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Garwood Van (1 September 1910 Newark, New Jersey – 25 April 1999 Las Vegas, Nevada) was an American dance band leader and songwriter. Before staring his own band in 1936, he had been a saxophonist with Hal Grayson, Eddie Oliver, Victor Young, Lennie Hayton, and several studio bands. He had long performance dates at Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas and at the Trocadero, Ciro's, and Florentine Gardens in Los Angeles. He composed "Time To Dream." The band's theme song was "Poinciana." Featured vocalists included Gail Storm (née Josephine Cottle; 1922–2009), and from 1940 to 1941, Maxine Conrad, who, in 1941, after leaving the band, dated Van.^{[Notes 1]} After giving up the band scene, he operated a successful record shop and music store (the first full-sized record store in Las Vegas) — "Garwood Van's Musicland" — originally located at 854 East Sahara Avenue, across from the Sahara Hotel — which he and his wife, Joan, started in the late 1950s. Garwood retired in 1962.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Selected career highlights

This is mostly a direct copy, please edit

He was known as a society bandleader when he was hired by the old El Rancho Vegas hotel in 1942. Later, he led the house band at the New Frontier, and was probably the only bandleader to play for a future U.S. president. Ronald Reagan went to Las Vegas in 1954 when his movie career was on the wane, earning top billing in a two-week stint at the New Frontier. He sang, danced and told some jokes about his early years as a sports announcer for the Chicago Cubs and his experiences in Hollywood. When Reagan returned to Las Vegas almost 30 years later to headline a political rally, Van recalled that the onetime song-and-dance man had a charisma that "endeared him to audiences."

Van, in 1964, as entertainment director at the Castaways, booked comedian Redd Foxx, his job in Las Vegas, as an opening act for Dinah Washington. Also in 1964, Van, with "Happy Harry" Haneman as a partner, opened the city's first rock 'n' roll club — "Pussy Cat a Go-Go" — which endured until 1971.^[4]^[5]

Garwood Van Orchestra alumni

Jimmy Rowles, piano

Dating, marriages, and family

Dating
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May Florence Lundin (born 9 February 1922 Los Angeles) hit the papers before she even made a proper movie debut. Due to her “Scandinavian blond” good looks, she was a sought after girl about town as early as 1940. She dated noted songwriter Garwood Van, but hit the jackpot when she was noticed by Franchot Tone.

Marriages

While performing in Las Vegas at the Flamingo Hotel, Van married Katharine Page Worrell (1924–2006) on June 27, 1947, at the hotel. He had met her in Detroit while performing at the Statler Hotel. They divorced in 1950 in Miami.

Selected discography

Modern 202 (1950)
Side A (matrix MP102-85); 45-124-A
"When My Stagecoach Reaches Heaven;" OCLC 45443819

Leon Pober (words)

Hugh Lewman (words)

Henry Vars (music)
Bob Craig with the Tune Tailors (vocals)
Side B (matrix MP103-5): 45-124-B
"Shine On Harvest Moon"
Bob Craig with the Tune Tailors (vocals)

Nora Bayes (w&m)

Jack Norworth (w&m)
Modern 207 (1950)
Side A: matrix MP 104-5
"Honey;" OCLC 45443828
Bob Craig with the Tune Tailors (vocals)

Richard A Whiting (w&m)

Haven Gillespie (w&m)

Seymour B. Simons (w&m)
Side B: matrix MP 101-5
"I've Got a Heart as Big as Texas"
Bob Craig with the Tune Tailors (vocals)

Oakley Haldeman (w&m)

Buddy Feyne (w&m)

Selected repertoire

Time to Dream

Mac Henry (pseudonym of E. W. McHenry) (w&m)

E published 128786

E.W. McHenry, Decatur, Georgia

1970

R568328

R576439

Milton Carson

OCLC 497242086

Cathredral in the Pines: Charles (w&m); Nick Kenny (w&m); (brothers)

