| Michael (Mike) Pingitore | |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Date: | 1888 |
| Death Date: | 1952 |
| Genre: | Jazz |
| Occupation: | Musician |
| Instrument: | Banjo |
| Years Active: | 1919–1948 |
Michael (Mike) Pingitore (or Pingatore; 1888–1952) was a member of Paul Whiteman's Orchestra.[1] Whiteman discovered him playing tenor banjo and he became part of the rhythm section for his newly-formed band for the Alexandria Hotel in Los Angeles (later known as the original Whiteman band),[2] playing there for its entire existence (1919–1948) except for a brief period in 1923 due to illness. Pingitore played banjo on Art Mooney's "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover", which was a number one hit on the Billboard magazine pop chart in 1948.[3] He was inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2005.[4]