Best Known As: Bandleader for Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show
Name at birth: Carl H. Severinsen
Doc Severinson spent 25 years as the colorful musical director for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. Severinson played cornet and trumpet in big bands in the 1940s (touring with Benny Goodman among others), and got most of his work in the studio as a sideman and soloist. At NBC he won a job with Steve Allen and he began working for The Tonight Show in 1962, the same year that Carson began his run as the show's host. Severinsen became the show's musical director in 1967 and stayed until Carson retired in 1992. (Severinsen's outrageously flashy shirts and leisure suits were a long-running joke on the show.) Known for his brassy sound and cheerful demeanor, Severinsen has recorded dozens of albums and appeared with pop orchestras across the United States.
Severinsen got his nickname as a boy: he was called "Little Doc" because his father was a dentist.
Instrumental Pop, Swing, Big Band
Instrument: Trumpet, Leader
Representative Albums: "Once More...With Feeling!," "The Very Best of Doc Severinsen," "The Tonight Show Band, Vol. 1"
Biography
For 25 years, Doc Severinsen was arguably the best-known trumpet player in America, appearing on television every weeknight as the leader of the Tonight Show Orchestra. Known for his exceptionally loud wardrobe, Severinsen often bantered good-naturedly with host Johnny Carson, while supplying the show's incidental music (bridging commercial breaks, introducing guests, etc.). Despite the musical limitations of that format, the Tonight Show Orchestra was increasingly considered one of the best big-band jobs available as time passed: generous exposure, steady work, and declining options elsewhere. Severinsen maintained a side career to allow himself to stretch out, recording bop, big-band swing, and crossover-friendly instrumental pop for a series of labels beginning in the '60s. When The Tonight Show was on hiatus, he toured with smaller groups and guested with numerous jazz and pops orchestras around the country. He had his critics in the jazz world, partly because his albums weren't strictly jazz, but also partly because he didn't display his chops very often; he was an able bebop soloist with a bright, clean tone and a tremendous range in the upper register of his horn. In the mid-'80s, he finally brought the Tonight Show Orchestra into the studio for a series of popular and well-received recordings. When the orchestra broke up in 1992, Severinsen hit the road with a select group of alumni, and also continued his guest appearances around the country.
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen was born on July 7, 1927, in Arlington, OR, and was initially nicknamed "Little Doc" after his father, a dentist. Starting music lessons at age seven, Severinsen originally wanted to play the trombone, although his violin-playing father urged him to take up that instrument instead. As it turned out, the trumpet was the only brass instrument available in their small town, and Severinsen got so good so quickly that he was performing with the local high school band while still seven years old. At age 12, he won the Music Educators' National Contest, and as a high schooler, he toured with Ted Fio Rito's orchestra. Upon finishing school, he joined a succession of touring big bands starting in 1945, including Tommy Dorsey (where he was a featured soloist), Charlie Barnet, Benny Goodman, and Noro Morales. In 1949, he settled in New York, where he worked as a staff musician for NBC and a recording session sideman, backing the likes of Dinah Washington and Anita O'Day. He moved over to television in 1952, and appeared on the original, Steve Allen-hosted Tonight Show as a member of Skitch Henderson's orchestra.
In 1962, when Carson took over the show, Henderson made Severinsen his assistant orchestra leader. Around the same time, Severinsen cut the first of a series of albums for the Command label; his earlier efforts were largely standard big-band swing, but by the late '60s he had moved into groovy, swinging instrumental pop in the so-called "now sound" vein, often arranged by Dick Hyman. In 1966, Henderson abruptly departed The Tonight Show under still-mysterious circumstances. Milton DeLugg briefly took over as his replacement, but Severinsen was promoted to the post of orchestra leader and musical director in 1967. His outlandish, brightly colored wardrobe and easy comic chemistry with Carson quickly cemented him into the job, where he would stay for the next 25 years.
In the meantime, Severinsen moved from Command over to RCA in the early '70s, and then went to Epic for 1975's Night Journey, a surprisingly credible foray into jazz-funk fusion. Even more surprisingly, Severinsen landed some disco play with the dance-club hits "I Wanna Be With You" and "Night Journey" in 1976. The follow-up LP, 1977's Brand New Thing, offered more of the same. In 1985, Severinsen recorded an album for Passport with a new fusion group called Xebron. The following year, he brought the Tonight Show Orchestra into the studio for their long-awaited first recording sessions, cutting a number of swing standards. The resulting album, The Tonight Show Band, was released on Amherst and sold briskly, also winning a Grammy for Best Jazz Large Ensemble Recording. A second, similar album, The Tonight Show Band, Vol. 2, was released in 1987. Facets, which found Severinsen working with crossover fusion ensembles and string orchestras, was a Top Ten jazz hit in 1988.
