Background
| 1930s | On a dare, a young Russ Carlyle wins an amateur radio contest at Danceland in Cleveland singing with the Tommy Flynn Orchestra. Later Russ plays the Circle Theater for a two week engagement. Ed Pepper hires Russ to sing at WJAY. For the next six years Russ records a multitude of hits for Blue on Victor (BlueBird) Records, makes a movie with Warner Brothers and plays the Parmount Theater with the Blue Barron Orchestra. In 1939 Russ is named one of the top 4 male vocalist in the country by Billboard Magazine. |
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| 1940s | In the early 1940s Russ is inducted into Military Service. There he meets Sgt. Joey Bishop. Russ and Joey put together a comedy team that is later copied by Martin and Lewis. In the late 1940s Russ gets a gig at the Blackhawk Restaurant in Chicago, home of the Big Bands. He was booked for one month, but stayed for six months doing a coast to coast radio broadcast for WGN. |
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| 1950s | Frank Sinatra sings Russ' "If I Ever Love Again". Russ plays for President Harry S. Truman. ABC/Paramount records signs the Carlyle Orchestra and records 3 albums. In the late 1950s Russ appears on the Jack Parr Show. |
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| 1960s | Dorothy Ferguson leaves the Russ Carlyle Band as Russ counterpart
for 3 years. Russ, in dire need of a replacement, discovers 20 year
old Patty Zych while in St. Louis. Russ changes her name to Patty
Clayton and the rest is musical history. During the 60s Russ and Patty travel the country playing at playing at ballrooms and nightclubs. They were often broadcast weekly on national radio. When America thought of ballroom music, they thought of Russ Carlyle and his Orchestra. |
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| 1970s | In 1972 Russ and Patty performed on The Tonight Show when Joey Bishop substitutes for Johnny Carson. From 1972 to 1978 Russ and Patty land a gig at the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas. They performed 4 months a year at Las Vegas, spent summers performing at Breezy Point in Minnesota, and Christmas time at the Petroleum Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During the 1970s Russ forms his own record label, FONA records. He releases the two record set, "Russ Carlyle and Patty Clayton at the Fabulous Dunes Hotel" and "Russ Carlyle, Share This Moment Forever". |  |
| 1980s | In the 1980s Russ plays the Arizona Biltmore Hotel & Resort during the winters. Russ and Patty make the Phoenix Area their winter home. Summers are spent in Breezy Point, Minnesota. |  |
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More information about Russ Carlyle. . . . . . . . In 1963 of Volume 8 of Russ' 12-CD set a two week engagement at
the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, famous for its half
mile pier out into the ocean with a ball room. In between there was a 15 minute break to disassemble TV equipment, that, to our surprise, lost 85 percent of the audience, mostly teenagers. Russ had to prove a point and believed they would enjoy the big band music he had to offer. The following Saturday Russ and his band started playing immediately after the TV show and that kept 50% of the group, with them returning the following evening for more, while creating movements of their own to our rhythms. In the end, the consensus of opinion was (and this is a quote from the participants) "This was the best time we've ever had, listening to your music." In Russ' opinion, it can happen again and eventually will, with people who have the ability and position to want to do it with today's talent in lieu of what is presently out there. |
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