Roger Wolfe Kahn

by Jason AnkenyBandleader Roger Wolfe Kahn was born October 19, 1907 in Morristown, NJ; the son of multi-millionaire Otto Kahn, he began playing the violin at age seven, and over the course of his life mastered well over a dozen instruments. In 1923 he formed his first orchestra, playing only the most exclusive New York venues during the decade to follow; with his family's enormous wealth to back him, Kahn was able to recruit the finest musicians, and his aptly-named Million Dollar Band variously employed the likes of Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Artie Shaw, Jack Teagarden and Gene Krupa. After recording a series of dates for the Victor label between 1925 and 1932, in 1935 Kahn's interest turned away from music to aviation, and he later worked as a test pilot; he died in New York City on July 12, 1962.