Jazz

United States of America

Benny Goodman

Top Songs By Benny Goodman

Sing, Sing, SingBenny Goodman

Listen to Why Don't You Do Right? by Benny Goodman, see lyrics, music video & more!

Why Don't You Do Right?Benny Goodman

Listen to Let's Dance [Opening Theme] by Benny Goodman, see lyrics, music video & more!

Let's Dance [Opening Theme]Benny Goodman

Listen to How Deep Is the Ocean (feat. Peggy Lee) by Benny Goodman, see lyrics, music video & more!

How Deep Is the Ocean (feat. Peggy Lee)Benny Goodman

Listen to And the Angels Sing by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, Benny Goodman & Martha Tilton, see lyrics, music video & more!

And the Angels SingBenny Goodman and His Orchestra, Benny Goodman & Martha Tilton

Listen to King Porter Stomp (1992 Remastered) by Benny Goodman, see lyrics, music video & more!

King Porter Stomp (1992 Remastered)Benny Goodman

Listen to Solo Flight (feat. Helen Forrest) by Benny Goodman, see lyrics, music video & more!

Solo Flight (feat. Helen Forrest)Benny Goodman

Sing Sing SingBenny Goodman

Listen to Taking a Chance On Love by Helen Forrest & Benny Goodman, see lyrics, music video & more!

Taking a Chance On LoveHelen Forrest & Benny Goodman

Listen to Darn That Dream by Benny Goodman, see lyrics, music video & more!

Darn That DreamBenny Goodman

Latest Release

Listen to Sweet Georgia Brown - Single by Benny Goodman

ALBUMSweet Georgia Brown - SingleBenny Goodman

More albums from Benny Goodman

Listen to Alone Together by Benny Goodman

ALBUMAlone TogetherBenny Goodman

Listen to Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F & Rhapsody in Blue by Benny Goodman, Arturo Toscanini, Oscar Levant & NBC Symphony Orchestra

ALBUMGershwin: Piano Concerto in F & Rhapsody in BlueBenny Goodman, Arturo Toscanini, Oscar Levant & NBC Symphony Orchestra

Listen to The Complete Happy Session Sessions (Restauración 2022) by Benny Goodman, André Previn & Russ Freeman

ALBUMThe Complete Happy Session Sessions (Restauración 2022)Benny Goodman, André Previn & Russ Freeman

Listen to The Stuyvesant String Quartet with Benny Goodman by The Stuyvesant String Quartet & Benny Goodman

ALBUMThe Stuyvesant String Quartet with Benny GoodmanThe Stuyvesant String Quartet & Benny Goodman

Listen to The Legendary Small Groups (Remastered) by Benny Goodman

ALBUMThe Legendary Small Groups (Remastered)Benny Goodman

Listen to Dick Haymes with Harry James & Benny Goodman: The Complete Columbia Recordings by Dick Haymes, Harry James & Benny Goodman

ALBUMDick Haymes with Harry James & Benny Goodman: The Complete Columbia RecordingsDick Haymes, Harry James & Benny Goodman

Listen to Camel Caravan, Vol. 2 (Live) by Benny Goodman

ALBUMCamel Caravan, Vol. 2 (Live)Benny Goodman

Listen to Mozart At Tanglewood by Benny Goodman

ALBUMMozart At TanglewoodBenny Goodman

Listen to Benny Goodman Plays Selections From The Benny Goodman Story by Benny Goodman

ALBUMBenny Goodman Plays Selections From The Benny Goodman StoryBenny Goodman

Listen to Verve Jazz Masters 33: Benny Goodman by Benny Goodman

ALBUMVerve Jazz Masters 33: Benny GoodmanBenny Goodman

Listen to Benny Goodman Featuring Peggy Lee by Benny Goodman

ALBUMBenny Goodman Featuring Peggy LeeBenny Goodman

Listen to The Harry James Years, Vol. 1 by Benny Goodman

ALBUMThe Harry James Years, Vol. 1Benny Goodman

Listen to Benny Goodman – The Different Version - Vol. 1: Jumpin' at the Woodside (feat. Louise Tobin) by Benny Goodman

ALBUMBenny Goodman – The Different Version - Vol. 1: Jumpin' at the Woodside (feat. Louise Tobin)Benny Goodman

