Hubert Prior Vallée, known professionally as Rudy Vallee, and born on July 28, 1901, in Island Pond, Vermont, was a singer, saxophonist, bandleader, actor, and entertainer. He began his musical career playing drums in high school and later clarinet and saxophone in bands around New England. In 1928, Vallee formed Rudy Vallee and the Connecticut Yankees, marking his breakthrough as a singer and bandleader. He started performing on radio stations like WABC and NBC Red Network, becoming one of the first celebrity crooners. His early recordings included "The Stein Song" (a.k.a. University of Maine school song) in 1929 and "Vieni, Vieni" in the late 1930s. Vallee's last hit record was a reissue of "As Time Goes By", popularized in the 1942 film Casablanca. He passed away on July 3, 1986.
