Hal was the founder and leader of the jazz harmony group,
The Modernaires. The group was initially a trio formed in 1935 with high school buddies.
Eventually, the trio grew into a quartet consisting of Dickinson,
Fran Scott,
John Drake and
Alan Copeland. Their radio/recording peak was hit after orchestra leader
Glenn Miller signed them on. In 1941, Hal's wife, singer
Paula Kelly, rounded out the now-quintet and they became as popular as ever, making the rounds on TV variety in the 50s with
Bob Crosby,
George Gobel and
Perry Como, among many others. They continued to perform in clubs and concerts after their heyday. Copeland dropped out in 1956 and was
replaced by
Dick Cathcart. Some of their best-known recordings include "April in Paris", "Goody Goody", "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree".