Vaughn Monroe

Vaughn Wilton Monroe was born October 7, 1911 in Akron, Ohio, and his family moved to Wisconsin shortly thereafter. Monroe showed an early talent for the trumpet and focused most of his early efforts on that. Monroe wanted to be an opera singer, but the Depression made pursuing such a career impractical. Instead, he sang as a vocalist with several bands, among them Austin Wylie (who later worked for Artie Shaw), Larry Funk (for which he made his recording debut), and Jack Marshard. It was Marshard who realized Monroe's talent, brought him out from the brass section, and turned him into a conductor. At the urging of Marshard and many others, Monroe started his own orchestra in 1940. RCA Victor immediately signed him to a contract. From 1940 until 1954, he had over 70 chart hits. One of these is the one he's best known for today: "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!", the 1946 version of which is heard at the end of the first two Bruce Willis "Die Hard" films. The tall, handsome Monr