by André Depienne

Alton Glen Miller was born in Clarinda/Iowa but grew up in North Platte/Nebraska and Grant City/Missouri. From the money he earned from milking cows, he bought his first trombone and started playing in the town orchestra.

In 1921 Miller decided to become a professional musician. After dropping out of the University of Colorado he joined the Ben Pollack Band in 1926 and played with other future stars like Benny Goodman who was 17 year old at the time. Two years later he left the band and moved to New York. In 1937 he played as a freelance trombonist for Red Nichols, Benny Goodman, Ray Nobles American Band and The Dorsey Brothers.

After unsuccessfully trying to break through with his own big band, he broke it up and realized he needed to develop a unique sound. He decided to make the clarinet play a melodic line with a tenor saxophone holding the same note, while three other saxophones harmonized with a single octave. In 1938 his song Every Day’s Holiday became his breakthrough and a hit in the national charts. He formed a new band, got a record deal and played sold out concerts. In April 1939 he recorded Moonlight Serenade at the RCA Bluebird Studios. Composed by Miller with the lyrics by Mitchell Parish it was to become a classic.

Three years later, in 1942, he won the first golden record of music history for Chattanooga Choo Choo. He and his Orchestra had recorded the song for the 1941 movie Sun Valley Serenade, in which they were also major cast members. It won Best Song at the Oscars.

At the time of the Second World War, Miller was one of America's most successful musicians, but that war was to seal his fate. In 1942 Miller quit his orchestra to join the US Navy and later the Air Force to support his country. He became captain and conducted the Army Air Force Orchestra which was more Jazz oriented than the more commercially successful Big Band sound he had played before.

On December 15th, 1944, Miller and the Army Air Force Orchestra were on their way to perform in Paris. For unknown reasons, the plane and its passengers disappeared while flying over the English Channel.

In 1954, Glenn Miller's life was turned into the movie The Glenn Miller Story, starring James Stewart as Glen Miller.