HWOF

Anthony playing his famous trumpet.

Source: nndb.com

Ray Anthony began studying the trumpet as a child. Anthony played in Glenn Miller’s band between 1940-1941 and appeared in the Glenn Miller movie Sun Valley Serenade in 1941 before joining the U.S. Navy in World War II. After the war he formed The Ray Anthony Orchestra, which became very popular in the early 1950s, with recordings like “The Bunny Hop” and the “Hokey Pokey,” as well as the theme music from Dragnet. He had a no.2 chart hit with a remake of the Glenn Miller classic “At Last” in 1952.

From 1953-1954 Anthony was the musical director on the television series TV’s Top Tunes. In 1955 began expanding his acting career. He starred in a short-lived television 1956-1957 variety show, The Ray Anthony Show. Anthony also appeared in several films during the late 1950s. During his film career, Anthony continued his musical career and had another hit record with the theme from Peter Gunn, which reached #8 on Billboard’s Pop chart.

• Born: January 20, 1922 Bentleyville, Pennsylvania
• Occupation: American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter, and actor

Read more about Ray Anthony at Wikipedia or at the Internet Movie Database

Jordan Lage and Ray Anthony Thomas Star in David Mamet's Race, Starting Jan. 21 in Philly
Playbill Combined , 2011-01-21 05:00:00
Race, the provocative David Mamet legal drama that finished a run on Broadway this past summer, makes its regional theatre debut Jan. 21 at the Philadelphia Theatre Company.

Jordan Lage and Ray Anthony Thomas Will Star in David Mamet's Race in Philadelphia
Playbill Combined , 2010-12-27 18:43:00
Race, the provocative David Mamet legal drama that finished a run on Broadway this past summer, will make its regional theatre debut Jan. 21, 2011, at the Philadelphia Theatre Company.