Les Brown and his Band of Renown were one of the most enduring orchestras to come out of the swing era of the 1930's. Among their more popular tunes was Sentimental Journey, performed in 1945 by the Les Brown band with Doris Day.

Les Brown was born in Reinerton, PA (near Tower City) in 1912. His father, the town baker, was an amateur musician who conducted performances for the local coal miners. Les went to music school in Ithaca, NY, then North Carolina, and finally settled in New York City where he and his Band of Renown became famous in hotels, nightclubs, and through recordings. Les Brown died on January 4, 2001.

This text excerpted from a recent New York Times obituary on Les Brown.