Severinsen returned to the studio with the Tonight Show Orchestra in 1991 for the well-reviewed Once More...With Feeling!; they followed it in 1992 with Merry Christmas From Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Orchestra. It proved to be their last hurrah together; Carson's retirement that year ushered in major changes at The Tonight Show, and new host Jay Leno let Severinsen and the band go. Severinsen quickly gathered some of the band's most prominent members, and embarked on a sort of farewell tour of America. He would continue to tour with many of them during the '90s, most notably trumpeters Conte Candoli and Snooky Young, drummer Ed Shaughnessy, saxophonists Ernie Watts and/or Bill Perkins, and pianist Ross Tompkins. Additionally, Severinsen cut an album with the Cincinnati Pops (1992's Unforgettably Doc) and served as guest conductor for symphony orchestras in Minnesota, Milwaukee, Buffalo, and Phoenix; he also made numerous guest appearances as an instrumentalist, led brass workshops and clinics, and even moved into designing and manufacturing trumpets. After a lengthy hiatus from recording, he returned with 1999's Swingin' the Blues, which featured a generous selection of Tonight Show Orchestra alumni. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, the son of Minnie Mae and Carl Severinsen, who was a dentist.[1] He was nicknamed "Little Doc" after his father, and had originally wanted to play the trombone. But the senior Severinsen, a gifted amateur violinist, urged him to study the violin. The younger Severinsen insisted on the trombone, but had to settle for the only horn available in Arlington's small music store — a trumpet. A week later, with the help of his father and a manual of instructions, the seven-year-old was so good that he was invited to join the high school band.
At the age of twelve, Little Doc won the Music Educator's National Contest and, while still in high school, was hired to go on the road with the Ted Fio Rito Orchestra. However, his stay with the group was cut short by the draft. He served in the Army during World War II. He made his broadcasting debut playing live popular music on radio stationKODL in The Dalles, Oregon.[2]
The Tonight Show
Doc Severinsen during The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson's 18th Anniversary Special in 1980
Starting in 1952, during Steve Allen's tenure as host of NBC-TV's Tonight, Doc Severinsen played first trumpet in the band, which was directed by Skitch Henderson. Severinsen took over as bandleader in 1967 and soon became noted for his flashy fashions.
Under the direction of Severinsen, the Tonight Show's NBC Orchestra was the most visible big band in America. Severinsen took the opportunity to update many well known swing and jazz standards for the show's audiences, often introducing new listeners to classics by Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, and others.
Severinsen campaigned for the band to get featured slots during the show, but for the most part the band was seen on camera during the frequent "Stump the Band" segments: audience members would challenge the band with obscure song titles and Severinsen and his crew would attempt to play something appropriate to the titles.
Severinsen often cried "key of E" his signal for the band to strike up a western theme, and then he would enthusiastically sing a country flavoured nonsense song.
Tommy Newsom was frequently the band's substitute director, whenever Doc Severinsen was away from the show or filling in for announcer Ed McMahon.
Severinsen continued as bandleader until Carson's retirement in 1992.
Recording career
During the 1950s and 1960s, Severinsen put out a number of albums of jazz standards, over which he performed very melodic solos. Severinsen certainly had a well-developed high-note range with an incredible amount of control and melodic sense. In the 1960s, Severinsen also recorded with the Clarke/Boland Big Band and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band. Severinsen was also the second trumpeter whose recording of the fanfare "Abblasen," composed by Gottfried Reiche, has been used as the theme for the CBS News program Sunday Morning.
During the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, Severinsen released several albums under the band name The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen, and later receiving first billing, Doc Severinsen & The Tonight Show Band. He has also recorded with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.
Severinsen also released albums that have a pop rock basis, some of which include electronic instrumentation components, such as Brass Roots, Good Medicine and Facets. These albums received varying degrees of success by the public. He recorded two albums of standards with Henry Mancini and his orchestra in the 1970s, Brass On Ivory and Brass, Ivory And Strings.
Although Doc Severinsen can be considered one of the most prolific musicians in America, none of his singles where he plays the trumpet has ever appeared in Billboard's Hot 100.
He retired from active conducting in 2007, and was named Pops Conductor Emeritus in Milwaukee[4] and Pops Conductor Laureate in Minnesota.[5] Severinsen was also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Music and Katherine K. Herberger Heritage Chair for Visiting Artists at Arizona State University School of Music in 2001-2002.[6] He has also conducted the New York Pops at the world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Personal life
He currently lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico with his wife, Emily. As of 2009 he is still performing on a regular basis in a local restaurant there. He also performs with the group El Ritmo De La Vida[7] which presents an eclectic variety of styles.
His adult children are Nancy, Cindy, Allen, Robin and Judy.His daughter Nancy was recently seen in a video with the YouTube personality "GloZell." He also has three grandchildren living in New Jersey: Blaire, Gray, and Richard Reinhard (all of them musicians). Blaire and Gray perform together in the rock group "The Blaire Reinhard Band."
Doc owns Severinsen Custom Trumpets, manufacturer of custom-made horns, including his Destino line of trumpets (and he play-tests each one).[8] Severinsen also enjoys cooking and collecting American art.
