Dim the lights, close your eyes, and say hello to a musical style many thought was gone forever.

The soft sentimental sound of humming is getting a second performance. A new generation of traditional singers is reviving old standards from the Great American Songbook. Harry Connick Jr. and Michael Buble are two notable singers of today who sell concert tickets and top the music charts.

The early days of humming

The crooner singing style was introduced to America in the 1920s, but it really gained momentum in the 1930s and 1940s. By the 1960s, this style of music was drastically declining in popularity. Some of the crooner icons managed to keep a following in the 1960s and early 1970s, but theirs was a larger audience of loyal fans. Iconic names like Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Nat King Cole have passed away, but thanks to a new generation of singers, their music lives on.

Harry Connick Jr.

Harry Connick Jr., born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1967, showed talent at a very young age. The child prodigy was destined for greatness; he was playing keyboards at the age of three and by ten, Harry had performed Piano Concerto No. 3 Opus 37 by Beethoven with the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra. Renowned instrumental and vocal musician, Connick has released more than 20 albums and earned more number one American jazz albums than any other artist in jazz chart history.

The consolidation of his present-day crooner status came after releasing hits like It had to be You and But not for me from the 1989 soundtrack When Harry Met Sally. A new generation of fans has overwhelmingly welcomed Harry Connick Jr., as well as the traditional soft sounds of the humming style. Interestingly, Connick has followed in the footsteps of his predecessors, the crooners, in that he has embraced the big screen and been hugely successful as a leading man in film and television.

Michael Buble

Born in Canada in 1975, this global heartthrob’s vocal talent caught the attention of his parents when they heard him sing. white Christmas at the age of thirteen. Michael Bublé was singing in discos at the age of sixteen. A shining star moment for the young artist came after winning a Canadian youth talent show. Bublé signed with an agent and took on every conceivable job available. From cruises to hotel lounges, Michael was determined to put himself in front of people.

Again, like his former crooner counterparts, Bublé landed roles on television and movies as a way to gain exposure in show business. A turning point came in 2000 when Bublé decided to switch gears and pursue a career in journalism, but an unplanned chain of events led to a performance by Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster. Foster agreed to produce an album for the aspiring artist and the rest is music history.

Find a lot of success with memorable standards like, For once in my life and Come fly with me, Bublé has also had originals topping the charts. Bublé hit gold with his hit single Home, which topped the pop and country music charts. Often compared to the late Frank Sinatra’s vocal style, Bublé is giving the new generation a taste of true crooner technique.

It is not a passing fantasy

The humming may have seen its heyday in the mid-20th century, but some brilliantly talented young artists refuse to let the musical style die out. Dusting off and reviving the standards of the Great American Songbook, as well as offering original songs, these modern-day singers are introducing the soft and sentimental musical style to a whole new generation.