Editing Tommy Dorsey (section)

==Early life==
Born in [[Mahanoy Plane, Pennsylvania]], Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. was the second of four children born to Thomas Francis Dorsey Sr., a bandleader,<ref>Billboard, July 25, 1942, died July 13, 1942</ref> and Theresa (née Langton) Dorsey.<ref>Dorsey, Thomas Francis Jr. ('Tommy,' 'The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing'). The family moved to Lansford shortly after his birth.
</ref> He and Jimmy, his older brother by slightly less than two years, became known as the Dorsey Brothers. The two younger siblings were Mary and Edward, who died young.<ref>{{cite book |title=Livin' In A Great Big Way|last=Levinson |first=Peter |year=2005|publisher=DaCapo |location=New York |isbn=978-0-306-81111-1|page=354 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=73VQl-2QwwoC&q=tommy+dorsey}}</ref> Tommy Dorsey studied the trumpet with his father but later switched to trombone.<ref name="pbs.org"/>

At age 15, Jimmy recommended Tommy to replace Russ Morgan in the Scranton Sirens, a [[territory band]] in the 1920s. Tommy and Jimmy worked in bands led by [[Tal Henry]], [[Rudy Vallee]], [[Vincent Lopez]], and [[Nathaniel Shilkret]]. In 1923, Dorsey followed Jimmy to Detroit to play in [[Jean Goldkette]]'s band and returned to New York in 1925 to play with [[the California Ramblers]].<ref name="jazz.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/dorsey-tommy-thomas-francis-jr |title=Dorsey, Tommy |publisher=Jazz.com |access-date=February 5, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409011631/http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/dorsey-tommy-thomas-francis-jr |archive-date=April 9, 2013 }}</ref> In 1927, he joined [[Paul Whiteman]]. In 1929, the Dorsey Brothers had their first hit with "Coquette" for [[OKeh Records]].<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/dorsey_tommy/bio.jhtml |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20021226194510/http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/dorsey_tommy/bio.jhtml |url-status= dead |archive-date= December 26, 2002 |title= Tommy Dorsey |publisher= VH1/William Ruhlmann/All Music Guide |date=n.d. |orig-year= date published unknown}}</ref>

In 1934, the Dorsey Brothers band signed with [[Decca Records|Decca]], having a hit with "I Believe in Miracles".<ref>{{cite news|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tommy dorsey|bio=true}} |title= Tommy Dorsey |publisher= Billboard }}</ref> [[Glenn Miller]] was a member of the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in 1934 and 1935, composing "[[Annie's Cousin Fanny]]",<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tuxjunction.net/tommydorsey.htm|title=Tuxedo Junction Tommy Dorsey|publisher=George Spink|year=2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318055413/http://www.tuxjunction.net/tommydorsey.htm|archive-date=March 18, 2010}}</ref> "[[Tomorrow's Another Day (1935 song)|Tomorrow's Another Day]]", "[[Harlem Chapel Chimes]]", and "[[Dese Dem Dose]]", all recorded for Decca,<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.redhotjazz.com/dorseybros.html |title= Dorsey Brothers Orchestra |publisher= Scott Alexander |access-date= October 27, 2009 |archive-date= January 26, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190126082412/http://www.redhotjazz.com/dorseybros.html |url-status= dead }}</ref> for the band. Acrimony between the brothers led to Tommy Dorsey walking out to form his own band in 1935 as the orchestra was having a hit with "Every Little Moment".<ref name="auto">{{cite news |url= http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/dorsey-tommy-thomas-francis-jr |title= Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians, Dorsey, Tommy |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130409011631/http://www.jazz.com/encyclopedia/dorsey-tommy-thomas-francis-jr |archive-date= April 9, 2013 }}</ref> Dorsey's orchestra was known primarily for its renderings of ballads at dance tempos, frequently with singers such as [[Jack Leonard (singer)|Jack Leonard]] and [[Frank Sinatra]].<ref name="pbs.org"/>

On August 21, 1949, Tommy, along with trumpeter [[Charlie Shavers]] and singer Red Wooten, survived a plane crash uninjured. The aircraft, departing from [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor, Ontario, Canada]], crash-landed in a cornfield after the engine failed shortly after takeoff, according to the pilot.<ref>Memphis Commercial Appeal, August 22, 1949, page 15</ref>