Ludwig Gluskin; Drummer for Paul Whiteman Band

Ludwig Gluskin, 90, a drummer for Paul Whiteman. Gluskin also led his own Big Band-era group before taking over as music director for CBS radio and TV. Gluskin played in his first band with boyhood friend Jimmy Durante. Later, he became a drummer for Whiteman, the so-called 1920s “King of Jazz.” Gluskin toured Europe with Whiteman and then settled in France. In 1927, he became leader of the Playboys, a Detroit jazz band that became stranded in Paris. The Playboys made dozens of recordings in Paris and Berlin before Gluskin returned to New York and was hired by CBS in 1935. He was named director of music in 1937 for CBS Radio. He directed the music for the famous 1938 “Mercury Theatre on the Air” hoax about a Martian invasion, “War of the Worlds.” He also directed the music for such shows as “Adventures of Sam Spade,” “My Friend Irma,” “I Was There” and “The Phillip Morris Playhouse.” In 1948, Gluskin became music director for CBS-TV and presided over its shows for 10 years. In Palm Springs on Friday.