Mark Warnow was a violinist and orchestra conductor, who performed on radio in the 1930s and 1940s. He was the older brother of composer and bandleader Raymond Scott, and is credited with steering his younger brother into a career in music.
When he was 17, Warnow became the Massel Opera's musical director. From that, he became the Ziegfeld Follies' musical director. That was followed by a stint as bandleader for the Music Box Revue.
Radio
Warnow enjoyed a lengthy and versatile career with the CBSRadio network. He was CBS music director in the early 1930s, and hired his younger brother Harry as a keyboardist in 1931. On July 2, 1935, a CBS program debuted with singer Virginia Verrill starring and Warnow's orchestra accompanying her. Warnow conducted the orchestra on the CBS radio program Your Hit Parade from 1939 to his death in 1949. A 1941 newspaper article described Warnow as "the busiest man in radio," noting that his conducting duties included not only Your Hit Parade, but Helen Hayes Theatre and We, the People. He also conducted his orchestras for The Jack Berch Show, the "Matinee Theatre" program, and Ed Wynn's "Happy Island" program. Mark Warnow also conducted the orchestra for the "Sound Off" Radio show, 1946, New York City, sponsored by the U.S. Army to encourage post World War II recruitment. Emcee Arno Tanney, aka "The Chant" would sing/chant army recruiting commercials like a drill seargeant in his signature booming baritone to the rapid fire rhythm of the "Duckworth Chant" - "Join the Army, it's for you, better pay and college too, Sound Off!, 1, 2, Sound Off! 3, 4, - 1, 2, 3, 4, Sound Off...Sound Off!"
Stage
Warnow also produced a Broadway musical-comedy, What's Up?.
In the 1940s, Warnow conducted and arranged for Frank Sinatra while the singer was signed to Columbia Records, then owned by the CBS network. He was also a composer and recording artist. In 1949, Warnow and his orchestra recorded a Capitol Records album, Sound Off, named for the Sound Off Chant, which was featured on the album along with some marches and other patriotic music.
Personal life
Warnow married twice. His second wife was the former Helen McGowan. They divorced in August 1948. He had five children, three from his first marriage and two from his marriage to McGowan.
