Jazz Musician. He was the songwriting brother of bandleader Guy Lombardo. Played 1st alto saxophone and flute with Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians and was the band's original male vocalist. He penned some of the band's biggest hits such as "Little Coquette," "Sweethearts On Parade," "Boo-Hoo," "Seems Like Old Times," and "Get Out Those Old Records" to name a few. His style of playing the saxophone, which was simply to play it naturally without any gimmicks, set the style for the band and created a phenomenon that no band has been able to match. When he provided vocals, he sang them exactly the way he played his sax. His vocalizing influenced many vocalists of the 1930's. But like his saxophone playing, it was often imitated, but never duplicated. Although Kenny Gardner was hired in 1940 to take his place as lead vocalist with the band, Carmen continued to sing in The Lombardo Trio and as a solo vocalist (usually on songs he had written) right up until his death.He and brother Guy formed the band around 1912, still kids in their hometown of London, Ontario, Canada. He remained with the orchestra until cancer took his life in April of 1971. He appeared on the televised 1970 New Year's Eve show (an annual tradition with the band) looking rather weak, but was determined to continue on as long as he could. His last written song was "What Have We Done To Our World." While it was never officially published, The Royal Canadians did record the tune shortly before his death.Carmen was married to Florence Haas, whom he met in Cleveland in the mid-1920's. They had no children.
Jazz Musician. He was the songwriting brother of bandleader Guy Lombardo. Played 1st alto saxophone and flute with Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians and was the band's original male vocalist. He penned some of the band's biggest hits such as "Little Coquette," "Sweethearts On Parade," "Boo-Hoo," "Seems Like Old Times," and "Get Out Those Old Records" to name a few. His style of playing the saxophone, which was simply to play it naturally without any gimmicks, set the style for the band and created a phenomenon that no band has been able to match. When he provided vocals, he sang them exactly the way he played his sax. His vocalizing influenced many vocalists of the 1930's. But like his saxophone playing, it was often imitated, but never duplicated. Although Kenny Gardner was hired in 1940 to take his place as lead vocalist with the band, Carmen continued to sing in The Lombardo Trio and as a solo vocalist (usually on songs he had written) right up until his death.He and brother Guy formed the band around 1912, still kids in their hometown of London, Ontario, Canada. He remained with the orchestra until cancer took his life in April of 1971. He appeared on the televised 1970 New Year's Eve show (an annual tradition with the band) looking rather weak, but was determined to continue on as long as he could. His last written song was "What Have We Done To Our World." While it was never officially published, The Royal Canadians did record the tune shortly before his death.Carmen was married to Florence Haas, whom he met in Cleveland in the mid-1920's. They had no children.
Bio by: Joe Enroughty
Family Members
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See more Lombardo memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
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New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1943
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U.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current
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Ontario, Canada, Roman Catholic Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1760-1923
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New York, U.S., Naturalization Records, 1882-1944
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U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
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