Songwriters Hall of Fame

Jan Garber was the band leader of the popular dance band that was the epitome of ‘sweet music’ and achieved chart success from 1923 through 1951.

Garber was born on November 5, 1897 in Morristown, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the University of North Carolina and shortly after World War I, Garber began playing the violin in the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. He formed the Garber-Davis Orchestra in 1921 with pianist Milton Davis and trumpeters Chelsea Quealey and Harry Goldfield.

Garber formed his own orchestra in 1924 and played danced music and ‘hot’ jazz. With arrangements by Gray Tains and featured vocalists Benny Davis, Sonny Faircloth, Lew Palmer, Lee Bennett, Fritz Heilbron, Russell Brown, Tony Allen and Liz Tilton, the Orchetra had over 65 hit recordings between 1923 and 1951 including the #1 recordings of ‘Baby Face’ (1923), ‘All I Do is Dream of You’ (1934), ‘A Beautiful Lady in Blue’ (1936) ‘A Melody From the Sky’ (1936).

Garber continued working into the mid-1970's. He died on October 5, 1977.