The Big Band Era reached the height of its crescendo in the early 1940’s.
Groups led by performers such as Count Basie, the Dorsey brothers, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller kept listeners around juke boxes and floor radios. Shep Fields even attracted fans by blowing bubbles into soda through a straw while his Rippling Rhytm Orchestra played.
After America entered World War II, its soldiers carried the big band sound with them overseas. “Bell Bottom Trousers, “ “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree with Anyone Else but Me” were popular war-time tunes that appealed to service men and women and their loved ones.
The big bands toured overseas. Some leaders like Glenn Miller enlisted to lead military bands. Miller also became a casualty of the war.
August, 2010 marks the sixty-fifth anniversary of the end of World War II. In observance of this event, the William E. Blair Post 95 of the American Legion will honor surviving veterans during its monthly big band dance.
On the first Saturday of each month, the Legionnaires band, under the direction of saxophonist Charlie Heintz, plays while couples take to the dance floor. The dance lasts from 7:30pm to 10:30pm.
For the August dance, WWII veterans will be admitted with no cover charge, and will be recognized during the evening. The normal charge is $6.00 per person, and the dance is open to the public.
William E. Blair Post 95 is located at 3397 Ringgold Road in East Ridge near the tunnel.
William E. Blair Post 95 American Legion in East Ridge hosts a big band dance on the first Saturday of each month. Click to enlarge.