Added: Feb 14, 2010

From: ASACurator

Duration: 3:31

For Valentines Day - A Few Songs about Love & Romance: John Senator Marvin was born July 11, 1887 in Butler, Oklahoma, the son of John Harvey Marvin and his wife Molly. As a youth, Marvin was called by his middle name, to distinguish himself from his father, and continued with this name when he left home at age 16 to join a traveling show called the Royal Hawaiians, playing steel guitar and ukulele. After a stint serving as a Navy barber in World War I, Marvin toured with a vaudeville group playing many different instruments. He recorded as Sargent and Marvin with his touring partner Charles Sargent for awhile, but not with any great success. His first solo recording with ukulele was in 1924, with a song called "You know me Alabam" on the Radiex label. Marvin signed with Columbia Records in the mid-1920s recording as Johnny Marvin, The Ukulele Ace. The contract was not exclusive, and he also made recordings for other record labels and dime-store subsidiaries under many pseudonyms. He also recorded under his own name, Johnny Marvin on Edison. In late 1926, Marvin appeared in the Broadway play Honeymoon Lane, playing and singing the show tunes in the role of Honey Duke. He was very successful in this role, continuing into mid-1927, a year that brought the most prolific recording of his career. He signed exclusively with Victor Records and started touring in a vaudeville act. By 1928, Marvin was at the pinnacle of his success. He was a popular vaudeville attraction, one of Victor records best-selling singers, and the Johnny Marvin ukulele was a good seller. However, by the early 1930s vaudeville was fading as film and radio continued successfully. Marvin became involved with NBC radio, especially from 1932-1935 with his daily radio show. In 1937 Johnny Marvin & his brother Frankie (a recording artist as well) moved to Los Angeles where Johnny worked primarily as a composer and producer. He partnered with his long-term friend Gene Autry and formed the "Western Music Publishing Company". He also worked with Autry as a writer and producer of "The Melody Ranch Show", and wrote approximately 80 songs for Autry's films. With the inset of WWII, Marvin toured the South Pacific military bases several times entertaining troops during World War II. In 1943 in Papua, he contacted dengue fever, and had to return to the United States. Having converted to the Christian Science faith, he refused treatment for his illness, which ultimately led to his death from a heart attack in 1945 at his North Hollywood home.

Channel: Music

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