Pianist and orchestra leader Vincent Lopez is best remembered for his discovery of singer and actress Betty Hutton and for his theme song, ''Nola.'' His style of piano playing inspired such future stars as Liberace and Eddy Duchin.
Lopez originally studied for the priesthood but decided to go into music instead, forming his first orchestra during the 1920s. During the 1930s and 1940s he concentrated on swing music. In the late 1930s his orchestra featured the then-unknown singers Betty and Marion Hutton. Marion left after only a few months to join Glenn Miller's orchestra. Betty left in 1940 for a part in a Broadway musical.
In his later years Lopez's orchestra was a staple at New York's Taft Hotel. Working with Lopez was considered a prime job by local musicians because the orchestra finished its shift by 9 p.m. each night. He also contracted out several outfits under his name to play at various functions around Manhattan and operated his own nightclub, Casa Lopez. He appeared on his own television program in New York in the late 1940s. He was also well-known for his interest in astrology and numerology. Lopez died from a stroke in 1975.