 In the late 1930s, he became a bandleader with his own orchestra which made recordings and performed at New York's Biltmore Hotel.Heatherton appeared in the musicals "Anniversary Waltz", "The Desert Song" and "Babes in Arms", where he played the role of Val LaMar the character about whom "My Funny Valentine" was sung.In 1938 Heatherton recorded two discs of songs for children on the Decca label, and in 1939 twice performed on the then-experimental medium of television, appearing on NBC's New York station W2XBS (now WNBC) in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance" (as Frederic) and "H.M.S.