Swell Dames # 129 – Barbara Lea

Barbara Lea’s taste and integrity and uncompromising standards, along with her devotion to lyrics and her deep musicality, made her one of the most widely respected and admired interpreters of the classic American popular song. Read more

Swell Dames # 128 – Three Little Words

Three Little Words: Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen and Red Skelton star in this musical biography based on the lives and career of one of the United States' greatest songwriting teams--Three Little Words. From the moment they meet, lyricist and vaudeville star Bert Kalmar (Astaire--Silk Stockings, Easter Parade, Top Hat) and piano player and song huckster Harry Ruby (Skelton--"The Red Skelton Show") are destined for great things. The two have nothing in common except, together, the ability to craft chart-topping songs and the lifelong friendship that grows between them. Now, through work, women, setbacks and success these two reach the heights of their profession and overcome a rift that threatens to divide them forever.Read more

Swell Dames # 127 – Margaret Whiting

Born July 22,1924 in Detroit, Margaret Whiting began singing as a small child and, by the age of seven, signed with Johnny Mercer, the popular songwriter and founder of Capitol Records, for whom her father worked. She was a popular vocalist in the 1940s and 1950s, recording dozens of hits for Capitol Records, launched by her father and two partners. She was the first artist to be engaged by the label, where she began recording in 1942. Read more