The world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will lend its distinctive sound to the season finale of the High Plains Arts Council. The Father’s Day concert will be presented at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 19 at the Sidney (Nebraska) High School Performing Arts Center.
The legendary Glenn Miller launched his band in March of 1938 and became one of the most successful dance bandleaders of the 1940s and ’40s Swing Era. In 1941, Glenn Miller and His Orchestra had more hits in one year than anyone in the history of the recording industry. Those hit singles included “In The Mood,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “A String of Pearls,” “Moonlight Serenade,” and “Tuxedo Junction.” “Chattanooga Choo CHoo” was featured in the 1941 movie “Sun Valley Serenade” and was the first recording to ever earn a Gold Record award.
In 1942, at the height of the orchestra’s popularity, Miller broke up the band and volunteered for the U.S. Army. There, he organized and led the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band, which entertained servicemen in Europe. On Dec. 15, 1944, Maj. Miller took off from London in a single engine plane bound for Paris. It disappeared over the English Channel and Miller was never seen again.
The 1954 release of the major motion picture “The Glenn Miller Story” prompted the Miller Estate to authorize the formation of the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The ensemble performed its first concert on June 6, 1956 and has been on the road ever since. Each year, the 18-member group travels over 100,000 miles, playing nearly 300 dates. It last performed in Sidney in 2018.
Tickets for the Father’s Day concert are $13 for adults, $7 for seniors, $5 for students (including Western Nebraska Community College), and children under 5 are free. Tickets are available at the door.
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