Filmography

One Reel Wonders: Love On Tap (1939); OCLC 917656229, 423504152

Problems with their dance troup postpone a marriage

Cast: Mary Howard, Truman Bradley

Director: George Sidney

Screenwriters: Richard Goldstone & Stanley Rauh

Music arranger: Lou Halmy

BW-11 mins

Featuring Merriel Abbott Dancers and Garwood Van and His Orchestra (billed as Carwood Van)

Random

Dolores Gray, radio and nightclub singer, was shot in the right arm in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, as she awaited her escort, orchestra leader Garwood Van

The Charlotte News

Thursday, April 1, 1943

References

Notes

^ Maxine Conrad (born around 1919) was a drum majorette in high school and college, and, in 1938, a beauty contestant for Miss California. Conrad led a band in the Legionnaire's parade and is also, in 1936, the leader of the Loyola University band. (Mar-Ken Journal, September 30, 1938) She was discovered in 1936 by a Universal Studios executive who saw her leading the Loyola University band during a football game. In 1937, she attended the Paramount School of Acting. She is credited with appearing in five movies between 1938 and 1940. She went on to become a featured vocalist and entertainer with units that included Garwood Van in 1940, Tommy Blake in 1943, and Muzzy Marcellino in 1947. She is credited with appearing in five movies between 1938 and 1940.

Conrad was a sophomore (11th grader) during the 1935-1936 school year at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. She also was a competitive fencer; In May of 1947, she was engaged to Peggy Ryan's brother, Mickey Ryan, and had planned a double ceremony — with Peggy marrying Jimmy Cross. The engagement ended in the fall of 1947.

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Inline citations

^ The Big Band Almanac (rev. ed.), by Leo Walker (né Leo Edward Walker; 1910–1995), Da Capo Press (1989), pg. 405; OCLC 18873553
^ The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (3rd ed.; "Van, Garwood" in vol 7 of 8), Colin Larkin (ed.), London: Muze (1998); OCLC 39837948
^ "Former Big-Band Leader, Community Activist Van Dies," by Jace Radke, Las Vegas Sun, April 28,1999
^ Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story, by Michael Seth Starr, Applause Theater & Cinema Books (2011), pg. 74; OCLC 707968414
^ "Garwood Van; Bandleader for Reagan," May 1, 1999

[MaxineContradBio-1] Maxine Conrad (born around 1919) was a drum majorette in high school and college, and, in 1938, a beauty contestant for Miss California. Conrad led a band in the Legionnaire's parade and is also, in 1936, the leader of the Loyola University band. (Mar-Ken Journal, September 30, 1938) She was discovered in 1936 by a Universal Studios executive who saw her leading the Loyola University band during a football game. In 1937, she attended the Paramount School of Acting. She is credited with appearing in five movies between 1938 and 1940. She went on to become a featured vocalist and entertainer with units that included Garwood Van in 1940, Tommy Blake in 1943, and Muzzy Marcellino in 1947. She is credited with appearing in five movies between 1938 and 1940.

Conrad was a sophomore (11th grader) during the 1935-1936 school year at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach, California. She also was a competitive fencer; In May of 1947, she was engaged to Peggy Ryan's brother, Mickey Ryan, and had planned a double ceremony — with Peggy marrying Jimmy Cross. The engagement ended in the fall of 1947.

[Walker_1989-2] The Big Band Almanac (rev. ed.), by Leo Walker (né Leo Edward Walker; 1910–1995), Da Capo Press (1989), pg. 405; OCLC 18873553

[Larkin_1998-3] The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (3rd ed.; "Van, Garwood" in vol 7 of 8), Colin Larkin (ed.), London: Muze (1998); OCLC 39837948

[LasVegasSun_1999_Apr_28-4] "Former Big-Band Leader, Community Activist Van Dies," by Jace Radke, Las Vegas Sun, April 28,1999

[Starr_2011-5] Black and Blue: The Redd Foxx Story, by Michael Seth Starr, Applause Theater & Cinema Books (2011), pg. 74; OCLC 707968414

[LATimes_1999_May_1-6] "Garwood Van; Bandleader for Reagan," May 1, 1999

[Notes 1]

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