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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Bea Wain bears ’Heart and Soul’ about Larry Clinton

Bea Wain bears ’Heart and Soul’ about Larry Clinton

Singer Bea Wain is best remembered for her time with Larry Clinton and his orchestra. In a recent interview, Bea,  provided this inside look at  Larry Clinton. Clinton has been described as a realist, businessman, organized, and well-liked, but not outgoing. Here is Bea's take on Larry.

    "He was very intelligent, but he was... what's the word I want... he was a very quiet man," she said.  "I was surprised when he became a bandleader, or that he became a bandleader, because he really didn't like standing in front of the band."   

    Clinton himself used to say that he had a "10:30 lip" (meaning that his weak embouchure would give out by 10:30 at night).

    "You know, he played a few instruments, but none of them were solo instruments," she stated.  "I mean, he played, like, third trumpet and fourth trombone, just so that he had something to hold on the bandstand.  That's not quite fair, but it's true."

   He didn't give her any instruction on how he wanted her to sing with the band.

    "Absolutely never," she said.  "He never told me what to do or how to do it, just handed me the song and said this is what we're gonna do and what key do you want it in?"

Here is Bea Wain with Larry Clinton and his orchestra singing their 1939 hit "Heart And Soul." This track can be found in the My Reverie CD by clicking here.

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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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Note: I've received a request from a young San Francisco singer who is working on a tribute to Bea. She wishes to meet or speak with Bea. Bea, or Wayne, if you are agreeable, please contact me rbusciglio@gmail.com

Remember Bea Wain ?

Singer Bea Wain tells this wonderful story about the signing of autographs. It is an old question: "Who did sign that photo in your autograph collection? The artist or the secretary?" In most cases, a secretary signs photos for performers. The only time you can be sure your signed photo bears the actual signature is when you actually see it signed....but even then "Is it really the person you think it is?" Read on!

Once, at the Victor session held on June 3, 1938, Carole Bruce sang in place of Bea Wain. "Carol was a lovely singer. She was a fairly good friend of mine, and she ended up on Broadway. She did the musical shows," Wain said. "But I had strep throat. I was sick. And that's when we were at Glen Island Casino. And I was terrible. I was in bad shape, and I couldn't sing. I had to take off a couple of weeks. Larry Clinton hired Carol to replace me, and she sang at Glen Island for a couple of weeks . . . When the band went on the road, it was Larry Clinton and Bea Wain - my name was in the contracts, which I didn't know until much later. And if I didn't appear, they didn't get paid. So, when he went on the road and I was sick with the strep throat, Carol went, and she had to sign my name, on autographs."