Ray McKinley on AllMovie

Bandleader, singer, and musician, Ray McKinley was a member of the United States Army Air Force Orchestra when its leader Glenn Miller disappeared forever while on a foggy flight between England and France. When the news broke, it was McKinley who took over the band until the end of the war. Born and raised in Fort Worth, TX, McKinley started out playing with local groups during the 1930s. Between 1934 and 1939, he was a singer with the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. In the early '40s, before his induction into the Army, McKinley sang with the McKinley-Bradley Band. After his military experience, he led his own band. They appeared in the movie Make Believe Ballroom (1949). In 1956, McKinley took over the direction of the reunited Glenn Miller Orchestra and remained in that capacity until 1965.