Ted Lewis and His Band

Theodore Leopold Friedman, or 'Ted Lewis', was born on June 6, 1890 in Circleville, Ohio and died on August 25, 1971 at the age of 81. He was one of the first musicians from the North to adopt and imitate the jazz that was being created in the land of Dixie. He played clarinet, but was never known for his mastery of the instrument. Instead of featuring a lot of his clarinet music, he was smart enough to have hired and used clarinet players in his band like Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey and Don Murray. At one time, the only musician more popular than him was the Paul Whiteman orchestra.

Ted never took himself or his music too seriously, adding whim and humor to many numbers. His favorite tag line, heard often by his audience was, "Is Ev-v-v-v-rybody Happy?" In his song, 'Home Made Sunshine,' he calls himself Doctor Lewis, WFD - World Famous Dispenser, of Sunshine and Happiness. Mr. Lewis was very popular during and after the Great Depression of 1929, and while that horrendous time turned many people into fatally depressed souls, Ted Lewis became an ambassador of smiles and good humor. His optimism and constantly positive attitude can be witnessed in the songs he favored and are available here.