Artie Shaw was an American clarinetist, composer, and bandleader who was one of the most popular jazz musicians of the 1930s and 1940s. He is best known for his 1938 recording of 'Begin the Beguine, ' which became one of the biggest hits of his career. Shaw also wrote and recorded a number of other popular songs, including 'Frenesi' and 'Stardust.' He disbanded his orchestra in 1954 and retired from music in the late 1950s.