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Gal in Kalamazoo
 A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I
got a gal in Kalamazoo, don't wanna boast, but I know she's the
toast of Kal-a-ma-zoo-zoo....
It was during World War II that a song helped immortalize Kalamazoo,
Michigan. The Glenn Miller Orchestra introduced "I've
Got a Gal in Kalamazoo" in the 1942 film Orchestra Wives (20th
Century-Fox Pictures). The musical starred George Montgomery,
Ann Rutherford, Cesar Romero, a young Jackie Gleason, and includes
a dance number by the Nicholas Brothers.
With a moderate swing tempo, writer Mack Gordon and composer Harry
Warren produced a number one song capturing the wartime mood of
a fella longing for his girl back home. Originally recorded by the
Glenn Miller Orchestra with vocals by Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton
and the Modernaires, it was on the charts for 20 weeks--8 weeks
in the top position--and garnered an Academy Award nomination as
best song.
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Source: Encore, March
1994. Used with permission. |
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As a result of the popularity of the tune, there really was a gal
here. Sara Woolley (later Knight) was selected by her hometown to
represent the "Gal from Kalamazoo." Her outgoing
personality and good looks made the 19- year-old Kalamazoo College
student an ideal spokesperson for the city. Her picture and
story were published in newspapers, and she became a celebrity.
She received mail from her fans, including admiring servicemen,
and made many public appearances to sell war bonds and to promote
Kalamazoo. She married in 1948, had two children, and died here
in 1981.
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For further information, we suggest
these sources:
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Scholly, Susan. "Who was That Gal?" Encore, March1994,
p.38 |
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Chmielewski, Tom. "Popular song was indeed a real
pip-a-roo for Kalamazoo," Kalamazoo Gazette, 13 August 1995. |
| Compact Disc Jazz |
In the Digital Mood: the Glenn Miller Orchestra. GRP Records,
Inc. Limited Gold Edition, 1991. |
921
M6478S |
Simon, George T. Glenn Miller and His Orchestra.
New York: T.Y. Crowell Co., 1974. |
Written by Beth A. Scott, Kalamazoo Public
Library Staff, October 1997. Updated 13 July 2005.
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