About Artie Shaw: Ethnicity, Parents, Salary, Net Worth, Relationship



Known for movies



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..

Source: IMDb, Wikipedia