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George Olsen

George Edward Olsen Sr. (March 18, 1893 – March 18, 1971) was an American musician and bandleader.

Born in Portland, Oregon, Olsen's orchestra's debut hotel engagement came at the Multnomah Hotel in Portland. He then made the cross-county transition to Broadway, appearing in Kid Boots (1923), the Ziegfeld Follies of 1924, Ziegfeld Follies of 1925, and Good News (1927).

George Olsen and his orchestra were in Eddie Cantor's 1928 Broadway hit Whoopee!, and in the 1930 movie version. In the Follies George met a singer, Ethel Shutta, who sings and dances memorably in Whoopee!, and they married, appearing together in nightclubs and on radio. They had two children, George Jr. and Charles; following a divorce, Olsen opened a restaurant in Paramus, New Jersey. Olsen and Shutta were heard on the Oldsmobile Program on CBS radio in 1933. He also was an orchestra leader for The Jack Benny Program on radio.

Olsen signed with Victor in 1924 and remained as one of Victor's most popular bands until 1933 when he signed with Columbia. He stayed with Columbia through January, 1934. He recorded a single session in 1938 for Decca, and one final date for the rare Varsity label in 1940.

Olsen's bands produced few stars. Singer-saxophonist Fred MacMurray passed through in 1930 on his way to eventual movie stardom, recording a vocal on I'm in the Market for You. Olsen's long-time alto saxist and singer, Fran Frey, with his distinctive, reedy bass-baritone, was perhaps the best known Olsenite until he left in 1933 for a career as a music director in radio.

In 1936, Olsen became leader of Orville Knapp's band after Knapp died in a plane crash. Olsen was chosen to lead the band by Knapp's widow. Morale problems plagued the group, and in 1938, after many musicians had already left, the group disbanded.

A resident of Paramus, New Jersey, Olsen ran a popular local restaurant there on Paramus Road for many years before he died there on March 18, 1971. According to John S. Wilson in The New York Times, reviewing a retrospective of Olsen's recording "George Olsen and His Music" on RCA-Victor, in 1968, Olsen had a restaurant in Paramus, NJ called "George Olsen's". Wilson noted that "Olsen is there every day greeting guests at lunch and dinner... In the background, the original George Olsen records of the Twenties play softly.

After his divorce from Shutta, Olsen married Claralee Pilcer.

Birth and Death Data: Born March 18, 1893 (Portland), Died March 18, 1971 (Paramus)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1924 - 1944

Roles Represented in DAHR: director, leader, composer, songwriter, speaker, traps, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 101-125 of 246 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-47802 10-in. 10/3/1928 Where the shy little violets grow George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-48437 10-in. 12/6/1928 I'm bringing a red, red rose Bob Borger ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-48438 10-in. 12/6/1928 Come west little girl, come west George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet director  
Victor BVE-49022 10-in. 12/27/1928 I faw down an' go boom! George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal chorus director  
Victor BVE-49023 10-in. 12/27/1928 In a little town called home sweet home George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-49250 10-in. 12/11/1928 Makin' whoopee! Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-49251 10-in. 12/11/1928 Until you get somebody else Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-49624 10-in. 1/8/1929 I'll never ask for more Bob Borger ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-49625 10-in. 1/8/1929 When the world is at rest George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio director  
Victor BVE-49634 10-in. 1/11/1929 The Monte Carlo song George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-49635 10-in. 1/11/1929 O! What a night to love George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-50963 10-in. 3/22/1929 Walking with Susie Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-50964 10-in. 3/22/1929 That's you, baby George Olsen and his Music ; Erwin Magee Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-50980 10-in. 3/27/1929 Dream mother George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio director  
Victor BVE-50981 10-in. 3/27/1929 A garden in the rain Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-50996 10-in. 4/1/1929 Breakaway Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-50997 10-in. 4/1/1929 Big city blues George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-51606 10-in. 4/4/1929 I'm in seventh heaven Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-51607 10-in. 4/4/1929 Little pal Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-51997 10-in. 5/13/1929 Just another kiss Bob Borger ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-51998 10-in. 5/13/1929 Reaching for someone (And not finding anyone there) Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-51999 10-in. 5/13/1929 If we never should meet again George Olsen and his Music ; Jack Gifford Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo director  
Victor BVE-53527 10-in. 5/29/1929 Out where the moonbeams are born George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with recitation director, vocalist, speaker  
Victor BVE-53528 10-in. 5/29/1929 Spanish doll George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band director  
Victor BVE-53529 10-in. 5/29/1929 Watcha want to make me love you for, baby Fran Frey ; George Olsen and his Music Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band director  
(Results 101-125 of 246 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Olsen, George," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106120.

Olsen, George. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106120.

"Olsen, George." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106120

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