The 1974 Norwich Native Son was band leader Henry Jerome. He formed his first professional orchestra while in the eighth grade — in 1931, when he was 14.
While in high school Jerome received an offer from the American Export Lines for his orchestra to perform on a ship sailing from New York to Europe. Without quitting school, Jerome secured permission from the Norwich Free Academy to accept the job.
On February 28, 1948, Henry Jerome and His Orchestra were booked at the Green Room of the Hotel Edison. In 1952, the ABC Radio Network began broadcasting the show, weekly, calling it, Dinner At The Green Room. Songs such as “Homing Pigeon”, “I Love My Mama”, “Nice People”, “Night Is Gone”, “Until Six”, and “Oh, How I Need You, Joe” became staples of East Coast airwaves.
Jerome was A&R director at Coral Records, Decca Records, and MCA Records from 1959 to 1968. He became A&R director of United Artists Records from 1968 to 1970.
He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1970 as a producer for the recording of the cast album for the Broadway musical, Promises, Promises. The album featured Jerry Orbach and Jill O’Hara, and was noted for the “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again.”
Henry Jerome passed away in 2011.