As a child Harry Haag James' father taught Harry to play trumpet, and every day before he could do anything else he learned one page of Jean Baptiste Arban's music book, and as a result learned to read music so well that as an adult he was nicknamed 'The Hawk' and a standing joke was that if a fly landed on his sheet of music, he would play it. After playing with Benny Goodman's orchestra he started his own band, and his song, "You Made Me Love You" hit the top music charts in 1941 and he became one of the most famous big band leaders of the swinging big band era. His first wife, torch singer Louise Tobin, introduced him to an unknown male singer and as a result Harry James signed him to a contract with his band and introduced Frank Sinatra to the world.