Anthony was raised in Cleveland, Ohio and was one of six brothers. He started on the trumpet at the age of 5. In 1938 he joined Al Donahue and then worked for Glenn Miller from November of 1940 to July of 1941. He then spent six months with Jimmy Dorsey before he joined the Navy in 1942, leading his own band in the Pacific until 1946. Anthony started leading a civilian band under his own name in 1946, achieving popularity in 1949 after he joined Capitol Records. One of his biggest “hits” was the theme to “Dragnet” which he recorded in 1953.

Although much of Anthony’s output is considered commercial (or as Down Beat magazine in the 40’s would have called it “corn”) he has cut several records that swing heartily. These recordings sound so dissimilar from his usual output it is hard to believe it could be the same musician. Two releases in particular stand out; the first a great LP from the 1950’s called “Anthony Plays Allen.” This finds Anthony’s trumpet flanked by the likes of Conte Candoli, Plas Johnson, Conrad Gozzo, Skeets Herfurt, and Alvin Stoller among others. To a lesser degree but still enjoyable is the release “Swings The Thing.” Fortunately both at this writing are available on a single CD. A great side from his early Capitol days is “Skycoach” recorded in 1950. This recording flows smoothly and features both Mel Lewis and Ray Brown, two jazz heavyweights.