Biography
Strong entered the world in the United States and performed under the billing ‘The Young Man Who Sings The Old Songs’. His professional life opened in Chicago, Illinois, while still in his teens. A performance at a political rally secured him leadership of a neighborhood theater ensemble. Paul Ash discovered his ability and invited him into the program at Oriental Theater. Once his voice broke, the style he had relied upon became impossible, prompting a switch to drumming and tap dancing. In 1938 he assembled his own dance orchestra for its debut booking at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Swift acclaim followed, aided by steady radio broadcasts throughout the 1940s. Military service during World War II halted activity, yet Strong resumed immediately upon the war’s conclusion, directing an ensemble noted equally for its striking visual presentation and its ‘sweet’ musical blend. Although the group issued original pieces, its repertoire centered chiefly on ‘oldies’. Strong’s recording affiliations spanned Coral Records, Imperial Records, Heartbeat, Winit, Crescendo, and Capitol Records; among the issued titles were the orchestra’s signature numbers ‘That Old Gang Of Mine’ and ‘That Certain Party’. Prior to retirement he guided the band onto television via a remote broadcast from the Trianon Ballroom in California in 1952. Later that decade he left music to manage a radio station in San Francisco. He returned to leading shortly afterward, though never again on a full-time professional basis.