Biography
Among a musically gifted family, Howard Lanin ranked as the third most visible brother. Sam earned widespread recognition during the 1920s and early 1930s as a leading bandleader and recording director whose output encompassed countless discs and radio transmissions, while Lester built his reputation as a dance-band conductor whose work extended from the 1930s into the 1990s. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1898 to Russian Jewish immigrants whose household—including father and grandfather—displayed abundant musical talent, Howard turned professional by 1909 when he joined the orchestra at the Crystal Palace movie theater as its drummer. At age 17 he assembled his own dance band and continued directing ensembles for the following 72 years. Although he appeared at major venues across New York and other East Coast locations reaching as far south as Florida, he kept his primary base in Philadelphia throughout most of his working life, in contrast to Sam and Lester, who relocated their operations to New York City at an early stage. He made recordings with several of his own units, among them the Benjamin Franklin Hotel Orchestra—on which Sam reportedly substituted uncredited as leader—and supplied music for dances, industrial shows, and conventions across many decades. Howard Lanin died in 1991 at the age of 93.
Singles
