthfully say it was full of happiness--in spite of the trouble and hardships we had. It's one of the things I can't forget--and besides, I wouldn't want to, anyway. |
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