Vallee, Rudy Hubert Prior (1901–1986)

US singer, actor, and bandleader. Establishing a clean-cut, college-boy image, he became one of the most popular crooners (indicating a smooth, intimate style) of the 1920s. He formed his band the Connecticut Yankees 1928 and hosted a radio programme with the theme song ‘My Time Is Your Time’ (recorded 1929). From 1929 he appeared in films and stage musicals.

Vallee was born in Island Pond, Vermont, and raised in Maine. After studying at the University of Maine and Yale, he travelled widely, making appearances in England and throughout the USA. In the 1920s he sang through a megaphone, which became a trademark. He served in World War I and in the Coast Guard in World War II. Vallee started as a saxophone player and toured with local bands throughout his teenage years. On leaving college he became a singer, making records like ‘The Vagabond Lover’ (1929) and ‘Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?’ (1932). In Hollywood and on Broadway he began as a romantic lead but turned to comedy in the 1940s; his films include George White's Scandals (1934), Palm Beach Story (1942), and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1966). His performing career lasted into the 1980s.