December 30, 2004, Thousand Oaks, California, United States
Spouse
Evelyn Keyes, Doris Dowling, Kathleen Winsor, Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Kern, Lana Turner, Margaret Allen, Jane Cairns
Mark
Theme song: "Nightmare"
Fact
Jazz clarinetist and bandleader.
Artie Shaw was an American clarinetist, composer, bandleader, and actor. He was one of the most popular musicians of his time, and his recordings were best-sellers from the late 1930s through the early 1960s. Shaw’s signature tune was “Begin the Beguine”, which he recorded with his Gramercy Five in 1938. Other hits included “Stardust”, “Back Bay Shuffle”, and “Moonglow”. He also wrote the scores for several Hollywood films, including Second Chorus and The Big Broadcast of 1938. Shaw was born Arthur Jacob Arshawsky on May 23, 1910, in New York City.
His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. His father, Abraham Arshawsky, was a tailor, and his mother, Sarah (née Blumberg), was a seamstress. Shaw grew up in a poor tenement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He began playing the clarinet at age 15 after hearing a band perform in his neighborhood. He left school at age 16 to join the United States Navy, but he was discharged after only a few months due to a heart murmur.
He returned to New York and began playing in nightclubs and dance halls. He soon became one of the most popular musicians in the city. In 1936, Shaw formed his first band, the Gramercy Five. The group became known for its innovative arrangements of popular tunes. Shaw’s arrangement of “Begin the Beguine” was particularly successful.
The song became a hit, and the Gramercy Five’s recording of it was one of the best-selling records of the 1930s. Shaw disbanded the group in 1939 and formed a new band, the Artie Shaw Orchestra. The orchestra was one of the most popular bands of the 1940s. It featured such singers as Helen Forrest, Billie Holiday, and Mel Tormé. The band’s recordings of “Stardust” and “Back Bay Shuffle” were million-sellers.
Shaw disbanded the orchestra in 1945 and retired from music for several years. He returned to performing in the late 1950s with a new band, the Artie Shaw Orchestra. The band toured extensively and made several recordings. Shaw retired from music again in 1968. He died in 2004 at the age of 94..
General Info
Full Name
Artie Shaw
Died
December 30, 2004, Thousand Oaks, California, United States
Profession
Actor, Author, Bandleader, Music Arranger, Film Score Composer, Clarinetist
Nationality
American
Family
Spouse
Evelyn Keyes, Doris Dowling, Kathleen Winsor, Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Kern, Lana Turner, Margaret Allen, Jane Cairns
Children
Jonathan Shaw, Steven Kern
Parents
Harry Arshawsky, Sarah Strauss
Accomplishments
Awards
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Grammy Hall of Fame
Nominations
Academy Award for Best Original Song, Academy Award for Best Original Musical
Movies
Second Chorus, Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got, Big Band: Artie Shaw & Duke Ellington, Hollywood Rhythm: Vol. 2: The Best of Big Band & Swing, Swing! Swing! Swing!, Jazz Ball, Hollywood Rhythm: Vol. 1: The Best of Jazz & Blues, The Boys Are Back in Town: Classic Tracks from the Gentle...
[on why he left fame behind in 1954] It's like having a gangrenous arm. The only thing you can do is amputate it. Obviously you're gonna miss the arm, but if you don't cut it off you'll die.
Facts
#
Fact
1
His father was a Russian Jewish immigrant and his mother was an Austrian Jewish immigrant.
2
The length of time that three of his eight marriages lasted--including the those to superstars Lana Turner and Ava Gardner--was under three years, total.
3
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 1709 Vine Street in Hollywood, California.
4
In the 1960s he dabbled in independent film distribution under his banner Artixo Productions, releasing several films including the classic Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964).
5
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume 7, 2003-2005, pages 506-509. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.
6
Father of Jonathan Shaw, born in 1954, from his marriage to Doris Dowling. He is now a famous tattoo artist who owned Manhattan's oldest tattoo parlor until 2004.
7
Winner of a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, 2004.
8
Was the son-in-law of composer Jerome Kern while married to Kern's daughter Elizabeth
9
Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1990.
10
Jazz clarinetist and bandleader.
11
His paintings continue to be shown, at venues like Webster Hall in New York City.
Pictures
Movies
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Live by Night
2016
performer: "Moonglow"
Allied
2016
writer: "Concerto For Clarinet", "Concerto for Clarinet"
Danny Says
2015
Documentary performer: "Begin the Beguine"
42
2013
performer: "Moon Glow"
American Horror Story
2011
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Mildred Pierce
2011
TV Mini-Series performer - 1 episode
Robert Williams Mr. Bitchin'
2010
Documentary performer: "Begin the Beguine"
Soul Kitchen
2009
performer: "La Paloma"
Grey Gardens
2009
TV Movie performer: "All the Things You Are"
Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical History - The 1930s: Dancing Away the Great Depression
2009
Video documentary music: "Concerto for Clarinet" - uncredited
Tres caminos
2008
"My heart stood still", "This time the dream is on me"
performer: "YOU'RE A SWEET LITTLE HEADACHE", "VILIA", "ANY OLD TIME", "ALL DRESSED UP AND NO PLACE TO GO" / writer: "ANY OLD TIME"
The Lunch Date
1989
Short "I Don't Want To Walk Without You"
Funkiksen liekki
1989
Documentary short performer: "Begin the Beguine"
Frank's Place
1987
TV Series performer - 1 episode
Radio Days
1987
performer: "Frenesi" 1939
Raging Bull
1980
performer: "Frenesi"
The Man Who Fell to Earth
1976
performer: "Star Dust"
Aloha, Bobby and Rose
1975
performer: "Begin the Beguine"
The Five Pennies
1959
music: "Back Bay Shuffle" 1938 - uncredited
The Big Store
1941
lyrics: "If It's You" 1941 / music: "If It's You" 1941
Second Chorus
1940
music: "Everything's Jumping" uncredited, "Would You Like to Be the Love of My Life", "Double Mellow" uncredited, "Would You Like to Be the Love of My Life" reprise, "Concerto for Clarinet" uncredited / performer: "Everything's Jumping" uncredited, "Would You Like to Be the Love of My Life", "I'm Yours" uncredited, "Double Mellow" uncredited, "Concerto for Clarinet" uncredited
Artie Shaw's Class in Swing
1939
Short performer: "Free Wheeling", "I Have Eyes", "Shoot The Likker To Me John Boy"
Symphony of Swing
1939
Short performer: "Alone Together", "Jeepers Creepers", "Deep Purple", "Lady Be Good" - uncredited
