The Vaughn Monroe Appreciation Society
The Vaughn Monroe Appreciation
Society was started in August of 2001 by Lou Kohnen and Claire Schwartz.
We are a not-for-profit organization whose sole purpose is to
perpetuate the memory and music of one of the foremost American baritones and
bandleaders of the 20th Century.
Claire and Lou (2008)
Lou has been a
Vaughn Monroe fan since the 1940's, and had the pleasure of meeting him several
times, and actually singing with him and his band on Steel Pier in Atlantic City. Like Vaughn, Lou is a private pilot, and was encouraged by
Vaughn during that particular meeting. His collection includes just about all of
Vaughn's recordings. Lou has accepted the role of membership coordinator.
Claire hadn't even heard of Vaughn Monroe until 1997 when the Western
Channel was airing a movie called "Singing Guns". She was touched
by the personality that came through the screen in his movie role, and impressed
by his baritone singing voice, but didn't know that he was anything more than an
obscure singing cowboy from the era of the movie matinee western. Since then she has discovered what an impressive career
this "cowboy" really had. Claire has taken on the challenge to be webmaster of this
site.
|
Claire's ride:
1937 Chevy Sedan |
Lou's ride:
Piper Cherokee Arrow 200 |
Website
October 7, 2001 was the 90th
anniversary of Vaughn Monroe's birthday. We thought it especially appropriate to
unveil the Vaughn Monroe Appreciation Society website on that date, although it was still very much under construction.
We created this website as the primary means of communication and interaction
for our new appreciation society. And since there was little out there in way of
sites dedicated to Vaughn Monroe, we hoped that our website could bridge the
gap, and serve a useful purpose.
The website was subsequently upgraded in November 2001 and maintained a very
comprehensive collection of information added over a four year
period.
The website was again significantly modified in
September 2005. The information accumulating on the previous website was
becoming unwieldy, and the site was becoming difficult to navigate. (I likened
it to my "online scrapbook.") Major alterations included a more unified format
with an enhanced sustaining member section, which has since been opened to the
public becoming the Backstage Pass section of the website.
We sincerely hope that
you enjoy touring the website. We hope you visit often.
Claire and Lou (2003)
