Born in London, Ontario CANADA on June 19, 1902, Guy Lombardo went on to become the most popular band leader on the American music scene. His ensemble, The Royal Canadians, sold at least 100 million records. Between 1929 and 1952 there wasn't a single year that a Lombardo record didn't chart - 21 of them at number one. He is arguably the most successful entertainer to come out of Canada - ever.

The Guy Lombardo Story

Part One: A Bunch of Kid Musicians 1902-1923
Part Two: An American Success Story 1924-1954
Part Three: I Never Get Bored Playing 1955-1977

Carmen Lombardo: The Adventures of Guy's Musical Brother

Lebert Lombardo: The Third Guy

This Is Your Life, Guy Lombardo! The 1949 Radio Profile

Guy's Violin: A Study of his Unsuccessful Career as a Fiddler

The Fastest Driver This Side of Hades: Guy's Need for Speed

The Gold Cup Crash of 1948: A Close Escape for Lombardo

The 1937 Flood Benefit Concert: Guy's Greatest Gift to London

The 1967 Centennial Hall Concert: Guy's Worst

The Jones Beach Spectaculars: A Port in a Musical Storm

Boo Hoo! Londoners Who Hate Lombardo

Web Master's Editorial on Guy's 100th birthday

Guy Lombardo on Record

Guy's First Recording: The 1924 Gennett Session

The great stars who guested with Guy on wax.

Guy Lombardo on Film

An appreciation of Guy's brief but varied career in Hollywood.

A Virtual Tour: Guy Lombardo's London

A look at some of the dance halls, movie theatre and clubs that helped make Guy Lombardo famous during his formative years in London.

Lombardo Merchandise

Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians: The Timeless Collection has made its debut on CD in time for the 100th birthday of the maestro. This collection of 20 tracks features some of the band's greatest hits, including Boo Hoo, Sweethearts on Parade and (need we mention?) Auld Lang Syne.

It's available for $25 through The Friends of Lombardo, P.O. Box 58, Lambeth Station, London, Ontario, N6P 1P9. The price includes shipping and handling.

Guy Lombardo Audio Clips

Happy New Year, 1946!
Armed Forces Radio Service broadcast from The Roosevelt Grill in New York City. Funny thing, Guy doesn't sound like himself. Could the whole thing be a fake?

This is Your Life!
Guy Lombardo is the surprised guest on NBC Radio's This Is Your Life which chronicles the life of the London-born bandleader. The discs for this long-lost 1949 program were recently discovered by Doty Docs and lovingly restored by Peter Nagy of Dawn of Sound.

Guy Lombardo Video Clips

Guy performs for Londoners as part of the city's centennial, July 1955
The Royal Canadian play during "Guy Lombardo Day" as London, Ontario marks 100 years as a city. Great shots show the Lombardo conducting style.

The Lombardos dedicate a plaque to their childhood home, July 1959
Labatt's makes great beer - but they tore down the house where Guy honed his craft as a young boy! Well, at least Guy was a good enough sport to unveil an historic marker at the site of new retail brewskie store. Let's hope they gave him a case of Blue for his trouble...

Guy reflects on his father's influence on his career, June 1971
Segment from a very nice convocation address Guy gave to some University of Western Ontario grads. He reflects on his upbringing, his father and why on earth a high school drop-out should receive an honourary degree.

Guy explains why he likes London so much, September 1975
Guy came home to promote his autobiography: Auld Aquaintance. In between signing copies for old biddies he was interviewed by newsman Jack Burghardt on his London roots.

Guy Lombardo Web Sites

Guy Lombardo to Retire
Say it ain't so, Guy! Reprint of a 1957 article by columnist Robert W. Dana breaks the news that The Royal Canadians will be leaving The Roosevelt Grill in New York City, their wintertime home for almost 30 years. As things worked out, Guy didn't leave the place until 1962 and didn't stop conducting until his death.

Guy Lombardo's Gravesite
For those of you who want to see the absolute end of the story. Photos of Guy's grave at Pinelawn Memorial Park, New York. It's also the burial site of his younger brother Lebert.

The Day the Music Died
In-depth report by journalist Jonathan Sher about the recent legal fiasco surrounding London's Guy Lombardo Music Centre. More mesmerizing than a car accident - but just as tragic.

The Guy Lombardo Society
Clearing house for all things Lombardo offers some good links and allows you to share your obsession with other Royal Canadian fans through the club newsletter. Unfortunately, the design of the site needs a major overhaul.