The “Big Band” era had tremendous influence in Cuban music: Beny More, Orquesta Riverside, Perez Prado and many others. As a kid, I remember hearing Glenn Miller stories from my father and how many in the island collected his LP’s.
The legendary Glenn Miller was born in Iowa on this day in 1904. He tragically disappeared over The English Channel December 1944. Miller’s plane was lost in route to Paris, where he was going to play for the troops that had just liberated France.
We don’t know much about his disappearance but there are some reports that Miller’s small plane may have been hit by RAF bombers dropping their bombs into the waters of channel, or the “friendly fire” theory. In other words, he may have been at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Glenn Miller’s music always reminds me of my late father. One of his many recordings was “Always in my heart” by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona.