Eddy Howard caricature by Sam Berman for NBC's 1947 promotional book.
Eddy Howard (September 12, 1914, Woodland, California - May 23, 1963, Palm Desert, California) was a vocalist and bandleader who was popular during the 1940s and 1950s.
After attending San Jose State College from 1931 to 1933, Howard studied medicine at Stanford University before dropping out to become a singer of romantic ballads on Los Angeles radio. Later he sang with bands led by Ben Bernie and Dick Jurgens. His hits with Jurgens included "My Last Goodbye" and "Careless," which became his theme.
In 1939 Howard started his own band, and he was the regular vocalist on It Can Be Done, Edgar A. Guest's 1941 radio program on the Blue Network Wednesdays through Fridays. The first #1 single for Eddy Howard and his Orchestra, "To Each His Own", stayed at the top of the charts in the mid-1940s. The song was a tie-in with the 1946 Paramount film, To Each His Own, which brought Academy Awards for Olivia de Havilland and screenwriter Charles Brackett. The recording by Howard was released by Majestic Records as catalog number 7188 and 1070. It first reached the Billboard charts on July 11, 1946 and lasted 19 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1. [1]
On NBC's The Sheaffer Parade, sponsored by Sheaffer Pens, the Howard Orchestra was heard from September 14, 1947 to September 5, 1948.
In 1949, Howard signed to Mercury Records. His popularity continued into the 1950s with tracks such as "Maybe It's Because", and "Sin (It's No Sin)," which became Howard's second #1 tune (and was also a hit for The Four Aces). Howard's last hit was "Teen-Ager's Waltz," which peaked at #90 on the Billboard Top 100 chart in 1955.
In 1952-53 he was heard on CBS on Thursday nights at 10:45pm, with further broadcasts on Tuesdays at 10pm in 1955-56. The rise of rock music led to a decline in Howard's popularity. He died in Palm Desert, California in 1963, aged 48.
Howard's star rose again during the 1960s, as part of the revival of interest in Big Band music and old-time radio that was collectively called "Nostalgia" in popular culture.
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References
Sources
- Who's Who in America, Volume 26. Chicago: A.N. Marquis Company, 1950.
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