Listen to Benny Goodman – The Different Version - Vol. 2: Benny Rides Again (feat. Helen Forrest) by Benny Goodman

ALBUMBenny Goodman – The Different Version - Vol. 2: Benny Rides Again (feat. Helen Forrest)Benny Goodman

Listen to The Different Version - Vol. 3: Scarecrow (feat. Helen Forrest) by Benny Goodman

ALBUMThe Different Version - Vol. 3: Scarecrow (feat. Helen Forrest)Benny Goodman

Listen to The Birth of Swing (1935-1936) by Benny Goodman

ALBUMThe Birth of Swing (1935-1936)Benny Goodman

Listen to On the Air (1937-1938) by Benny Goodman

ALBUMOn the Air (1937-1938)Benny Goodman

Listen to The Benny Goodman Story (Music From The Motion Picture) by Benny Goodman

ALBUMThe Benny Goodman Story (Music From The Motion Picture)Benny Goodman

Listen to Benny's Bop by Benny Goodman, Wardell Gray & Stan Hasselgard

ALBUMBenny's BopBenny Goodman, Wardell Gray & Stan Hasselgard

Listen to Benny Goodman Sextet by Benny Goodman

ALBUMBenny Goodman SextetBenny Goodman

Listen to Plays Jimmy Mundy by Benny Goodman

ALBUMPlays Jimmy MundyBenny Goodman

ALBUMPure GoldBenny Goodman

Listen to Benny Goodman by Benny Goodman

ALBUMBenny GoodmanBenny Goodman

Listen to Meeting at the Summit by Benny Goodman

ALBUMMeeting at the SummitBenny Goodman

Listen to Meeting at the Summit: Benny Goodman Plays Jazz-Classics with Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Morton Gould & Igor Stravinsky by Benny Goodman

ALBUMMeeting at the Summit: Benny Goodman Plays Jazz-Classics with Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Morton Gould & Igor StravinskyBenny Goodman

Listen to Copland: Concerto for Clarinet and Strings & Old American Songs by Aaron Copland, Benny Goodman, Abba Bogin, Laura Newell, Columbia Symphony Orchestra & William Warfield

ALBUMCopland: Concerto for Clarinet and Strings & Old American SongsAaron Copland, Benny Goodman, Abba Bogin, Laura Newell, Columbia Symphony Orchestra & William Warfield

Listen to B.G. in Hi-Fi by Benny Goodman

ALBUMB.G. in Hi-FiBenny Goodman

Listen to Copland: Concerto for Clarinet and Strings & Quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello (2024 Remastered Version) by Benny Goodman, Aaron Copland, Columbia Symphony Orchestra & The New York Quartet

ALBUMCopland: Concerto for Clarinet and Strings & Quartet for Piano, Violin, Viola and Cello (2024 Remastered Version)Benny Goodman, Aaron Copland, Columbia Symphony Orchestra & The New York Quartet

ALBUMIn the MoodBenny Goodman

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They called him the King of Swing.

About Benny Goodman

Hometown

Chicago, United States of America

Born

1909

Genre

Jazz

Unassuming yet witty clarinetist Benjamin David Goodman was America's first King of Swing and a pivotal figure in the introduction of Black jazz to white audiences. Born in Chicago to poor Jewish immigrants in 1909, Goodman began performing professionally as a young teenager. After kicking off a string of chart hits in 1930 with the relatively tame "He's Not Worth Your Tears," he later commissioned "killer-diller" arrangements from Fletcher Henderson that added rhythmic excitement to Goodman's famously sweet sound. A regular spot on the radio program Let's Dance primed the pump for a career-making 1935 Hollywood show by Goodman's big band that essentially ignited the Swing era. With racial segregation the norm, Goodman helped integrate popular music by hiring Black musicians such as pianist Teddy Wilson and guitarist Charlie Christian. Goodman's big band, trio, quartet, and sextet ruled jazz for the rest of the '30s. He had his biggest hit with "Moonglow" in 1936, and a 1938 Carnegie Hall show brought the clarinetist and entire jazz genre unprecedented respectability. Until his death in 1986, Goodman continued to perform jazz (including a short-lived bebop period) while regularly commissioning classical works from composers like Belá Bartók and Igor Stravinsky.