Benny Goodman
/ˌbeni ˈɡʊdmən/
/ˌbeni ˈɡʊdmən/
- (1909-86) a US musician who played the clarinet and led a successful dance band in the 1930s and 1940s. He was called the 'King of Swing', and one of his hits was Stompin' at the Savoy (1936). Goodman was the first white band leader to use African American musicians. In 1938, his band played the first jazz concert in Carnegie Hall. He also played classical music written for him by Aaron Copland, Béla Bartók and others.