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Gene Williams (8)

American swing vocalist and band leader (born February 26, 1926 in East Orange, NJ – died February 12, 1997 in Wilton Manors, Florida) Williams began singing professionally in 1942 as a member of Sammy Fletcher's Duke Ambassadors. Drafted into the U.S. Army, he was able to sing on the side for [a=Johnny Long And His Orchestra]. After the war he performed with [a=Vincent Lopez And His Orchestra] and worked with [a=Les Elgart], [a=George Paxton], and [a=Bobby Sherwood]. In 1947, he made several recordings with [a=Claude Thornhill And His Orchestra]. In 1949, Williams founded his own big band, which existed until the late 1950s.