About: Hal Derwin

Hal Derwin or Hal Derwyn (July 14, 1914 – February 9, 1998) was an American dance bandleader, principally active in the 1940s. Early in his career, Derwin was a member of a vocal trio with Lee Gillette (later a talent scout for Capitol Records). In the 1930s he worked with musicians such as Boyd Raeburn, , Shep Fields, and Les Brown, and formed his own band in Chicago in 1940 that included (of Jan Garber's band) as a sideman. He toured the Midwest for much of the 1940s, and had several 10-inch singles released on Capitol Records after World War II, including the hit song "The Old Lamp-Lighter", which reached number six on the Billboard chart. In the early 1950s his band took up a residency at the Biltmore Bowl in Los Angeles for six years and was broadcast on NBC Radio. Derwin continued t