Ray Anthony, born Raymond Antonini on January 22, 1922, in Pennsylvania, began studying the trumpet with his father.
He played two years with Glenn Miller and then with Jimmy Dorsey. Afterwards, he formed his own highly popular dance band. His greatest fame, however, probably came, not as a big band leader, but as the composer of the “Dragnet” theme, “The Bunny Hop,” and “Dancing In the Dark.” During the 1950s, he appeared in a number of movies and TV shows, including an appearance in the movie, “Daddy Long Legs.”
He was so well known as a Big Band leader in the 1940s that his name appears in the lyrics of “Opus One.” |
