Alton Glenn Miller was born on March 1, 1904, in Clarinda, Iowa, to Lewis Elmer and Mattie Lou Cavender Miller. He began his music studies when his father gave him a mandolin, which he soon traded for an old horn. In 1916, he switched to trombone and continued to hone his skills.
Miller's music career took off when he joined Ben Pollack's band in Los Angeles in 1923. He spent the next few years playing gigs and attending auditions, eventually moving to New York in 1928. There, he played session gigs and made orchestrations, studying with the Russian musician and mathematician Joseph Schillinger.
Miller's big break came when he developed the song "Moonlight Serenade" from a practice exercise, which became a huge hit. He then joined the Dorsey Brothers' Orchestra and later organized an American band for Ray Noble. His unique orchestration style, which included the use of a "crystal chorus," quickly gained popularity.
In 1935, Miller recorded his own band for Columbia Records, and his instrumental "Solo Hop" reached the Top Ten. He continued to release successful songs, including "Sunrise Serenade," "Moon Love," and "Over the Rainbow." Miller's band became one of the most popular in the country, with 31 Top Ten hits in 1940 and 11 more in 1941.
Despite his success, Miller felt compelled to use his talents to help the war effort. He joined the Army and was assigned to the Army Air Forces, where he organized a marching band and a large dance band. The Glenn Miller AAF Band performed hundreds of live shows and made radio broadcasts, scoring 10 Top Ten hits in 1943.
Miller took his band to Britain in 1944, where they performed for allied troops and did radio shows. His last recording was made just weeks before his disappearance.
