As part of the Johnny Knorr Orchestra 50th Anniversary Celebration, and to commemorate the legacy of the renowned and much-loved bandleader, American Retrospects Films has just completed an historic documentary titled “Satin Dolls, The Johnny Knorr Story” that will make its television debut in the spring of 2011 on PBS stations and times to be announced.

The film takes a nostalgic look at the Big Band era and the female vocalists that were often as popular as the bands themselves – singers like Helen O’Connell, Billie Holiday, Teresa Brewer, Ella Fitzgerald, Rosemary Clooney and the very first “Satin Doll,” Dolly Dawn, who took the stage at New York’s famed Taft Hotel in 1935 with the George Hall Band when she was just 16 years old.

The documentary reminisces about famous ballrooms like the Trianon in Toledo, the Blue Moon in Aurora, Ill., the Cinderella in Appleton, Wisc. and the Hippodrome in Oakmulge, Okla., all of which were at the center of social life in America through the 1930s, `40s and early 1950s. Rare images show these ballrooms when they were at their peak.

Formed in 1960, the Johnny Knorr Orchestra has kept the Big Band tradition alive, particularly throughout the Ohio, Michigan and Indiana tri-state area. Performing with big names like Bob Hope, Bobby Vinton, the Four Aces and Bob Crosby, Johnny Knorr’s popularity and longevity were recognized nationally in 1996 when JKO received the prestigious U.S. Postal Service American Music Series Award.

The band members of the Johnny Knorr Orchestra have been with Johnny for an average of over 20 years. Among them are Johnny's son Jerry, the assistant director, who attended Eastman School of Music and has provided several of the special music arrangements in the band's library.

Centennial Terrace in Sylvania has been the band’s home base for many years and they now perform during the summer in a fully renovated Centennial showcase that includes a state-of-the-art stage, lighting and sound system and one of the largest outdoor dance floors in the nation.

Over the years, Johnny Knorr managed and worked with his son Jerry, both of Oregon, to help maintain the classic entertainment venue.

A sneak preview of “Satin Dolls, The Johnny Knorr Story” will be presented at the annual Johnny Knorr New Year’s Eve gala on Friday night, Dec. 31 at the Stranahan Great Hall in Toledo. A gourmet dinner buffet will begin at 7 p.m., followed by live Big Band live entertainment, dancing, door prizes and a midnight champagne toast to ring in the New Year.

Tickets are $55 per person, which includes the dinner buffet, snacks, parking, door prizes, champagne, noisemakers and entertainment. For more information, visit www.johnnyknorr.com or call 419-697-7612.

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