Pennsylvania 6-5000 (song) Pennsylvania 6-5000 (song) "Pennsylvania 6-5000" is a 1940 swing jazz and pop standard with music by Jerry Gray and lyrics by Carl Sigman. It was recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra as a Bluebird 78 rpm single. Many big band names played in the Hotel Pennsylvania's Cafe Rouge in New York City, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra. The hotel's telephone number, PEnnsylvania 6-5000, inspired the Glenn Miller 1940 Top 5 "Billboard" hit of the same name, which had a 12-week chart run. The music was written by Jerry Gray and the lyrics by Carl Sigman. The instrumental was recorded
PEnnsylvania 6-5000 Hotel Pennsylvania, claims it to be the oldest continuing telephone number in New York City. While the hotel opened in 1919, the exact age of the telephone number and the veracity of the hotel's claim are unknown. At the time of Glenn Miller's popular network radio broadcasts, most local telephone calls in large cities were being dialed directly. All intercity calls required the operator. There were no area codes. The length of local numbers varied widely; four or five digits was more than enough for a small city with a single central office, while separate central offices served individual neighborhoods