‘Waltz King’ Wayne King Dies at 84, Led Big Band

PHOENIX — Big Band leader Wayne King, the “waltz king” of the late 1920s and early 1930s, has died at the age of 84.

King, who died Tuesday night, was dubbed “the waltz king” by the 1930s fans who loved the satiny sound the saxophonist produced.

In the late ‘20s and early ‘30s, King led a good all-round dance orchestra that featured a light beat and was led by his alto sax.

It was at the group’s regular engagement at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago that King developed his fondness for the waltz. His theme became “The Waltz You Saved For Me.”

In the early ‘30s, King’s sound became widely associated with a cosmetics line manufactured at home by a brother and sister. The two hired King’s band to play for a weekly radio show pushing their product and paid the group $500 per show.

“The Lady Esther Serenade” became one of the most popular shows on radio. Sales figures for the cosmetic line soared, and King was paid $15,000 a week.

The show was most popular with matrons, who used makeup generously and responded with swoons to King’s lushly romantic music, interspersed with poetry readings.

During the war, King was an Army officer stationed in Chicago. Among the singers who appeared with King’s band were Bob Eberly and Buddy Clark.