Larry Clinton (August 17, 1909 – May 2, 1985) was a trumpeter who became a prominent American bandleader and arranger. He became a versatile musician, playing trumpet, trombone, and clarinet. While in his twenties, he became a prolific arranger for dance orchestras; bandleaders Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Glen Gray, Louis Armstrong, and Bunny Berigan all used Larry Clinton charts. His version of Debussy’s “Reverie”, with vocalist Bea Wain, was particularly popular. Entitled “My Reverie”, his version peaked at #1 on Billboard’s Record Buying Guide in 1938. Clinton’s band was predominantly a recording group that also played college proms and hotel ballrooms. On the strength of Clinton’s record hit “The Dipsy Doodle,” Vitaphone and Paramount Pictures signed the band to star in three 10-minute theatrical films. All three were filmed in New York. In 1941 Clinton and his band appeared in six short musical films, designed for then-popular “movie jukeboxes.” This was one of his last jobs as a bandleader; he quit the music business upon the outbreak of World War II, and joined the United States Army Air Forces.
Larry Clinton
