Background
Rene, Henri was born on December 29, 1906 in New York City. Son of Oscar and Olga Rene.
composer conductor pianist songwriter
Rene, Henri was born on December 29, 1906 in New York City. Son of Oscar and Olga Rene.
Born in New York City of a German father and a French mother, young Harold traveled to Germany with his family where he studied at the Royal Berlin Academy of Music.
Returning to the United States. in the mid-1920s, he began appearing with several orchestras. Some time after these experiences, he returned once more to Berlin, working as a composer in the German film industry, and as an arranger with a German record label. While touring Europe with his band some years before the war, he was appointed musical director of the two largest moving picture firms in Europe, Tobis and UFA. In 1936, René came back to the United States. and became musical director and chief arranger for Radio Corporation of America Victor in Germany, forming his own orchestra in 1941.
As instrumentalist, Rene played the piano, saxophone, and Musette accordion.
He was responsible for the original "Beer Barrel Polka" disk, which played an important role in the development of the music machine to its present status as a powerful entertainment medium. Shortly after returning to the United States of America, he began recording regularly for Standard and has since become its Number.
1 artist, his disks selling in quantitites comparable to those of the largest commercial dance bands. In the middle of the 1950s, he issued several successful LPs which Allmusic has called "forerunners of the space-age popular aesthetic".
Among the albums were Music for Bachelors, Music for the Weaker Sex, Compulsion to Swing and Riot in Rhythm.
Rene composed music themes and scores for several popular television series. After this René worked in production for Radio Corporation of America Victor, with Harry Belafonte (on the 1956 LP Calypso) and Eartha Kitt among others In 1959 he left Radio Corporation of America to work freelance for the rest of his active career.
Men Without a Fatherland (1937).
Served as sergeant United States Army, World World War World War II. Member National Academy Recording Arts and Sciences, American Federation Musicians.
Married June Rene (divorced). Married Ruth Breyer, August 1975.