Benny Goodman, King of Swing

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Benjamin David Goodman was born in Chicago on May 30, 1909, the ninth of twelve children born to David and Dora Goodman, who both emigrated from Russia but met in America.

David Goodman eked out a minimal living for his family by working for a tailor in a sweatshop. To help alleviate the family’s poverty, the children were urged to work as soon as they were old enough.

For entertainment, David would take his youngest children to Douglas Park on Sundays to hear free band concerts. It was here that he first heard of the Kehelah Jacob band. Lessons were given for one quarter at the Kehelah Jacob synagogue. David Goodman enrolled his three youngest sons with the hopes that one day, their music would lift them out of poverty. It was here that Benny Goodman began to play the clarinet, while his brothers learned tuba and trumpet.

The Kehelah Jacob band eventually shut down due to lack of funds,. Benny and his brother then began to play in the band at Jane Addams' famous social settlement, Hull-House.

Benny also began taking lessons from Franz Shoepp, a German who gave lessons to anyone who could pay his modest fee. It did not matter to him if his students were black or white. (Benny Goodman, 1979). Benny played alongside Jimmy Noone and Buster Bailey and none of them even thought about their different races.

After a concert at a local grammar school, Franz Schoepp pulled David Goodman aside and confided that he had great hopes for Benny’s future as a musician.

Eventually, Benny earned a name for himself at a young age and began to secure professional gigs with a variety of bands When his father brought home a second-hand Victrola that included several records, Benny listened to, and was fascinated by a clarinet solo by Ted...

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...om a variety of academies and other entities, including the state of California. He has influenced countless musicians. Along the way, he received his own crown as, “The King of Swing”. Finally, it is safe to say that he has fulfilled his father’s dream; the music lifted him out of poverty.

Works Cited

Benny Goodman, S. B. (1979). Benny, King of Swing. New York: Da Capo Press, Inc.

Estate of Benny Goodman. (n.d.). Quotes by Benny. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from Benny Goodman, The Official Website of the King of Swing: http://www.bennygoodman.com/about/quotes2.html

The History Channel. (2011). The Swing Era Begins with Benny Goodman's Triumphant Palomar Ballroom Performance. Retrieved December 12, 2011, from The History Channel: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-swing-era-begins-with-benny-goodmans-triumphant-palomar-ballroom-performance

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