The Modernaires

The Modernaires, a harmony vocal group whose members had all been high school friends, came together in Buffalo, NY, during 1935 and built their reputation primarily through work with big bands. Beginning as a trio of Hal Dickinson, Chuck Goldstein, and Bill Conway, the singers frequently performed under alternate names, appearing as the Don Juan-Two and Three alongside the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra and as the Three Wizards of Ozzie while working with the Ozzie Nelson Band. The lineup grew to a quartet once Ralph Brewster joined, and the ensemble became part of Paul Whiteman’s organization in 1937, which brought regular appearances on his radio program.

Two years afterward, Glenn Miller recruited the group to cut a follow-up to his popular “Make Believe Ballroom,” resulting in the release of “It’s Make Believe Ballroom Time,” after which the Modernaires toured extensively with the Miller Band. Additional successes recorded with Miller included “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “Kalamazoo,” “I Know Why,” and “Juke Box Saturday Night,” around the same period that Paula Kelley—Dickinson’s wife—became a member. In 1950 Frank Sinatra personally selected the Modernaires to provide his backing vocals, and the group maintained a steady schedule of recordings and live performances through 1958. Over subsequent decades numerous anthologies have appeared, among them the 2001 Collectables collection titled The Very Best Of.