As a freshman at Duke University, Johnny Long joined with ten other freshmen to create a school band named The Duke Collegians. During their sophomore year, they were adopted as the official school band. The band stayed together throughout their school years and, upon graduation, renamed themselves The Johnny Long Orchestra, with Long as the bandleader. For a number of years they toured the country and were eventually signed on to Vocalion Records (owned by ARC) in 1937 for the release of Just Like That. They performed their first national radio broadcast in 1939 on The Fitch Summer Bandwagon Show, which boosted their national popularity. This resulted in the band being signed on by Decca Records. His orchestra earned the label Miracle Band of the Year thru a series of lengthy engagements at some of the top and locations in the country.