The Dorsey Years

Tommy Dorsey was the most popular bandleader of the swing era. From 1935 to 1945 he ruled the airways with hits like “Marie,” "Song of India" and “You.” In the 1930s Frank Sinatra idolized Dorsey, seeing him as the “state of the art” bandleader and musician. Sinatra took his wife Nancy to see the Dorsey Orchestra in 1937 and pointed up to the stage and said: “See the singer guy? One day I’ll be sitting where he’s sitting.” His time came; Sinatra joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra just three years later. Together, they created timeless recordings of songs like "Dolores," "I'll Never Smile Again," and "I'll Be Seeing You." Author James Kaplan discusses Sinatra’s years with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.