December 30, 1929: The Day Guy Lombardo Cemented a New Year's Tradition
As the world teetered on the edge of a new decade in 1929, something magical was brewing in New York City. At the elegant Roosevelt Hotel, a group of dapper Canadian musicians was about to create a New Year’s Eve tradition so iconic that its echoes would resound through time. Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians took to the stage, performing a repertoire that captured the hearts of Americans. Yet, it wasn’t just their melodies that secured their place in history—it was their rendition of Robert Burns' classic, Auld Lang Syne . The Birth of a Tradition That evening, as the clock struck midnight, Lombardo’s smooth, sentimental arrangement of Auld Lang Syne was broadcast across radio waves, weaving its way into living rooms, dance halls, and hearts across the nation. The song, a Scottish poem set to music, had long been associated with goodbyes and new beginnings, but this particular performance turned it into the anthem for ringing in the New Year. Listeners fell in love. Ther...