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Kay Kyser
<html> <head> <title>Kay Kyser</title> <meta name="googlebot" content="noodp"> <meta name="robots" content="noodp"> <link rel="apple-touch-icon-precomposed" href="/silly-nndb-icon.png" /><style type="text/css"> <!-- .fotmbar { color: #FFFFFF; text-decoration: none} .fotmbar:hover { color: #FFFFFF; text-decoration: underline} .newslink { color: #000000; text-decoration: none} .newslink:hover { color: #000000; text-decoration: none} .proflink { color: #000000; text-decoration: none} .proflink:hover { color: blue; text-decoration: underline} .b1f, .b2f, .b3f, .b4f {font-size:1px; overflow:hidden; display:block;} .b1f {height:1px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 5px;} .b2f {height:1px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 3px;} .b3f {height:1px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 2px;} .b4f {height:2px; background:#e6e6e6; margin:0 1px;} .contentf {background: #e6e6e6; padding: 2px; } .contentf div {margin-left: 5px;} --> </style></head> <body bgcolor=#ffffff> <center> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr><td valign=top><table width=550 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td bgcolor=white><table width="100%" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" background="/nndb.gif"> <tr> <td rowspan="2" align="left" valign="top"><a href="http://www.nndb.com/"><img src="/title.gif" width="260" height="50" border=0 alt="NNDB"></a></td> <td><table width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="6"> <tr align="center"> <td width="25%" nowrap><b><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is a beta version of NNDB</font></b></td> </tr> </table></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" valign="middle"><b><font size="-1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> <form action="http://search.nndb.com/search/nndb.cgi" method="get"> <input type="hidden" name="nndb" value="1"></input> <nobr>Search: <select name="omenu"> <option value="unspecified" selected>All Names</option> <option value="living">Living people</option> <option value="dead">Dead people</option> <option value="bands">Band Names</option> <option value="books">Book Titles</option> <option value="movies">Movie Titles</option> <option value="fulltext">Full Text</option> </select> for <input name="query" value="" size=24 maxlength=96> <input type=submit value="Search"> </font></b></nobr></form></td> </tr> </table> <!-- COPYRIGHT (C) 2008 SOYLENT COMMUNICATIONS --> <!-- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED --> <!-- NO PART OF THIS WEBSITE MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION --> <!-- OF SOYLENT COMMUNICATIONS (ON THE WEB, IN PRINT, OR OTHERWISE) --> <!-- --> <!-- SOYLENT COMMUNICATIONS --> <!-- PO BOX 4436, MOUNTAIN VIEW CA 94040 USA --> </td></tr><tr><td bgcolor=red height=2></td></tr><map name=fool><area coords="102,0,240,14" href="/people/960/000044828/bibliography/" alt="bibliography"></map><tr bgcolor=F0F0F0><td bgcolor=F0F0F0 style="padding: 0px 15px 15px 15px;"><img src="/red-profile-2.gif" align="right" height=15 width=240 border=0 usemap=#fool><br clear="all"><table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=100%><tr><td bgcolor=F0F0F0><font size=+3 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Kay Kyser</b></font><p><img src="kyserk2-crop.jpg" height=287 width=236 align=right hspace=10 vspace=10 alt="Kay Kyser"><b>AKA</b> James King Kern Kyser<p><b>Born:</b> <a href="/lists/687/000106369/" class=proflink>18-Jun</a>-<a href="/lists/896/000105581/" class=proflink>1897</a><br><b>Birthplace:</b> <a href="/geo/133/000079893/" class=proflink>Rocky Mount, NC</a><br><b>Died:</b> <a href="/lists/091/000106770/" class=proflink>23-Jul</a>-<a href="/lists/495/000106177/" class=proflink>1985</a><br><b>Location of death:</b> <a href="/geo/239/000079999/" class=proflink>Chapel Hill, NC</a><br><b>Cause of death:</b> Heart Failure<br><b>Remains:</b> Buried, Old Chapel Hill Cemetery, Chapel Hill, NC<br><p><b>Gender:</b> Male<br><b>Religion:</b> <a href="/lists/953/000110623/" class=proflink>Christian Science</a><br><b>Race or Ethnicity:</b> White<br><b>Sexual orientation:</b> Straight<br><b>Occupation:</b> Musician<p><b>Nationality:</b> United States<br><b>Executive summary:</b> The Ol' Professor, eleven #1 records<p>Perhaps the first famous Big Band leader, Kyser performed with <a href="/people/932/000023863/">Ish Kabibble</a> and singer <a href="/people/958/000044826/">Harry Babbitt</a>, scoring eleven #1 records in the 1930's and 40's. When singer Babbitt was called to service in WWII, replacing him was Don Leslie and future talk show host <a href="/people/014/000022945/">Mike Douglas</a>.<p> In addition to the music, Kyser hosted the <i>Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge</i> radio program 1937-49, a show comparable to <i>Name That Tune</i> but with slightly more depth. The show was tried on television in the early 1950's with some success, but didn't work nearly as well as it did on the radio. It was tried briefly again several years later, with <a href="/people/316/000045181/">Tennessee Ernie Ford</a> as replacement host.<p> After Kyser died in 1985, singer <a href="/people/958/000044826/">Harry Babbitt</a> purchased the back catalogue from Georgia, and performed under the Kyser name until the mid-1990's, one of the last touring remnants of Big Band.<p><b>Father:</b> P. B. Kyser<br><b>Mother:</b> Emily<br><b>Wife:</b> Georgia Carroll (m. Jun-1944, until his death, three daughters)<br><b>Daughter:</b> Kimberly Kyser<br><b>Daughter:</b> Amanda Kyser<br><p> University: <a href="/edu/516/000068312/">University of North Carolina (1928)</a><br><p> <a href="/honors/469/000122103/">Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses</a> 1942<br> <a href="/honors/481/000032385/">Radio Hall of Fame</a> 1990<br><p> <font size=-2 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR</font><br> <a href="/films/299/000161813/">Carolina Blues (20-Dec-1944)</a> · Himself<br> <a href="/films/626/000110296/">Around the World (24-Nov-1943)</a> · Himself<br> <a href="/films/738/000225063/">Swing Fever (1-Nov-1943)</a> <br> <a href="/films/886/000089619/">Thousands Cheer (13-Sep-1943)</a> · Himself<br> <a href="/films/931/000079694/">Stage Door Canteen (24-Jun-1943)</a> · Himself<br> <a href="/films/314/000264519/">My Favorite Spy (28-May-1942)</a> <br> <a href="/films/129/000204514/">Playmates (26-Dec-1941)</a> · Himself<br> <a href="/films/357/000082111/">You'll Find Out (22-Nov-1940)</a> · Kay<br> <a href="/films/911/000270101/">That's Right -- You're Wrong (24-Nov-1939)</a> · Himself<br><p> <b>Official Website:</b><br><a href="http://www.kaykyser.net/" target=_blank>http://www.kaykyser.net/</a><p> <br><br><p> <font size=-1>Do you know something we don't?</font><br> <font size=-1><a href="http://commentary.nndb.com/submit/feedback/?id=44828" rel="nofollow">Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile</a></font><br> <p> <br><br><p><font size=-1>Copyright ©2019 Soylent Communications</font><p> </td></tr></table> </td></tr> </table> </td> <td width=180 align="center" valign="top" style="padding: 0px 0px 8px 25px;"></td></tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>