Lee Erwin
Lee Orville Erwin (July 15, 1908 – September 21, 2000) was an American theatre organist who played an important part in a revival of interest in the silent film era. His career began as an organist accompanying first-run silent films in the 1920s. He received classical training in Cincinnati and France, and then began a career as organist and arranger for radio, significantly at WLW and CBS Radio, the latter in association with Arthur Godfrey, that lasted through the mid-1960s. When his radio career ended he was commissioned to provide complete new scores for silent films exceeding seventy in number, and in this capacity and as an organist for silent film tours and exhibitions he received widespread critical acclaim. Erwin was active into his early 90s. |
Birth and Death Data: Died 2000
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1941 - 1950
Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-068350 | 10-in. | 11/24/1941 | Last night I said a prayer | Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-068440 | 10-in. | 11/28/1941 | Last night I said a prayer | Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye ; Arthur Wright | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | E0VB-3732 | 10-in. | 7/21/1950 | The story of Bucky and Dan | Roy Rogers | Male vocal solo, with male vocal quartet and instrumental ensemble | songwriter | |
| Victor | D7VB-2157 | 10-in. | 12/4/1947 | Old fashioned cowboy | Roy Rogers | Male vocal solo, with string band | songwriter |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Erwin, Lee," accessed December 27, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116419.
Erwin, Lee. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 27, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116419.
"Erwin, Lee." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 27 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Lee Erwin (organist)
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Erwin, Lee - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr90013451
Wikidata: Lee Erwin (organist) - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q107410555
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/261190048
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1496616 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1496616
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