Benny Goodman was an American clarinetist and bandleader who became one of the defining figures of jazz and swing in the 1930s and 1940s. Nicknamed the “King of Swing,” he helped bring big-band jazz to a mass audience while also contributing to racial integration in American music by performing with racially mixed ensembles. Through iconic recordings and performances, including Sing, Sing, Sing and his celebrated 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, Benny Goodman left a lasting mark on jazz history.