Harry Babbitt
b. 2 November 1913, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. A popular vocalist with a smooth, high baritone voice, Babbitt featured with the Kay Kyser Orchestra, one of the top US 'sweet' bands, in the late '30s and '40s. He received professional tuition in singing and played the drums before joining Kyser in 1937. He appeared on the Band's popular radio series, 'Kyser's Kollege Of Musical Knowledge', and featured on several of their hit records, sometimes with female vocalist Ginny Simms, including five number 1 hits, The Umbrella Man, Three Little Fishies, Who Wouldn't Love You, Jingle Jangle Jingle and He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings. Additional hits included, Two Sleepy People, Stairway To The Stars, The Little Red Fox, Let's Get Lost and Slow Boat To China. Babbitt also appeared with the band in several comedy-musical films including, You'll Find Out (1940), Playmates (1941) and Swing Fever (1944). Babbitt left the Kyser band in the mid-'40s to go solo, but returned in 1947 and remained through the '40s. He went solo again in the '50s, mainly playing clubs and making some records, before retiring. Record titles included I'll Get By, How Are Things In Glocca Morra?, Portrait Of Jenny, You Were Meant For Me, and duets with Martha Tilton; and You're Just In Love and It's A Lovely Day Today from the Broadway show Call Me Madam.