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#AP-24 - Bandleader Vincent Lopez Autographed Photo - 8” x 10” - $50.00 This 8” x 10” photo, by Gibson (Chicago), is dedicated... “To Anton Lada - Best wishes - Vincent Lopez”. Anton Lada was a popular Jazz bandleader of the 1920’s - 1940’s, playing a Louisiana style of Jazz. Born September 30, 1895, and sadly little known and under-appreciated today, Brooklyn-born Lopez was already leading his own band by age 22. He was one of the first well-known band leaders to emerge in the 1920's, thanks to his exposure on the new medium of radio. In his day, he was as widely known as 'Paul Whiteman', both of them being among the first to keenly utilize radio as a means of self-promotion. Many living today still remember Lopez' trademark song, "Nola" (by Felix Arndt), that was invariably accompanied by his familiar intro, "Lopez speaking!". His popularity continued well into the 1940's. Between 1928 and 1955 he and his band was also featured in numerous Hollywood films. Numerous famous musicians passed through his band's ranks, including Artie Shaw, Mike Mosiello, Xavier Cugat, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey and even Glenn Miller. He is credited with giving Betty Hutton her first big break and both were showcased in two Warner Brothers' Vitaphone shorts shot in New York in 1938-9, the latter one featuring the 18-year old Hutton doing a wildly enthusiastic jitterbug rendition of "Old Man Mose" that has to be seen to be believed. Lopez and his band took up residence in the Big Apple's Taft Hotel in 1941, remaining there until the early 1960's. Lopez retired to Florida and died there in 1975. The condition is VeryGood+, with an angled 2” crease at the UR extending into the word “wishes”, and a 1/32” tear and crease at the mid-left edge... which is wholly within the margin... and would therefore be covered by the setback when placed in a frame. A very light and soft sepia tone to the photo gives it a wonderful lustrous quality that would be entirely lacking if it were just plain black&white!