RIP Bea Wain, One of the Last of the Ladies Who Sang With the big bands

Bea Wain (born Beatrice Weinsier; April 30, 1917 – August 19, 2017) was an American Big Band-era singer born in the Bronx, New York City. She had a number of hits with Larry Clinton and his Orchestra. After her marriage she and her husband, André Baruch, [photo] became involved in radio. She led the vocal group Bea and the Bachelors (with Al Rinker, Ken Lane, and John Smedberg) and the V8 (seven boys and a girl) on the Fred Waring show. In 1937, Wain joined former Tommy Dorsey arranger Larry Clinton and His Orchestra, which she joined after doing chorus work with Fred Waring and Ted Straeter. Her debut with Clinton was made in the summer of 1938 at the Glen Island Casino, New York. She was featured with Clinton on a number of hit tunes, including "Martha" and "Heart and Soul". In 1939, she was voted the most popular female band vocalist in Billboard annual college poll, and that same year she began her solo career. Her first theater tour as a solo led to her being signed for the Your Hit Parade and RCA Victor records.

  WIKIPEDIA VIDEO: With Larry Clinton Orchestra...