A master of catchy, big band dance tunes in the 1950s, Ray Anthony was as an
orchestra leader, trumpet player and all round entertainer that helped
popularise the Hokey Pokey song and dance in the US. Born as Raymond Antonini,
he learned trumpet from his father and started out playing with Glenn Miller and
Jimmy Dorsey in 1940 before serving in the US Navy during WWII and starting his
own group upon his return. A brilliant self-publicist and natural showman, he
signed to Capitol Records in 1949 and his novelty hits The Bunny Hop and Hokey
Pokey (known in Britain as the Hokey Coke...