Customer Reviews

Kay Kyser - The Ol' Professor of Swing! America's Forgotten Superstar

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Kay Kyser - The Ol'Professor of Swing! America's Forgotten Superstar is a rare and remarkably well written biography on Kay Kyser. I found it was difficult to put this book down. It has many wonderful photographs, color posters, sheet music and magazine covers within its pages and allowed me to clearly visualize what the Swing Era was all about, as well as Kyser's fascinating and honorable life. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

As the author rightfully pointed out, it is about time to see a biography about one of the most successful band leaders of the 1930s and 40s.
An amazing amount of information was gathered for this book and you join the author on his way through "The Old Professor's" life from his childhood, his busy time as a bandleader through the years he devoted to Christian Science later in his life. Stephen Beasley made numerous interviews with former members of the band and Kyser's widow, Georgia Carroll. The outcome is a colorful description of the life and times at the height of the big band era.
The absolute icing on the cake are the illustrations in the book. I've read many biographies by bandleaders but this really stands out. I was thrilled to see not only a host of rare photos, but also reproductions of lobby cards, sheets music, and other collectibles, many of them even in color.
If you're into big bands and swing music, get this book!

A must read book about Kay Kyser- "America's Forgotten Superstar".. My interest of Kay Kyser started when I inherited some unidentified Stockton Airfield USO show 1940's Big Band photos from my neighbor which I took to a dear friend who knows all about the great musicans and composers of the 40's,She helped me to identify the band and its band leader Kay Kyser and several of the singers.. Which I admit I knew nothing about...after posting the photos on my Youtube Channel with music from the 40's Big Band era, the author of this book contacted me about getting copies of those photos,in which I happily obliged..He has done an outstanding job on Kay Kyser's musical career and history of his Big Band and movie and Television productions...I highly recommend it for all fans of the Big Band era ..