When did the Big Band Era End ?

When did the Big Band Era end? By late 1946, it was becoming apparent that the band business was having problems. The Second World War was over and the returning troops were heading for the altar, starting families, and buying cars and houses. This is when massive housing developments, such as Levittown on New York's Long Island, started replacing former farmland. Dancing, a major weekend activity prior to the war, was replaced with more home centered activities, e.g. diaper changing! Many of the returning musicians no longer wanted to be on long road tours with the bad food, and low pay. This resulted in the closing of many ballrooms across the country. In December 1946, eight top bandleaders announced they were calling it quits -- Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Les Brown, Jack Teagarden, Benny Carter, Ina Ray Hutton and Tommy Dorsey. Essentially, this was the official end of the Big Band Era. However, many of the top bands reformed shortly thereafter, with limited touring.

It's about time somebody got things going again", Tommy Dorsey said at the time. "You can't expect to have any real interest in dance bands if the bands don't go around the country and play for the kids."

I believe that the beginning of the end of the era was actually earlier. It was on New Year's Eve 1942 when FRANK SINATRA stepped on the stage at the Paramount Theater in New York as a solo act for the first time. From 1945 to 1955, the era of the pop vocalist replaced the bands. In 1955, Elvis and company kicked off the era of "rock 'n roll."