Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians Chorus and Band was formed in 1918 at Pennsylvania State University.
While the 1925 song Collegiate was probably their best known song, other novelty songs were I’ve Never Seen a Straight Banana and I Wonder How I Look When I’m Asleep.
By the end of the 1920s, Fred Waring and his Philadelphians was one of Victor Talking Machine Company’s best-selling orchestras. The group had a successful radio show, but ceased recording until 1942 during WWII. Thereafter, they continued to be popular on radio.
From 1948 to 1954 The Fred Waring Show, sponsored by General Electric, appeared weekly on CBS Television until Fred Waring’s death in 1984.