Dick Jurgens was an influential American swing music bandleader and composer, born on January 9, 1910, in Sacramento, California. He gained significant popularity in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Jurgens formed his own band in 1928 after being expelled from his high school orchestra for playing pop music. He studied at the University of California at Berkeley and Sacramento Junior College before leading his orchestra at the St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco in 1934.

Jurgens signed with Decca Records and recorded extensively from 1934 to 1940, with Eddy Howard as his vocalist. He held residencies at notable venues like the Casino Ballroom on Catalina Island and the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. His first hit, "It's a Hundred to One You're in Love with Me," was followed by other successes, including "In an Old Dutch Garden" and "One Dozen Roses," the latter reaching No. 1 in 1942.

During World War II, Jurgens disbanded his group due to the 1942 recording ban and served in the Marines, directing theater shows for troops. He re-formed his band in 1946 and continued recording into the 1950s. Jurgens also hosted a radio show on CBS in 1948 and married Miriam Davidson that December. He retired from music in 1956, moved to Colorado Springs to start an electronics business, and occasionally performed at The Broadmoor resort. He passed away on October 5, 1995, in Sacramento, California.