Al Trace

b. USA. Formerly a drummer and vocalist in several smaller groups playing the Midwest, Trace formed his own dance band in 1933 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. As well as Trace the vocalists included Toni Arden and Bob Vincent. Their first engagement was a prestigious one, at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1933. Long runs at the Blackhawk Restaurant and Sherman Hotel (for three years) followed. Although something of an Illinois phenomenon, Trace’s popularity soon spread because of his many successful hit records. These included original compositions such as ‘You Call Everybody Darling’, ‘Brush Those Tears From Your Eyes’, ‘Wishin’’ and ‘If I’d Known You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked A Cake’. However, these were only the best known of some 300 compositions, many of which reached vinyl through the group’s affiliations with MGM, Mercury and Columbia Records. The group’s rising profile ensured they were only ever booked at the most prestigious venues. Airplay came on the It Pays To Be Ignorant radio show, and a Chicago television programme from 1949 which ran for six months. In the late 50s Trace retired from band leading with a handsome pension from his songwriting prowess. He moved to the west coast where he continued to write, and also established a personal management agency. By the mid-70s he had relocated to Scottsdale, Arizona, to work alongside fellow band leader Tommy Reed in the Southwest Booking Agency. © TiVo