Many people think Glenn Miller was the world's greatest musician and songwriter.

Alton Glenn Miller was born in 1904 in Clarinda, Iowa. In high school Glenn was very good at playing trombone. He was good enough to join a professional band. He decided to study music and in 1923 Glenn enrolled in the University of Colorado in Boulder. He was so busy playing in bands he didn't have enough time to study so he flunked 3 of 5 courses in one semester. Then he dropped out of school to be a musician full time.

He married Helen Burger, his college sweetheart, in 1928 in New York City.

After working with many different bands Glenn became musical director of the Dorsey Band in 1934. In 1935 he recorded "Moonlight on the Ganges". This was the first song he recorded under his own name.

In 1937 Miller made his own band but it wasn't very successful. In 1938, he formed the second Glenn Miller Orchestra. This orchestra was very successful. It attracted many dancers who loved his jazz-swing style.

Glenn went to Hollywood to make a movie in 1941. It was called "Sun Valley Serenade." The first time Glenn played "Chattanooga Choo Choo" was in this movie.

In 1942 he signed up to be in the Army. In 1943 he and his band were shipped to England. They made hundreds of appearances. On December 15th, 1944, Glenn Miller was on his way to Paris when his plane disappeared. He and the other people on the plane were never found.

We got our information from:
this web site and also this web site.