Jimmy Dorsey Autographs
James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards "I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary People)" and "It's the Dreamer in Me". His other major recordings were "Tailspin", "John Silver", "So Many Times", "Amapola", "Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil)", "Pennies from Heaven" with Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and Frances Langford, "Grand Central Getaway", and "So Rare". He played clarinet on the seminal jazz standards "Singin' the Blues" in 1927 and the original 1930 recording of "Georgia on My Mind", which were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Jimmy Dorsey was born on Leap Day 1904 in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, United States, the first son of Theresa Langton Dorsey and Thomas Francis Dorsey. His father, Thomas, was initially a coal miner, but would later become a music teacher and marching-band director. Both Jimmy and his younger brother, Tommy Dorsey, were musically active during their childhoods and by the age of seven, Jimmy was already playing with his father's band. He made his first public appearance at the age of 9 while playing trumpet with J. Carson McGee's King Trumpeters in New York in 1913. He switched to alto saxophone in 1915, and then learned clarinet. Jimmy Dorsey played on a clarinet outfitted with the Albert system of fingering, as opposed to the more common Boehm system used by most of his contemporaries including Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw.
With his brother Tommy playing trombone, they formed Dorsey's Novelty Six, later called Dorsey's Wild Canaries, one of the first jazz bands to broadcast. In 1924 he joined the California Ramblers (who were based in New York City). He did much freelance radio and recording work throughout the 1920s. The brothers also appeared as session musicians on many jazz recordings. He joined Ted Lewis's band in 1930, with whom he toured Europe. The same year, he played clarinet on the iconic jazz standard "Georgia on My Mind" in 1930 with Hoagy Carmichael and His Orchestra which featured Bix Beiderbecke on cornet. Dorsey married Jane Porter in 1928, and they had one daughter, Julia. Jane Porter and Dorsey divorced in 1949.
Read more about Jimmy Dorsey on Wikipedia
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Traded items with a signature of Jimmy Dorsey
The most expensive item with a signature of Jimmy Dorsey (Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra Members Signed with Dorsey Bros Signed Photo COA) was sold in October 2025 for $825.00 while the cheapest item (Bob Eberly Autograph, Big Band Vocalist With Jimmy Dorsey) found a new owner for $1.25 in January 2023. The month with the most items sold (2) was February 2015 with an average selling price of $35.00 for an autographed item of Jimmy Dorsey. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in March 2022 with $120.00 and the month that saw the lowest prices with $3.99 was April 2015. In average, an autographed item from Jimmy Dorsey is worth $20.00.
Most recently, these items with a signature of Jimmy Dorsey were sold on eBay - click here for more items.
| Picture | Item Title | Price | Store |
 | 1940s Lee Castle Autographed Publicity Photograph-Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra NYC | $17.28 |  |
| 1940s Lee Castle Autographed Publicity Photograph-Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra NYC | $17.28 | |
| Early Vintage Jimmy Dorsey Autographed Signed Original Photo Promo Photograph | $19.99 | |
| Early Vintage Jimmy Dorsey Autographed Signed Original Photo Promo Photograph | $19.99 | |
| Jimmy Dorsey Signed Membership Card Tangerine BIG BAND LEADER PSA/DNA | $13.79 | |
| Jimmy Dorsey Signed Membership Card Tangerine BIG BAND LEADER PSA/DNA | $13.79 | |
| Lee Castle (Fabulous Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra) Signed 8 X 10 Photo Has Stain | $65.00 | |
| Lee Castle (Fabulous Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra) Signed 8 X 10 Photo Has Stain | $65.00 | |
| Lee Castle Signed Photograph 8x10 Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra Trumpet Player | $17.28 | |
| Lee Castle Signed Photograph 8x10 Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra Trumpet Player | $17.28 | |
| Lee Castle Signed Photograph 8x10 Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra Trumpet Player | $17.28 | |
| Lee Castle Signed Photograph 8x10 Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra Trumpet Player | $17.28 | |
| SIGNED Jimmy Dorsey 1951 Oklahoma A&M College Jr Sr Prom | $15.00 | |
| Vintage BANDLEADER JIMMY DORSEY Autographed Photo 1940s DOUBLE WEIGHT | $39.00 | |
| Vintage BANDLEADER JIMMY DORSEY Autographed Photo 1940s DOUBLE WEIGHT | $39.00 | |
