In 1940 Tommy Dorsey's lead singer, Jack Leonard, quit and Sinatra began a two-year stay with the trombonist. During those years, the band consistently hit the Top 10 (15 entries in 1940â41, including their first, the #1 hit I'll Never Smile Again).
ORIGIN OF THE SURNAME WILLIS. Some research indicates the surname ISN'T of Welsh origin, but of Norman origin. Supposedly the Willises came to England with William the Conquerer in the 11th century.The surname, Willis, also, doesn't have any other roots in England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales, although there are plenty of Willises scattered about these four countries at this time. They originally came during the Norman invasion.he surname, Willis, also, doesn't have any other roots in England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales, although there are plenty of Willises scattered about these four countries at this time.
NPR Music wrote about the origins of the song in 2014. The story of the song begins in 1978. Allee Willis was a struggling songwriter in LA â until the night she got a call from Maurice White, the leader of Earth, Wind & Fire. White offered her the chance of a lifetime: to co-write the band's next album.