The Royal Canadians

From CanadianIdentity.com: significant Canadian events, history, inventions, and people

CanadianIdentity.com is an educational web site intended to help Canadians and our friends around the world better understand what forms our Canadian identity. Canadian identity includes what Canadians think and believe about themselves and our country of Canada.

Please search or browse for Canadian buildings, documents, dreams, economy, education, environment, events, expressions, faith, groups, inventions, languages, people, places, programs and symbols. You may read about significant people who visited or lived in Canada.
Please add an entry or make a suggestion here.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

---

Who were The Royal Canadians ?

The Royal Canadians was a big band formed and led by Canadian, Guy Lombardo. With his three brothers Carmen Lombardo, Lebert Lombardo, and Victor Lombardo and other musicians from his hometown of London, Ontario, he formed the The Royal Canadians in 1924, famous for the motto "The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven". His very first recording session took place where Bix Beiderbecke made his legendary recordings — in Richmond, Indiana, at the Gennett Studios — both during early 1924.

The musical team played at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City from 1929 to 1959, and their New Year's Eve broadcasts (which continued until 1976 at the Waldorf Astoria) were a major part of New Year's celebrations across North America. In 1938, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. The Royal Canadians were noted for playing the traditional song "Auld Lang Syne" as part of the celebrations. Their recording of the song still plays as the first song of the new year in Times Square.

The Royal Canadians are believed to have sold more than 300 million phonograph albums during their lifetimes. This is a considerable feat given that many homes had no record players in the 1920s and 1930s.