Richard Himber (born Herbert Richard Imber; February 20, 1899 – December 11, 1966) was an American bandleader, composer, violinist, magician and practical joker. Early life He was born as Herbert Richard Imber in Newark, New Jersey to the owner of a chain of meat stores. His parents gave him violin lessons, but when they found him performing in a seedy Newark dive, they took the instrument away from him and sent him to military school. In 1915, he stole away into New York City, where Sophie Tucker heard him play and hired him as a novelty act to play with her and the Five Kings of Syncopation where Himber was the highlight of the cabaret act. He worked his way through Vaudeville and down Tin Pan Alley. He managed Rudy Vallee's orchestra service, which sent out bands for private parties and society functions. A suave salesman and irrepressible idea man, he soon had his own band booking agency. In 1932, he acquired the first known "vanity" telephone number, R-HIMBER, answered 24 hours a day. Later that year, Himber finally formed an orchestra of his own, parlaying a gig at New York's Essex House Hotel into national NBC radio exposure. Among the top-notch professionals in its ranks were Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and many other future stars of the music world. Career In 1933 Richard Himber made his first records, for Vocalion under the name "Dick Himber," which intimates always called him. Among the selections was his own theme song, "It Isn't Fair," a song he wrote which became a hit. In 1934 after a single session for Victor's budget label Bluebird, he began recording for the full-priced Victor label until 1939. He led one of the most sophisticated "sweet" dance bands of the era, featuring Joey Nash as his vocalist (1933–1935), who was replaced by Stuart Allen (1935–1939). Himber's work on radio included leading the orchestra for Coffee Club, a weekly program on the Mutual Broadcasting System in 1937. Himber was also a skilled magician, and invented many magic tricks including "The Himber Wallet," "The Himber Ring," and the "Himber Milk Pitcher." In later years, his band act often included an interlude of magic and he conjured on many television shows as well. Himber was the publisher of the R-H Log, a weekly survey of the most popular tunes on radio and television. To the annoyance of most