Who's who

Name: Brian FarnonAge: "Three months older than dirt"Residence: Lincoln Hills Sun CityOccupation: Now retired, Farnon is a former music director who worked with Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr.Family: His wife, Gloria, his three sons and two daughters, and her three daughtersHow did you become a musician?"I got into the music business purely by accident. One day, my mother and I went to a movie and between two shows, these guys came on with a banjo and a saxophone. My mother said, 'If you like one of those, I'll rent it for you.' Well, my mother was broke because my father had died when I was 12. But she did it. First I tried the banjo, but the steel strings hurt my fingers. Then I tried saxophone and I said, 'OK, I kind of like this.' I studied it and that's how I became a musician. My brother Robert said, 'If he can have something, I want something.' So my mother rented him drums, and that's how he got into the business. It was the same with our younger brother, Dennis. He played trumpet. All of us were musicians. We never had a lesson; we just taught ourselves."How did you break into the business?"I went to Chicago in the early '50s after I got out of the Canadian Army. After being there three or four years, I got a call from an agent. The Chez Paree, a very famous nightclub at the time, was looking for a guy to conduct the band and be emcee, and for some reason, they thought I could do it. And who should be one of the first people to come in but Sammy Davis Jr. He used to work with his uncle and father under the name The Will Mastin Trio. He was just a young guy then, but he had been such a sensation dancing and singing that when he came back three or four months later, it was 'The Will Mastin Trio featuring Sammy Davis.' I worked there for about a year, then another agent said, 'You need to go over to the Chicago Theater,' which had big, big acts. For some unknown reason, I never went after a job. They all came to me. I'm so lucky. In my own mind, I don't believe I ever worked a day in my life because it was nothing but music, singing, dancing and comedy."Of the famous musicians you've worked with, who did you enjoy best?"I got the most thrill working with Nat King Cole. I met Nat when I worked with him in Chicago. He said, 'If you ever come out to Tahoe, give me a call.' And everybody said that, so I didn't believe him. He finally called me and said, 'Why didn't you call?' He wanted me to conduct for him, but by then I was married and had a little boy and didn't want to leave. He kept asking until my son was maybe 4-1/2, and then I decided I would go. So we traveled with Nat – my wife at the time, my son and me. But he was a terrible smoker and died just five months later of lung cancer."Any other brushes with fame?"I did a Christmas album with The Chipmunks. We had to very slowly sing 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' and then we'd speed it up. That's my claim to fame."What's your favorite memory of your career?"After about a year working for Harvey's (in Lake Tahoe), a fellow was watching me who turned out to be the entertainment manager for Harrah's. He wanted me to come over as their musical director. I was so lucky, you see, because everyone always came to me. While I was there, I went to a movie called 'Scrooge.' I thought, 'Wouldn't that be good thing for a play on Harrah's stage?' My wife at the time was a choreographer and we decided to make a musical comedy. I wrote 10 songs, she wrote the lyrics, and we eventually got enough people to play the parts. I played Scrooge. It was so successful, it played for 22 years every Christmas. One of the songs, 'Christmas Land,' is on an album my brother made with Tony Bennett. It was (Bennett's) last Christmas album. I know if it was made into a movie, it would be tremendously successful. I'd like to find someone who knows about the business – I've got the script and the whole story."Does show business run in your family?"My daughter (Charmian Carr) was Liesl in 'The Sound of Music.' Now she's a wealthy home designer in San Francisco. (Besides Carr) my other girls have been in TV and commercials for years. My brother Robert Farnon, who passed away, was one of the most famous conductors in the world. Frank Sinatra called him the governor. He did albums with all of them (in the Rat Pack). When my brothers and I were in the Canadian Army, we had a big show and for one song, 'On Behalf of the General's Staff' we'd all wear general suits. We'd go to the bathroom between shows and all the colonels and big shots would salute us. We absolutely loved it – we just laughed."Why did you retire?"I retired about six years ago because the music scene changed. People were coming to see rock and roll bands and the club didn't hire people who needed a big orchestra anymore. My brother, Dennis, is retired for the same reason."What do you do in your spare time?"I work out three times a week. They all call me 'Mr. Hollywood' at the gym."When are you happiest?"I'm just a happy person. I can always see the humor in whatever situation I'm in. Maybe that has something to do with it.