When you think of Jimmy Dorsey, you think of a Jazz musician who was definitely multi-faceted. He did not just play music. He did not just play an instrument. His magic fingers majestically moved over the clarinet, saxophone and trumpet. He not only played the instruments, he was also a big band leader.

You could say that Jimmy Dorsey was part of a family with good musical lineage. he was the son of a music teacher and the older brother of Tommy Dorsey. So you could say he was born into music. He did work musically with his brother. With his brother Tommy, who played the trombone, he formed a band called the Dorsey’s Novelty Six. This band became one of the first bands to broadcast.

Another thing that Jimmy Dorsey did was movies. He appeared in six films. This included a bio-pic film that he did with his brother Tommy. In his career Jimmy Dorsey scored eleven number one hits. He also managed to have some honors bestowed upon him. Jimmy Dorsey was elected into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame. Along with that honor he was also made a member of the American Jazz Hall of Fame.

Jimmy Dorsey left us way to soon. He died June 12, 1957 at the age of 53. This was only a few short months after his Brother Tommy passed.