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About this episode

Ted Weems was born in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, learned to play the violin and trombone, and organized a band at Lincoln School in Pittsburgh. The Ted Weems Orchestra dates to 1923 when Weems was still attending the University of Pennsylvania. By 1925, Weems and orchestra had moved his band to Chicago where work was found in hotels and ballrooms. The Weems orchestra was among those playing for the inaugural of PresidentWarren Harding; it toured for the MCA Corporation in ;1923. The band's first Number one hit was Somebody Stole my Gal for RCA Victor in early 1924. By 1932, national broadcasts with Jack Benny and Fibber McGee and Molly gave the ensemble national exposure and a recognizable identity. Perry Como joined as vocalist is in 1936. But with the onset of World War II, the orchestra disbanded. Weems himself joined the Merchant Marines but formed a new band after the war. It remained active until the early 1950s. Weems moved to Chicago with his band around 1928. The Ted Weems Orchestra had more chart success in 1929 with the novelty song "Piccolo Pete", and the #1 hit

• Category

• Release Date

  May 24, 2011

• Runtime

  02:50