Welcome!

Welcome to the official web site of  The StarDusters  BIG BAND. We play big band music from the 1930's, 40's and 50's such as Glen Miller, Tommy & Jimmy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman.

The StarDusters  BIG BAND is available for dances, parties or concerts. We can tailor our performance to whatever event you like.

Ken Todd manages the business part. For booking information call Ken at (704)964-4000.

The History

The StarDusters  BIG BAND  began in April of 1999 when two brothers, Ken and Bill Todd, retired to their home town of Gastonia, North Carolina. Both were lovers of the ‘Big Band Sound” of their early years and they were looking for an outlet for their talents. Ken plays drums and had been playing even while living in Maryland, Germany and England. Bill, a trombonist, had set aside his horn for many years. Ken suggested that, together, they organize a big band and have some fun!

Ken took the task of assembling the musicians and Bill became the music director. Ken enlisted musicians from around the Gastonia area.

Bill had a collection of arrangements from college days and soon began adding new tunes. Some of the players brought in their favorite arrangements to add to the collection. The collection gradually increased from about forty tunes to over three hundred. There are ballads from the 1930’s, swing tunes from the 1940’s, Latin tunes from the 1950’s, Broadway Show tunes from the 1960’s, a few “Rock and Roll” numbers, and even waltzes that go back to the 1920’s. But The StarDusters' favorite music is that from the names like Glenn Miller, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman and all those other “big bands” popular from 1935 until the early 1960’s. That doesn’t mean that The StarDusters  aren’t up to date. You can hear today’s favorites at their performances as well.

The StarDusters  are five saxes, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums, guitar, and vocalist. For more information about our members, go to the <Musicians> page of our website.