[2][3][4] (In an article written by Mike Zirpolo, for Swing and Beyond, Donahue was described as "a superlative tenor saxophone soloist.

")[5] Other members of Donahue's band included the former The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson bandleader Doc Severinsen, 1946 Esquire Award winner for Best New Female Vocalist Frances Wayne, Grammy Award-winning vocalist and actress Jo Stafford and popular music arranger Leo Reisman.

"[12] In William F. Lee's book, American Big Bands, he mentioned that Gozzard was a sideman in the Sonny Burke Orchestra in the early 1940s.

George T. Simon stated in his book, The Big Bands, that Burke "brought his young Detroiters to New York, rehearsed them, helped support them and eventually landed an engagement at the Roseland in Brooklyn plus an Okeh recording contract.

"[17] Hammond was instrumental in igniting several musical careers, including those of Count Basie, Bob Dylan, Harry James, Bruce Springsteen, Benny Goodman, Aretha Franklin and others.

They "played key eastern locations, including the Glen Island Casino and Frank Dailey's Meadowbrook [Ballroom].

The Glenn Miller Orchestra was given its big break when they were chosen to play the 1939 summer season at that prestigious venue.

[26] In an August 1942 issue, Billboard stated that "Shribman currently has Sam Donahue" booked "at Glen Island Casino.

"[27] (In an article about Sam Donahue's Navy band, Jazz journalist, Lynn René Bayley, posted a photograph of him and Glenn Miller shaking hands while both were in the service during World War II.

Given the encouragement and publicity that go band in band [sic] with engagements like Glen Island Casino, it's quite likely to blossom forth as one of the country's most formidable and popular dance bands.”[30] Donahue and his orchestra performed at other popular venues across the U.S. An article in Billboard stated that they played a six-week engagement at the Casa Manana night club in Culver City, California, in the latter part of 1942, followed by another six-week engagement at the Hollywood Casino in Hollywood, California.

Many prominent jazz musicians performed on that album...Sam Donahue, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Rudy Vallée, Hoagy Carmichael, Charlie Barnet, Ozzie Nelson and many more.

[45] In an article written for Swing and Beyond, Walsh University music teacher Dennis Roden made “insightful observations” regarding Flo-Flo, a song written by Ralph Burns and in “the repertoire of the Donahue band.” Roden mentioned two trumpet solos performed by Gozzard, one of which had a “swashbuckling feel to it.”[46] "The brass section, under the first trumpet lead of Harry Gozzard, is the drive troop of the band.

[48] In fact, the entire Sonny Burke Orchestra had their eyes affixed to that paper, because it had a list of men who had recently been selected in the draft.

[52] An article in The Tampa Tribune mentioned the new record release of If It Wasn't For The Moon and the flip-side song Easy Does It, stating, "Harry Gozzard's trumpet reaches way up to here against the harmonious saxophone choir background in the rhythmic Easy Does It and the moon song bounces along nicely with Lynne Sherman performing the lyric, but good.

The caption reads, "Sony Burke, who reviews his band at left, with chirper Lynne Sherman, a Boston chick.

[65][66] The Sam Donahue band had several top-10 hits: Dinah, Put That Kiss Back Where You Found It, My Melancholy Baby, The Whistler, I Never Knew, Just The Other Day, Red Wing and A Rainy Night In Rio.

[72] An article in Jazz Journal featured that reissue album; which has a majority of Donahue's songs from the 1940s, many of which, Gozzard performed in.

[74][75] Trapeze Music & Entertainment Limited, an independent label and distributor with a loyal customer base in the UK, US and throughout mainland Europe, highlighted a quote in their reviews (borrowed from Jazzviews March 2021) by Derek Ansell, a regular contributor to Jazz Journal, stating, "Although these pieces vary tremendously from track to track the music is all well played and shines a spotlight on a musician who really deserved to be much better known than he was.

Yanow also voiced his opinion in that article regarding the musical skills of Donahue and his band members, stating that "the musicianship is consistently excellent.

[78] Donahue's band has six songs on radio historian Alex Cosper's list of "Top Pop Hits of 1947.

"[79] The Norwich University student newspaper compiled rave reviews that were made by music critics from Billboard, The Boston Post, The Hartford Times, Music and Rhythm, Swing and Orchestra World, basically claiming that Sam Donahue's orchestra "Is America's Band of 1942."

One of the reviews stated that "'Sam Donahue's band plays good jazz the way it should be played—with a fine ensemble feeling for the music.

[88][89] Well-known celebrities, like Sammy Davis Jr., Tom Jones, Ann-Margret, Tony Bennett, Bob Newhart, Patti Page, Liza Minnelli[90] and Sonny and Cher,[91] performed at the Elmwood.

[94] Her primary reason for doing so was "to promote The Cher Show, a Broadway musical about her life and career," stated Dan Savoie in a 519magazine article.

Cher stated that, at first, "the people hated us...I finally got so pissed off I turned around – like sometimes you do – and started to make the band laugh.

Even though his comedic performances didn't bring the house down, Newhart still managed to speak well of the Elmwood audiences, stating, "They were very polite...Canadians...very nice.

"[98] In David Steinberg's book, Inside Comedy, Newhart stated that poor performance at the Elmwood "'almost drove me back to accounting.'"

"[102] Gozzard was in the band that performed during the Al Kaline Day celebration at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan, on August 2, 1970.

"[107] Jazz journalist Jack Ambicki stated in the International Musician that the Graystone was one of the three "leading spots" in "the Mid-West" where the Music Corporation of America was "booking its top bands on one-night stands" in "the early thirties.

"[108] After years of neglect, the Graystone fell into disrepair and was subsequently demolished (1980) in order to make way for a McDonald's restaurant.