Remember Bea Wain...one of the best of the big band vocalists

In my earlier television advertising career, I had a young man named Wayne Baruch visit to present an idea for a television program he wanted to produce. Having been a fan of both the great NBC radio announcer Andre Baruch and the lovely band singer, and his wife, Bea Wain, I mentioned that his name reminded me of them. As you guessed, Wayne replied that they were his parents. Bea was born in 1917 in New York, and is best known for singing on the "Hit Parade" and her time with Larry Clinton and his orchestra. Their version of "Deep Purple" is one of my all time favorite big band recordings.


In an interview a few years ago, Bea described the unusual circumstances that launched her band vocalist career with Larry Clinton; " He heard me on the Kate Smith show. He didn't see me. Actually, it was very strange, because . . . I had a call and went to the phone and this man said, 'My name is Larry Clinton. I'm starting a band and I'm looking for a girl singer and I would like you to make some sides with me.' Which was really cuckoo,'cause I said to myself, 'He never saw me. He never really heard me, it was just a few bars. And he told me to meet him at RCA Victor the next week, he was recording, and he sent me a tune to do, and I did it. And the first time I saw him was when I walked in the studio."


"It was very strange, though, that he sent the tune to me," she remarked. "It was True Confession. That was the name of the song. And he asked me on the phone to tell him what key I was going to do it in. And I called him and told him, and he said, 'Okay, I'll see you Tuesday at RCA." Following the recording session, she would remain with the band. "Oh, I sort-of took it for granted that we would go further." Quickly, she was the band's star attraction. Wain had four #1 hits:"Cry, Baby. Cry," "Deep Purple", "Heart and Soul" and her signature song, "My Reverie."

Wain stayed with Clinton only a year-and-a-half before deciding to go solo in early 1939. She recorded several titles under her own name and received much critical acclaim. The recording ban of 1942 marked the end of her commercial recording career. She continued to sing, perform, and appear on radio, however, throughout the 1940s. She later moved to Florida, where she worked as a disc jockey alongside her husband, radio announcer André Baruch (he died in 1991) and later as "Mr. & Mrs. Music" on WMCA New York.. The couple eventually settled in Beverly Hills during the late 1970s where we believe she still resides.



Here is the Larry Clinton orchestra with Bea Wain (a later hi-fi version was made in the 50's with Helen Forrest) and "Deep Purple."

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