Jazz Big Band Musician. His band was known for its full, lush ensemble sound and danceable melodies. From the late 1930's throughout the early 1940's, the band was the mainstay in Chicago at the Aragon and Trianon ballrooms drawing huge crowds using "Day Dreams Come True At Night", as their theme song. When on tour, they could be seen at such places as the famous Avalon Ballroom on Catalina Island and New York's Strand Theater. The group was formed by Dick and his brother and began playing at summer camps at Lake Tahoe while they worked as garbage collectors to supplement incomes. After a booking at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco in 1934, they began gaining national fame. Dick Jurgens was instrumental in composing an arrangement written by a member of his band which they called, "Elmer's Tune". Glenn Miller heard the song, asked to play it, and the catchy tune became a national hit. The Jurgens Band disband in 1956 and Dick went into a retail music business. Thirteen years later he formed another unit and played at the Willowbrook Club in Chicago until 1976 when he retired for good returning to live in his hometown of Sacramento where he died at the age of 85.
Jazz Big Band Musician. His band was known for its full, lush ensemble sound and danceable melodies. From the late 1930's throughout the early 1940's, the band was the mainstay in Chicago at the Aragon and Trianon ballrooms drawing huge crowds using "Day Dreams Come True At Night", as their theme song. When on tour, they could be seen at such places as the famous Avalon Ballroom on Catalina Island and New York's Strand Theater. The group was formed by Dick and his brother and began playing at summer camps at Lake Tahoe while they worked as garbage collectors to supplement incomes. After a booking at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco in 1934, they began gaining national fame. Dick Jurgens was instrumental in composing an arrangement written by a member of his band which they called, "Elmer's Tune". Glenn Miller heard the song, asked to play it, and the catchy tune became a national hit. The Jurgens Band disband in 1956 and Dick went into a retail music business. Thirteen years later he formed another unit and played at the Willowbrook Club in Chicago until 1976 when he retired for good returning to live in his hometown of Sacramento where he died at the age of 85.
Bio by: Donald Greyfield
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