Harry James

A trumpeter who shot to fame in his early years with the Benny Goodman band, swing superstar Harry James first distinguished himself with a loud but fully controlled tone. After becoming a bandleader in his own right, he took a purposefully sweeter approach to his playing and presentation, aiming for popularity--and achieving it. He was the most popular bandleader of the '40s, and his records have continued to sell even after his death in 1983.