Born April 12, 1904, Frankie Masters was a big band leader with a dozen or so hit records in the 1930s and 1940s. A fine guitarist and singer, Masters formed a swing band after dropping out of college in the mid-'20s, and the orchestra became the house act at the Sherman Hotel's College Inn in Chicago. Masters signed with Victor Records in 1927 and began his recording career, but didn't achieve much success until he switched to Vocalion Records in 1939, and recorded what would become his theme song, Scatter-Brain, a popular #Hit Parade entry that year. Several lesser hits followed, many of which featured what Masters called "bell tone music," an arrangement gimmick in which chords were staggered, creating, for the time, a trademark sound. The band toured extensively through most of World War II, eventually signing with Vogue Records. Masters' career waned when the big band era faded, although he continued to play clubs and concerts into the late '70s. He passed away on January 29, 1991. ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi