Ray Eberle - The nearness of you (1940)

Raymond Eberle (January 19, 1919 – August 25, 1979) was a vocalist during the Big Band Era, making his name with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. His elder brother, Bob Eberly, sang with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. Eberle was born in Mechanicville, Saratoga County, New York. His father, John A. Eberle, was a local policeman, sign-painter, and publican (tavern-keeper). His elder brother was Big Band singer Bob Eberly, who sang with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. Ray started singing in his teens, with no formal training. In 1938, Glenn Miller, who was looking for a male vocalist for his big band, asked Bob Eberly if he had any siblings at home who could sing. Bob said "yes", and Ray was hired on the spot. Eberle recalled walking by a table when his similar-looking brother was performing, and being stopped by Miller and invited to audition. Music critics and Miller's musicians were reportedly unhappy with Eberle's vocal style but Miller stuck with him. Critic George T. Simon said that Miller pitched Eberle's keys too high, straining Eberle's voice. Simon noted that when singing in lower keys, Eberle's sound was richer. Eberle went on to find success with Miller, deeming the songs for Orchestra Wives, such as the jazz standard "At Last", to be among his favorites as there were songs he could "sink my teeth into, and make a story out of". He appeared in the Twentieth Century Fox movies, Sun Valley Serenade (1941) and Orchestra Wives (1942). He made several Universal films, including Mister Big, making a cameo appearance as himself. Eberle mostly sang ballads. He led his own orchestra called, The Ray Eberle Orchestra as well as the Serenade In Blue Orchestra from 1943 and maintained his band until his death in 1979.[6] From 1940-43 he did well on Billboard (magazine)'s "College Poll" for male vocalist] He also appeared on numerous television variety shows in the 1950s and 1960s. Ray Eberle sang lead on "Sometime", composed by Glenn Miller in 1939, "Polka Dots and Moonbeams", "At Last", a number 9 chart hit on Billboard in 1942, and "To You", but Miller ran a tight ship and often fired people after one negative incident. Eberle was stuck in traffic one day during a Chicago engagement, and was late for a rehearsal. Miller fired him on the spot, and replaced him in June 1942 with Skip Nelson. After his departure from Miller, Eberle briefly joined Gene Krupa's band before launching a solo career. He later joined former Miller bandmate Tex Beneke's orchestra in 1970 for a national tour, and reformed his own orchestra later in the decade. Ray Eberle (* 19. Januar 1919 in Mechanicville, New York; † 25. August 1979 in Douglasville, Georgia) war ein Sänger des Bigband-Swing. Er hatte seine ersten Hits mit dem Orchester von Glenn Miller und setzte später seine Karriere als Bandleader fort. Eberle, Bruder des Sängers Bob Eberly, der Mitglied des Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra wurde, sang wie sein Bruder als Autodidakt auf Schulfesten. Als Glenn Miller seine Band gründete, ließ er sich von Dorsey beraten; dieser war der Ansicht, dass eine Bigband auf jeden Fall einen Sänger bräuchte. Auf Nachfrage Millers schlug Bob Eberly, der bei dem Gespräch anwesend war, seinen Bruder vor. Miller holte Eberle, der 1937 bereits mit Eddie Miller aufnahm, 1938 in seine Band und hatte Erfolge mit seinen Interpretationen von Over the Rainbow, Indian Summer, At Last , My Prayer, A Nightingale in Berkeley Square, Moonlight Cocktails, Serenade In Blue die sich teilweise zu Hits entwickelten. Auch war Eberle in den Musikfilmen Sun Valley Serenade (1941) und Orchestra Wives (1942) zu sehen. Im Juni 1942 musste Eberle die Miller-Band verlassen, nachdem er zu spät zu den Proben gekommen war. Daraufhin wurde er Mitglied der Band von Gene Krupa. Nachdem er ab 1943 seinen Wehrdienst absolviert hatte, gründete er 1945 eine eigene Band, die zunächst Stücke wie Moonlight Serenade und Arrangements im Miller-Stil spielte. Die Band, die zunehmend Easy Listening spielte, hatte bis Mitte der 1950er Jahre Bestand. Dann trat er im Fernsehen auf und arbeitete mit The Modernaires.[3], bevor er mit Tex Beneke und seiner Original Glenn Miller Band in den frühen 1970er Jahren auf Tournee ging. Dann war er mit eigener Band in Las Vegas tätig. 1978 spielte er noch im New Yorker Madison Garden.[ 1995 wurde er in die Georgia Music Hall of Fame aufgenommen. Die Tochter Eberles, Jan Eberle, ist Sängerin und veröffentlichte 2002 eine Biographie über ihren Vater (The Eberle Named Ray).