JAN EBERLE
Meet Jan Eberle …
Jan Eberle began her extraordinary journey into ‘The Arts’ at the age of eighteen. In 1978, she performed as a singer and guitar player with the 1960’s rock revue, Déjà vu, however it was in 1980 that she followed in her father, Ray’s, footsteps as a big band singer. Jan joined The Vincent Lopez Orchestra and played to sold-out crowds beginning in Philadelphia, Atlantic City and branched quickly throughout the tri-state area. Miss Eberle performed many of the songs her father made famous with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, but incorporated her unique style into each arrangement. Arranger/conductor Ricky Lombardo created personal, customized arrangements in her style, yet flavored in the Miller sound, they remained reminiscent of Ray’s association with Glenn.
In the 1980’s, Jan hosted and engineered a popular one hour radio program, titled, Yesterday and Today: Glenn Miller and His Music, highlighting the era she had become such an extended part of. She also had the opportunity to interview political hopefuls and produced many of the station’s promos. In 1983, Miss Eberle left the Lopez organization and teamed with her cousin, Bob Eberly, Jr. as they created a show which paid tribute to their fathers, respectively. The popularity of the new team Jan and Bob, Jr. formed grew quickly as they enjoyed performing to capacity crowds in New Jersey, New York and New England.
Miss Eberle’s direction in The Arts changed in the early 1990’s as she began a successful writing career and became the author of her first book in 2002, titled, The Eberle Named Ray, the biography of her father’s life and pioneering work in music history. Over time, Jan also became a contributing writer for The American Legion Magazine where several of her articles have been published. Further, she used her musical talents to compose scores for two of her children’s manuscripts.
Since fully returning to her singing career in 2005, Jan is proud of the release of her first album, titled, Blue Champagne. In 2006, she made a first trip to Europe, singing in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Bedford, England. In 2007, she returned to the U.K. for an historic performance with The John Miller Orchestra marking the first time in 65 years that a Miller and Eberle shared a stage. Her most recent guest recording on the new Jack Million Band album, small tour in Belgium and Netherlands in 2008 and filming of the music video, “The White Cliffs of Dover” has captured the hearts of Americans as well as those abroad.
Miss Eberle currently heads the fundraising efforts on behalf of “The Ray Eberle Vocal Scholarship”, named, of course, for her father. This scholarship is given in conjunction with The Glenn Miller (Birthplace Society) Scholarship Foundation.