JAMES, HARRY (HAAG)

born March 15, 1916, Albany, Ga., U.S. died July 5, 1983, Las Vegas, Nev. American trumpeter and bandleader who became a major figure of the swingtime Big Band era. The son of circus performers, James learned to play drums at age 4 and the trumpet at 8; when he was 12 he led one of the circus bands. As a young man he played with various bands before becoming a member of Benny Goodman's orchestra in 1937, joining trumpeters Ziggy Elman and Chris Griffin to form the powerhouse trio, one of the most celebrated Big Band trumpet sections in jazz history. James, however, remained the number one soloist with the Goodman orchestra and soared to fame with his interpretations of such songs as Ridin' High, Sing Sing Sing, One O'Clock Jump, and Life Goes to a Party. James formed his own band in 1939, but not until 1941, when he introduced the song You Made Me Love You, did his band become an overnight sensation. Among his further successes were I Cried for You, I Don't Want to Walk Without You, I Had the Craziest Dream, and Ciribiribin (his theme song). At the height of his popularity in 1943 James married film actress Betty Grable, meanwhile appearing in a string of films himself, including Springtime in the Rockies (1942), Two Girls and a Sailor (1944), and Do You Love Me? (1946). In the 1950s James went into semiretirement but occasionally led bands for the remainder of his life.