Biography
Vincent Lopez, a composer, author, conductor, and pianist, received his education at St. Mary's Monastery and Kissick's Business College before forming his orchestra. He performed in vaudeville and dance halls, eventually making his radio debut in 1921. Lopez held a jazz concert at the Metropolitan Opera House and was engaged for eight years at the Hotel St. Regis, later playing at the Hotel Taft by 1942. A practicing numerologist, he delivered lectures and concerts on numerology and wrote the books "Numerology: What's Ahead," "Lopez Speaking," and "Trends of Music." His promotion of US Bonds earned him a citation from the United States Treasury Department. Joining ASCAP in 1941, his main musical collaborators were Johnny Messner and Joseph Cohen. His popular songs include "The World Stands Still," "Knock, Knock, Who's There?," "Silver Head," "Piano Echoes," "Three Sisters," "Sky Ride," "Rockin' Chair Swing," "Since Nellie Came Back From the City," "Capricorn," "What's Your Business?," "Does a Duck Like Water?," and "Clarabel."
Though now largely forgotten and underappreciated, Brooklyn-born Lopez was leading his own band by age 22 and was among the first prominent bandleaders of the 1920s, gaining fame through the emerging medium of radio. During his prime, he was as well-known as Paul Whiteman, with both pioneers adeptly using radio for self-promotion. Lopez’s signature tune was "Nola" (by Felix Arndt), typically introduced with his distinctive "Lopez speaking!" phrase, maintaining his popularity into the 1940s. Many notable musicians passed through his band, including Artie Shaw, Mike Mosiello, Xavier Cugat, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, and Glenn Miller. He is credited with giving Betty Hutton her first major opportunity; both appeared in two Warner Brothers Vitaphone shorts filmed in New York during 1938-39. The latter featured an 18-year-old Hutton performing a wildly energetic jitterbug rendition of "Old Man Mose" that remains remarkable. Lopez and his band made the Taft Hotel in New York City their home from 1941 until the early 1960s. He retired to Florida and passed away there in 1975.
