Smith Ballew
b. 21 January 1902, Palestine, Texas, USA, d. 2 May 1984, Fort Worth, Texas, USA. Between 1928 and 1930 Ballew was probably the busiest vocalist on the New York band scene, recording a tremendous number of tracks with Frank Trumbauer, the Dorsey Brothers, Joe Venuti, Irving Mills, Duke Ellington and several others. He was especially in demand because of his ability to sing in almost any key. Following stays with the bands of Ben Pollack and Ted Fio Rito, he led his own outfit at White's Restaurant, New York in 1929, then became a freelance vocalist. A handsome man possessing great charm, Ballew fronted his own orchestra once more during the early '30s. Glenn Miller played trombone and also acted as arranger and band manager. Other members of the orchestra included Bunny Berigan, Ray McKinley and Chummy McGregor. When Miller and McKinley moved on to join the Dorsey Brothers, the band broke up and Ballew returned to solo work, though he later renewed his association with Miller, providing the vocals on A Blues Serenade/Moonlight On The Ganges, the first coupling by the Miller orchestra, recorded for Columbia in 1935. The following year, Ballew worked as host on the Shell Chateau radio show and also appeared in the movie PALM SPRINGSwhich also featured Frances Langford. During the late '30s and '40s he increasingly worked in films, generally playing sing ing cowboys, but by the '50s he had retired and settled in Fort Worth, Texas.