From 1929 through 1976, Gaetano Alberto “Guy” Lombardo (6/19/02 – 11/5/77) and his band entertained audiences on December 31. “Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians” played their first New Year’s Eve (NYE) radio broadcast in 1928.

Over the next few years, their NYE broadcasts could be heard live on CBS radio in the Eastern Time Zone. The sessions were recorded and re-broadcast on NBC in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific Time Zones, all set to end at midnight, locally. In 1959, the band changed venues to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and remained there until Mr. Lombardo’s final NYE celebration in 1976.

The band did its first NYE telecast as a “special” on CBS in 1956. That night and for the next 20 NYE nights, the telecast—on CBS or different stations under syndication—included a live segment from Times Square, a TV tradition that continues today. Because the band became a NYE staple through 1976, Mr. Lombardo was known as “Mr. New Year’s Eve” to millions of North American viewers.

The son of Italian immigrants, Mr. Lombardo was born in London, Ontario, Canada. He formed the Royal Canadians in 1924. The band included his brothers, Carmen, Lebert, and Victor, and a number of musical Canadian Londoners.

Mr. Lombardo became a naturalized American citizen in 1938. His band began the tradition of playing “Auld Lang Syne” just after the stroke of midnight in Times Square.

Bing Crosby, Leopold Stokowski, and Groucho Marx also passed away in 1976.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org