100 years ago the most popular band leader the world has ever known was born, Alton Glenn Miller. It is said that the only reason Glenn Miller is so popular today, over other great band leaders of the Big Band era, was because of his tragic disappearance on the 15th December 1944. Is that what you think?.... or could it be the simple fact that the Glenn Miller sound was so unique , that it simply appealed to music lovers world wide then in the thirties and forties, right up to the present day. There have been numerous copy bands and tribute concerts by just about every band around all playing Glenns music, 55 years after his death. The officially lead Miller bands of Tex Beneke, Ray McKindly, Buddy Defranco, Peanuts Hucko, Buddy Morrow, Jimmy Henderson and Larry Obrien and the copy bands of Ray Anthony, Ralph Flanagan and Jerry Gray, none of these bands, although excellent and some great bands among them, have been able to recreate the true Miller sound.

Only one band that was formed 33 years ago and started because its leader so loved the Glenn Miller sound, that he thought he would start his own part time band, playing the type of music he loved, as he was unable to do this in his regular work as a cornet player in The Northern Dance Orchestra. His name was Syd Lawrence. His band is still touring today and playing Glenn Miller music even though sadly, Syd passed away in May 98 at the age of 74. Today the Syd Lawrence orchestra is still pulling in the crowds led by Chris Dean and the music that comes from those instruments is true Miller, the only band that has been able to recreate Glenn Music so accurately that it is almost impossible to tell the difference.

Glenn Miller would not only be proud to hear this band, but also to see it as an orchestra that plays with the precision and presentation that was the hallmark of quality that Glenn Miller would insist upon. The last Performance that the Glenn Miller Army Air Force band gave was in front of Harry Truman and Generals Dwight D Eisenhower and "Hap" Arnold in Washington DC, 1945. Eddie Cantor gave a very warm and emotional speech about Glenn, a truly wonderful man who gave all his success up at the peak of his popularity to join the Army and serve his country and as we all know made the supreme sacrifice. But he will not be forgotten, for we will always have the sound of the great music that he created.