The Resume

(March 28, 1890-December 29, 1967)
Born in Denver, Colorado
Big band leader
Notable recordings include 'Rhapsody in Blue,' 'Mississippi Mud,' 'Wonderful One,' 'Hot Lips,' 'Whispering,' Valencia, 'Birth of the Blues,' Body and Soul,' Smoke Gets In Your Eyes,' Mississippi Suite' and 'Grand Canyon Suite'
Nicknamed 'The King of Jazz'
Inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame (1993)

Why he might be annoying:

Jazz purists complain that his music was not 'real' jazz, because it did not swing and avoided improvisation.
Critic Leonard Feather called him 'the Lawrence Welk of his generation.'
He weighed over 300 pounds at his peak.
He chickened out on plans to integrate his band when his managers convinced him it would be career suicide.

Why he might not be annoying:

He did cross racial lines behind the scenes, hiring black arranger Fletcher Henderson for recording sessions.
He had an eye for talent, with his band featuring musicians Bunny Berrigan, Bix Beiderbecke, Jack Teagarden and the Dorsey Brothers and vocalists Bing Crosby and Mildred Bailey.
He commissioned George Gershwin's classical composition 'Rhapsody in Blue.'
Duke Ellington declared, 'Paul Whiteman was known as the King of Jazz, and no one as yet has come near carrying that title with more certainty and dignity.'
Unlike a lot of his contemporaries, he kept an open mind about changing tastes in music, declaring the year before he died, 'Were I a young man getting started in the music business these days, I'd probably grow my hair long and form a rock'n'roll band.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Black and White
• Buddy! Dude! Man! Guy!
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 29]
• Ed Sullivan Show Guests
• I Am Vaudeville [M-Z]
• I Died in 1967 (Ranked: 77)
• I Have a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame[U-Z]
• I Recorded 'Gloomy Sunday'
• I've Got a Secret - Guests [1952-67]
• Jazz Artists
• Look at Me, I Got a Microphone
• My Song was Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (Ranked: 1974)
• My Song was Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame (Ranked: 1998)
• Profiles 29001-29250 (Ranked: 29238)
• Red, White and Blue

Year In Review:

For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 109 Votes: 51.38% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 30.77% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 3 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 15 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 23 Votes: 52.17% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 15 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
In 2011, Out of 15 Votes: 26.67% Annoying
In 2010, Out of 21 Votes: 42.86% Annoying