Lee Barron

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Lee Barron (born Elroy Vernon Lee; 1 August 1915 – 21 December 1993) was an American big band leader and radio/TV personality.

Early life[edit]

He was born in Minnesota. Barron was born to Earl C. Lee (1883 Iowa – 1931) and Emma J. Lee (née Sylvester; b. 8 August 1887 Polk County, Minnesota; d. 24 July 1970 Crookston, Minnesota). Elroy had one brother, Clayton H. Lee (born 19 April 1921 Crookston, Minnesota). Elroy married Bernice Lucile Lee (née Barholz; (28 April 1918 - 9 July 2007). A stone memorial commemorating the lives of Elroy and Bernice was laid at Concordia Cemetery, Fertile, Minnesota.[1]

Career[edit]

His bands included Elroy Lee and the Crookston Dinner Club Orchestra, Snorty and His City Slickers, Lee Barron and His Belltone Music, and territory band The Lee Barron Orchestra.

Barron's radio career started at Nebraska-based KOIL station in 1944. He worked for other radio and TV stations in later years.

Lew Anderson was a member of the Lee Barron Orchestra.

Author[edit]

In the late 1980s, he wrote the book The Odyssey of the Mid-Nite Flyer, which charts many of the unknown territory bands of the Midwest throughout the 1930s-1950's. This was released on 1 June 1987 via Midwest Band Books.

Barron died in Omaha, aged 78.[2][3][4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ findagrave.com
  2. ^ Orlando Sentinel (December 25, 1993). "Deaths:" "Lee Barron" (Florida ed.). Archived from the original on October 4, 2012 – via Wayback Machine. ISSN 0744-6055; OCLC 49888888 (all editions).
  3. ^ Barron, Lee ( Elroy Vernon Lee; 1915–1993) (1987). Odyssey of the Mid-Nite Flyer: A History of Midwest Bands (1st ed.). Omaha, Nebraska: Lee Barron (publisher).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) LCCN 87-410902; ISBN 0-9620-4370-2, ISBN 978-0-9620-4370-3; OCLC 44864919 (all editions).
  4. ^ Lincoln Star (The) (December 24, 1993). "Illness Claims Big-Band Leader Lee Barron" (AP). p. 6. Retrieved July 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.