Glenn Miller - 70 Years Of Mystery

Len Goodman investigates the phenomenon of Bandleader Major Glenn Miller.

He was one of the biggest selling recording artistes between 1939 and 1943 and who years later, still remains one of the top sellers in the world.

Why? Is it because of his romantic music? Or does the mystery that still surrounds his mysterious disappearance on a foggy day 80 years ago in December 1944 draw us like a moth to a flame?

The facts surrounding the meteoric rise and phenomenal success of bandleader Glenn Miller between the years of 1939 and 1944 have been extremely well documented over the years. What is more interesting is why the music of Glenn Miller achieved even greater popularity after World War II and has continued to attract new listeners around the world for the last 80 years.

One hugely important factor has to be the mysterious disappearance of Major Glenn Miller whilst on a routine flight to France across the English Channel on December 15th 1944. He took off and simply vanished into the fog.

A heady cocktail of the romantic Miller music laced with nostalgia and a huge dollop of wide-eyed fascination as to what actually happened in that small aircraft on that fateful foggy afternoon must be key to all of this. Plus, speculation as to what Glenn Miller would have gone on to achieve in music and entertainment had he arrived safely in France and continued his career after the war.

A Ping production for BBC Radio 2, first broadcast in December 2014.

Len Goodman investigates the phenomenon of bandleader Major Glenn Miller, and his appeal many years after the war. From 2014.

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