Larry Elgart | NAMM.org (original) (raw)

Oral History Information

Interview Date

September 15, 1994

Birth Date

March 20, 1922

Deceased Date

August 29, 2017

This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Larry Elgart led a dance band with his brother, Les, which recorded a number of bestselling albums beginning in the 1950s. Their "Campus Hop" album was among the first of its kind to focus on the college audience and became a top seller in 1954. A few years later, Larry and Les wrote a song "Bandstand Boogie" for Dick Clark's American Bandstand dance program, which remained the theme song for the show until it went off the air. Larry enjoyed a resurgence in popularity with his 1982 hits album "Hooked on Swing."

Image courtesy of the Downbeat archives.