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Duke Dyler's Band
Rising local New York dance band from the "I Sang for Love" story of Harvey Comics' romance comic book First Love Illustrated #3 (June 1949). Leader Dyler is a pianist.
They play high society deb Sherry Bowen's birthday party and her friends get her to sing with the band. She's surprisingly good, and Dyler's girlfriend and current singer Rita Gaige hatches a scheme. Get Bowen to be the singer, use her connections to advance Dyler's career, and Gaige won't have to work and will just live off Dyler's new wealth as his wife.
But Bowen isn't that interested in being a singer, so Dyler pitches woo to make Bowen fall in love with him so she'll sing for the band. After tennis, golf, and aqua-planing, she agrees to sing. The ladies love aqua-planing!
Bowen's debut is a success, and the band career rises. But Dyler has REALLY fallen for Bowen and when Gaige realizes it, she spills the beans to Bowen, and Bowen breaks up with Dyler, and quits the band. But this is just after the band's gotten a big club contract that stipulates Bowen HAS to be the singer. If she doesn't, they lose the job.
In his moment of redemption, Dyler leaves, turning the contract over to his band. Trombone player Shep manages to get Bowen to return as singer by showing her the slums where the members grew up, saving the contract and all the musicians jobs and incomes.
Eventually Bowen tries to find Dyler who has disappeared. They finally reunite (both romantically and musically) and reconcile.
