Know About Charlie Barnet—The Front Man of "The Blackest White Band of Them All"
Saxophonist and bandleader Charlie Barnet was born into a wealthy family. His grandfather was Charles Frederick Daly, a vice-president for the New York Central Railroad, banker, and businessman. His father, a successful lawyer, wanted young Charlie to follow him into the family business. But Charlie had other plans. As a boy, Barnet attended exclusive boarding schools in New York and Chicago, where he learned to play the piano and saxophone. He often skipped school to listen to local jazz bands play. By the age of sixteen, Barnet had performed with Jean Goldkette's band and in New York, where he joined Frank Winegar's Pennsylvania Boys, playing tenor sax. By 1931, Barnet had relocated to Los Angeles with the hopes of landing work in local bands or Hollywood films. He appeared as an extra in a movie while trying to obtain employment with local bands. Unable to find consistent work, in late 1932, Charlie returned to the east coast and persuaded a friend at the CBS radio netwo