Biography
Wayne King earned recognition as a leading bandleader of the 1930s, often likened to Lawrence Welk and Fred Waring. Nicknamed the "Waltz King," he focused his sets on waltzes, novelty numbers, and sentimental material whose distinctive sound other players soon adopted, cementing his renown. Broadcasts such as the Lady Esther Serenade, Victor recording agreements, and engagements at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom drove millions of sales. Beyond conducting, King also played saxophone regularly with the Wayne King Orchestra.
Born in Savannah, Illinois, he began saxophone lessons as a teenager. Part of the big band generation, he followed figures such as Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Glenn Miller, while Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong helped mold the orchestra’s style and tone.
King started sessions for RCA/Victor in 1929, though major success arrived mainly in the mid-1930s and early 1940s with a slow, dreamy approach ideal for dancing. Standout releases included the 1937 hit “Josephine,” “Dream A Little Dream Of Me,” “Intermezzo,” and “I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do).” “The Waltz You Saved For Me” served as the band’s theme, sounded at the start or close of performances.
On the RCA label he issued numerous albums and singles; the 1965 collection The Best of Wayne King spotlighted waltzes such as “Melody of Love,” “Embassy Waltz,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Goofus,” and “Lazy River,” the last featuring Hoagy Carmichael. Brunswick hosted 1930s dates, among them A Broken Melody with Buddy Clark. Several of his successes later appeared on the album Best of Guy Lombardo.
While the big band era faded in the late 1940s and early 1950s with the rise of new styles, and many groups disbanded, the Wayne King Orchestra kept performing into the 1980s. Its recordings continue to surface on retrospective and greatest-hits compilations, preserving the dreamy, measured sound that also reached audiences via The Lawrence Welk Show. King’s persistence after the era’s close demonstrated lasting dedication to the genre. The “Waltz King” died at age 84 in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Born in Savannah, Illinois, he began saxophone lessons as a teenager. Part of the big band generation, he followed figures such as Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Glenn Miller, while Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong helped mold the orchestra’s style and tone.
King started sessions for RCA/Victor in 1929, though major success arrived mainly in the mid-1930s and early 1940s with a slow, dreamy approach ideal for dancing. Standout releases included the 1937 hit “Josephine,” “Dream A Little Dream Of Me,” “Intermezzo,” and “I Don’t Know Why (I Just Do).” “The Waltz You Saved For Me” served as the band’s theme, sounded at the start or close of performances.
On the RCA label he issued numerous albums and singles; the 1965 collection The Best of Wayne King spotlighted waltzes such as “Melody of Love,” “Embassy Waltz,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Goofus,” and “Lazy River,” the last featuring Hoagy Carmichael. Brunswick hosted 1930s dates, among them A Broken Melody with Buddy Clark. Several of his successes later appeared on the album Best of Guy Lombardo.
While the big band era faded in the late 1940s and early 1950s with the rise of new styles, and many groups disbanded, the Wayne King Orchestra kept performing into the 1980s. Its recordings continue to surface on retrospective and greatest-hits compilations, preserving the dreamy, measured sound that also reached audiences via The Lawrence Welk Show. King’s persistence after the era’s close demonstrated lasting dedication to the genre. The “Waltz King” died at age 84 in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Albums
