Hal Kemp

By late 1940, future actress and vocalist Janet Blair and two key musicians 
departed Hal Kemp's big band, and Kemp, realizing the need for a change, 
decided to entirely revamp the group's sound.  Kemp never realized his goal, 
however. On December 19, 1940, while driving from Los Angeles to a booking 
in San Francisco, his car hit another head on.  Kemp suffered multiple 
broken ribs and a punctured lung. He developed pneumonia while in the 
hospital and two days later passed away. 

Skinnay Ennis and John Scott Trotter returned to the band after hearing 
the news of Kemp's death. Bob Allen, who had been a featured singer 
previously with the Kemp orchestra, took over leadership of what was 
left of Kemp's band and tried to keep it going, but without Kemp, 
the band was lost and soon broke up. Original saxophonist 
Porky Dankers reassembled some of the orchestra members a 
few months later and, under the leadership of Art Jarrett, 
tried to revive the group, with Gale Robbins as female vocalist. 
That effort lasted only a few months, however, 
before it broke up and the Hal Kemp Orchestra passed 
into the history books forever. 

I hope that helps to let you know what officially happened to Hal.  
He was not that old when he died, only 36 years of age.