Mark Hilburn and his Orchestra

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In the early 1930s, Mark Hilburn played saxophone and clarinet with a society orchestra called The Nomads. Sometime in the later 1930s, he took over the orchestra and it was called Mark Hilburn and the Nomads Orchestra. Millicent Young Gold was hired as the vocalist in 1939.

Image:Mark-hillburn-flier.png
Promotional flier for Mark Hilburn and his Orchestra containing an image of Mark Hillburn, lead vocalist Millicent Young Gold, and the orchestra, circa 1950.

In the mid-40s, the orchestra was simply known as Mark Hilburn's Orchestra featuring Millicent Gold, vocalist. In the 1950s, it was Mark Hilburn and his Orchestra, New Sounds for Dancing, featuring Millicent Gold, vocalist. The Hilburn Orchestra played in the Big Band styles of Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, Freddy Martin, and Russ Morgan.

The orchestra was featured at east coast ballrooms such as Donohue's, Asbury Park Casino, Frank Dailey's Ivanhoe, and Nottingham Ballroom. The orchestra was also in demand at east coast colleges and universities for balls and inter-fraternity events. They were featured at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria and Hotel Pierre. Pocono Mountains Resorts were the orchestra's summer engagements. The orchestra played on French line cruises to Bermuda and France.

Image:Hillburn-dreamer-1955.ogg

This song (Ogg format) is titled, "You, Too, Can Be a Dreamer", recorded November 1955 at Hamilton Square Ballroom, New Jersey, by Mark Hilburn and his Orchestra. Vocalist is Millicent Young Gold Hilburn.

Mark Hillburn was born in March, 1913, and in addition to being an accomplished musician, was a noted amateur photographer who introduced the Hilburn Development System for developing black and white photographs. Mark Hilburn died at the age of 62 on October 15, 1975 in Los Angeles, California. Lead vocalist Millicent Gold Hilburn was born in July, 1920, and later in life worked as a preschool teacher in Beverly Hills, California. Millicent Gold Hilburn died at the age of 85 on January 5, 2006 in Los Angeles, California.