Big Band-era orchestra leader-singer Russ Carlyle donated $20,000 worth of arrangements to the Central Lakes College instrumental music department in Brainerd.
Carlyle, a summer resident of Breezy Point, said he wants the music to be used to teach students "an appreciation and understanding of music when, back in the early days of Big Band, style and showmanship played a big part in the success of some of the biggest names in the business."
Carlyle's music has been performed from coast to coast in dance halls, night clubs and theaters, and he had a national radio show.
Before becoming a professional band leader, Carlyle performed as half of a comedy team with Joey Bishop. In 1972, when Bishop guest hosted "The Tonight Show" for Johnny Carson, Carlyle and wife Patty Clayton landed a coveted TV appearance. It had been nearly 20 years since Carlyle's previous network appearance on the "Jack Parr Show."
Through the years of live performances, Carlyle recorded dozens of albums, including a 12-CD showcase of his career, "The Romantic Style of Russ Carlyle, Living Forever in the Memory of Time." Frank Sinatra also recorded several Carlyle numbers during his career.
During his retirement, he has written movie scripts and several books, including a novel, "Soul of a Child."
He and his wife, Patty, whom he hired to be lead vocalist in the 1960s, live in Scottsdale, Ariz.
