Rowland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan was born on November 2, 1908 and died June 2, 1942 at the age of 33. Born in Hilbert, Wisconsin, he was a child music prodigy, quickly mastering both violin and trumpet. As a teen he played with the Hal Kemp Orchestra, and soon was in demand as a studio musician for swing recordings. He freelanced with several popular bands of the time including Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman, the Dorsey Brothers, and even Glenn Miller. Finally he formed his own swing band, leading the way from swing to jazz, and music continued to evolve. He was a popular addition to the CBS radio show, 'Saturday Night Swing Club' that was heard coast to coast. His own band didn't do well in 1940, leading him to declare bankruptcy and start over again. On a stop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that year he was sent to the hospital with pneumonia, and while there doctors discovered that he also has cirrhosis of the liver in advanced stages from all of the drinking that he did. He was warned to stop drinking alcohol immediately, but he couldn't, and in 1942 at the age of 33 he died in New York City.