Hal Pruden

This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Hal Pruden was a noted pianist (sometimes billed as the world’s fastest piano player) for a series of bandleaders during the Big Band Era. Hal performed with Chuck Foster and Bob Crosby before he formed his own dance band in 1946. His orchestra was the headliner for some of the nation’s top hotels, several of which would broadcast his concerts live on radio, such as the Peabody in Memphis, Tennessee. The band recorded several popular songs including "Power Blue," "Busy Body," and "Ivory Mischief." Hal retired from band leading in the early 1950s but continued to perform as a pianist until the 1980s.