Together, the swinging Dorsey brothers, Jimmy (saxophone) and Tommy (trombone), had played with the finest big band leaders in all the land, such as Vincent Lopez and Paul Whiteman, but eventually their opposing temperaments got the better of them. It was when the two had organized their own band that the two decided to split while performing at the famed Glen Island Casino on Long Island:
“A split was inevitable. When it came, the rivalry turned into a bitter feud. Tommy set forth to outshine his older brother. He built star after star: Jack Leonard, Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, and Jo Stafford and launched them on their own once they achieved fame with his band… The contrast in temperament is further reflected in the boys’ incomes. Tommy, the more aggressive, takes in $850,000 annually. Jimmy coasts along on $650,000…”.
It wasn’t until 1942, upon hearing of the death of their father, that their competition had finally reached an end.
