Sonny Burke
b. Joseph Francis Burke, 22 March 1914, Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA, d. 31 May 1980. As a small child Burke studied violin and piano. While still at school he gained experience playing in dancebands and soon after graduating moved to New York, where he led a band at the Roseland ballroom. He also began writing arrangements for the band. At the end of the '30s he took over a unit which had been formed originally by Sam Donahue but left in 1940 when Donahue reclaimed the group. In the early '40s Burke concentrated on arranging for other bands, including those of Charlie Spivak and Jimmy Dorsey. He is credited as co-composer of Midnight Sun, the Lionel Hampton tune which has lyrics by Johnny Mercer. For about a quarter of a century he was active as arranger and bandleader in major recording studios, backing several leading singers, including Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé. While musical director of Reprise Records he was responsible for many of Frank Sinatra's albums.