Les Brown
Porter Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Born in Reinerton, Les Brown enjoyed a 70-year career in American popular music, conducting his famous "Band of Renown"Â and helping launch the career of Doris Day with the number one hit Sentimental Journey; long-time bandleader for Bob Hope and Dean Martin.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Born in the small coal-country town of Reinerton, Les Brown built a seven-decade career at the center of American popular music. His orchestra, the 'Band of Renown,' backed a young Doris Day on the chart-topping 'Sentimental Journey,' a song that became an anthem for a nation longing for loved ones to come home from war. Brown went on to serve for decades as bandleader for Bob Hope and Dean Martin, a fixture of American stage and television.
Why it matters
Brown carried the big-band sound from the swing era into the television age, linking a Pennsylvania coal town to the soundtrack of mid-century America.
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Related people
- ¡ Les Brown
- ¡ Doris Day
- ¡ Bob Hope
Themes & tags
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