George T. Simon

This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: George T. Simon was a journalist and historian who documented the history of the swing era! In a series of best-selling books, George recounted the glory days of the Big Band Era in America during the 1930s and 40s. Having written for several magazines during the time, George knew many of the musicians and singers involved with the era and took great pride in documenting their contributions to music. A fun little-known fact is that George actually played drums on a few gigs with Glenn Miller before Miller's band took off in popularity!

Image courtesy of the Downbeat archives, Sandy Speiser, and Arlington House Publishers.