Dorsey, Tommy: see Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Jimmy (James Francis Dorsey), 1904–57, and his brother Tommy Dorsey (Thomas Francis Dorsey, Jr.), 1905–1956, both b. Shenandoah, Pa., American jazz musicians and bandleaders during the Big Band era.
..... Click the link for more information. .

Dorsey, Tommy

orig. Thomas Dorsey

(born Nov. 19, 1905, Shenandoah, Pa., U.S.—died Nov. 26, 1956, Greenwich, Conn.) U.S. trombonist and band leader. Dorsey led the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra from 1934 with his brother, saxophonist and clarinetist Jimmy Dorsey (1904–57); they later separated to lead their own groups. Tommy Dorsey's band combined smooth ballad performances with up-tempo jazz arrangements featuring some of the best musicians of the period, including Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, and arranger Sy Oliver. Dorsey's trombone playing was technically impeccable, and his seamless phrasing and sweet tone were a major influence on singers and brass players alike. The Tommy Dorsey band was one of the most popular big bands of the swing era

Dorsey, (Thomas) Tommy (1905–56) musician; born in Shenandoah, Pa. He was a Swing Era bandleader who began with local dance bands in Scranton, Pa. He moved to New York City in 1925 and engaged in free-lance radio and recording work as a trombonist and trumpeter. In 1927–28, he was a sideman with Paul Whiteman. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, he and his brother Jimmy Dorsey (1904–57), a saxophonist, coled a succession of recording bands. In 1934, they launched a full-time orchestra which played a long residency at the Glen Island Casino (New Rochelle, N.Y.). After a dispute with Jimmy in 1935, Tommy split and took over Joe Haymes' orchestra, building it into one of the most popular and versatile Swing bands. He led this orchestra, which featured Frank Sinatra in 1940–42, until the early 1950s. He appeared with Jimmy in the 1947 Hollywood feature film The Fabulous Dorseys, and in 1953 they formed a new band together. In 1955–56, they cohosted their own television program, Stage Show, on CBS. His premature death was caused by strangulation on food particles.