By: Brooke Johnpier
The 1940’s and 1950’s were a time for everything, but it was a great time for music. Artists like Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams Sr., Louis Armstrong, Buddy Holly, and Bing Crosby were at the peaks of their careers. These artists were the inspiration for many bands and artists today and were innovators in their specific genres.
Frank Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915, and unfortunately passed away on May 14, 1998. Sinatra was an American singer and actor who earned the nicknames of “Chairman of the Board” and “Ol’ Blue Eyes.” He is known as one of the world’s best-selling artists with over 150 million record sales. Sinatra is known for his classic “easy listening” songs such as “My Way,” “New York, New York,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” and “Blue Moon.” He is also known for his renditions of the Christmas songs “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Sinatra also acted in a ton of films, including “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” released in 1949 and 1988, respectively.
Hank Williams Sr. was born on September 17, 1923, and passed away early in life at age 29 on January 1, 1953. Williams was an American singer and songwriter who is known to be one of the most influential of his kind during the mid 20th century. Williams is considered a member of the country genre, but he learned from African-American blues artists and incorporated that style into his music. He is known for his hit songs, which include “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Hey Good Looking,” “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “I Saw the Light,” and “There’s a Tear in My Beer.”
Louis Armstrong, who was an American trumpeter and vocalist, was born on August 4, 1901, and passed away at age 69 on July 6, 1971. Armstrong had the nicknames “Statchmo,” “Statch,” and “Pops.” He made music for five decades and is regarded as one of the most influential artists in the genre of jazz. He was received numerous recognitions and awards for his works, including two Grammys, and a posthumous induction into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2017. Armstrong was born in New Orleans and was a pioneer for his chosen genre, and his people, as he was an African-American. He is most known for his hit songs that include “What A Wonderful World”, “When the Saints Go Marching In”, “West End Blues”, “Hello, Dolly”, and “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”.
Buddy Holly was born on September 7, 1936, and died in a plane crash along with Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson on February 3, 1959 – this day would later be known as “The Day the Music Died.” Holly was an American singer/songwriter who was a pioneer for the genre we all know and love today: rock and roll. Although Holly was a rock star, he got his influence and teachings from country, gospel, and rhythm and blues artists. As well as singing, Holly played the guitar, which he learned to do from his siblings growing up in Texas. He is known for many songs, including “That’ll Be The Day,” “It’s So Easy To Fall In Love,” “I Fought The Law,” and “Early In The Morning.” If you recognize some of those song names, it’s because they’ve all been re-done by future artists; Holly did them first.
Bing Crosby was an American singer, actor, television producer, TV and radio personality, and businessman who was born on May 3, 1903, and passed away on October 14, 1977. Crosby is considered to be one of the most influential men worldwide, recording more than 1,600 songs, and producing over 70 feature films. He is known for his versions of Christmas songs, with his most notable being “White Christmas.” Some of his more famous movies include “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” “Goldilocks,” and “Robin and the Seven Hoods” which were released in 1949, 1970, and 1964, respectively. Crosby had a close relationship with Sinatra, who played in the latter movie, and was influenced by Crosby’s style. Crosby also had a couple radio shows, including “The Bing Crosby Show for General Electric” which was a thirty-minute program that ran on CBS radio.
Obviously, the mid 20th century was a time for influence, innovation, and music. Combine those three things and you have the men listed above. Thanks to them, the music you listen to today has been created. If it wasn’t for those men pioneering like they did, the genres wouldn’t have evolved, and who knows where the music industry would be today.
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