In 1931 Shaw moved to New York where he found steady work as a studio musician. He retired from the music business for the first time in 1934 to write a book. But his money soon ran out and he returned to New York. In 1936 he got a break and shared the bill with Glenn Miller at the Imperial Theatre. He dissolved this band in 1937 due to lack of commercial success.
In 1938 Artie formed another band and had a hit single in Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" which brought him instant fame. With his third band he followed up with such hits as "Stardust" and "Frenesi."
In 1939 he married actress Lana Turner, but it lasted only several months. He broke up his orchestra in 1941 and formed an even larger one. After WWII began, Shaw joined the Navy and led a Navy band and he also married Jerome Kern's daughter Elizabeth. But in 1944 he received a medical discharge from the Navy. He soon was divorced again and in 1945 wed actress Ava Gardner. This lasted about a year and then he married writer Kathleen Winsor.
Shaw effectively retired from the music business in the 1950's and wrote an autobiography, He spent the 1950's and 1960's living in Spain with his eighth wife, actress Evelyn Keyes. By 1970 he had separated from Keyes and moved to Newbury Park, Ca. where he remained until his death on December 30, 2004.
I'm listening to "Begin the Beguine" on the RCA/Bluebird label. It is a compilation of Artie Shaw's greatest hits. These include his theme song "Nightmare," "Back Bay Shuffle," "Any Old Time" with Billie Holiday on vocals, "Traffic Jam," "Comes Love" with Helen Forest on vocals, "Begin the Beguine," "Frenesi," "Deep Purple," "Summit Ridge Drive" with the Gramercy Five, "Stardust," "Moonglow," and more. This is a must-have CD for anyone intersted in the Swing Era in general and Artie Shaw in particular.
Here's a video of Artie and his Orchestra doing "Begin the Beguine."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Ps05TaQuYvc
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