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Sammy's autograph is in many copies of his Sunday Sere* nade Book of Poetry — the book that led to his Poetry Contest, last won by Mrs. B, Y, Williams (below) of Cincinnati,
LEAD thBANDl
"A
Sammy Kaye suspected that lots of people would welcome
the chance to lead a band. Here's the story of how right he was
By DAVID 0. ALBER
Sammy Kaye' a Press Agent
SAMMY KAYE has been surprising me for eleven years.
He surprised me with the originality of his music the first time I heard it, which was on the radio and from an out-of-town station. And he surprised me the first time I saw him a year later.
His dreamy, melodic style had led me to expect a somewhat romantic personality. The last thing I was prepared for was a tawny-haired, blueeyed young man, slender but with an athlete's build. At that time I did not know that he had won his letters at Ohio State University in football, baseball, basketball and track. In fact, I did not know anything about him except that I thought his music was wonderful and that I had picked him for a client a year before.
Now, what was somewhat more important, he was at last considering engaging me as his press agent. . I had my fingers crossed, hoping that our first interview would go well enough to lead to further discussions and that, before long, I would add him to my list.
I had more than just a professional interest in his band.
I. am a band fan — always have been. It was pleasure for me, as well as business, to listen to all of the new bands that were coming along.
I was crazy about Sammy's style from the first time I heard him. I liked the distinctive tricks he used. I liked his vocalists, and I liked his slogan, "Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye." So I wrote to Jim Peppe — who was then Kaye's manager, and is now associated with Mike Nidorf in his management — outlining what publicity services my office could offer.
Nothing came of it, but I ran around town raving about Sammy Kaye's band, anyway, telling everybody" to listen to him and watch him become a star before he ever had a play date in New York — a thing that almost never happens to a band.
Sammy gave me another surprise that first morning.
We talked for twenty minutes or so about what was required in the way of publicity for his first New York engagement, and I was hired! (Continued on page 90)
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