Rose M. Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song "Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me", "Mambo Italiano", "Tenderly", "Half as Much", "Hey There", "This Ole House", and "Sway". She also had success as a jazz vocalist. Clooney's career languished in the 1960s, partly because of problems related to depression and drug addiction, but revived in 1977, when her White Christmas co-star Bing Crosby asked her to appear with him at a show marking his 50th anniversary in show business. She continued recording until her death in 2002.
This week's Swell Dames includes an eclectic mix of singers, including Lucille Bogan, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Bette Midler, Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Ann Greer, Diane Cilento, Yvette Johannsen, Timi Yuro.
Ella Mae Morse was one of the most exciting vocalists of the ‘40s and ‘50s, a hard-to-classify, Texas-born white singer whose vocals were deeply influenced by her apprenticeship with a black guitarist who taught her the blues. Her style defied characterization
The cabaret singer Georgia Lee - otherwise known as Dulcie Pitt - was a habitué of the bohemian world of artists like Donald Friend and Russell Drysdale and the jazz and blues nightclub circuit in Sydney and Melbourne during the 1950s
The power, range, and flexibility of her voice made Sarah Vaughan, known as "Sassy" or "The Divine One," one of the great singers in jazz. With her rich, controlled tone and vibrato, she could create astounding performances on jazz standards, often adding bop-oriented phrasing. Along with Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, Vaughan helped popularize the art of jazz singing,
Fred Astaire and Judy Garland star in this classic movie musical featuring 17 songs by Irving Berlin. When a famous dancer Don Hewes' (Astaire) partner, Nadine Hale (Ann Miller) deserts him, he makes a bet that he can make any chorus girl into a star.
The chorine he chooses—almost at random—is Hanna Brown (Garland). She starts out a talented nobody, but after singing and dancing her way with Hale through many of the best musical numbers ever filmed, she comes back the star of Easter Parade !
One of the great stylists of the American popular song, Eydie Gorme had a loyal following from the 1950s until the 2000s. She achieved national prominence with her appearances on Steve Allen’s Tonight! show, where she met and performed with her husband Steve Lawrence. Gorme’s dynamic nightclub act, frequently as a duo with Lawrence, drew sell-out crowds while resisting passing trends and keeping true to the best traditions of the American “standard”—traditions she herself helped to establish.
A Night Out With Verve highlights five decades of remarkable jazz taken from the Verve catalog, spread out over four discs titled "Wining," "Dining," "Dancing," and "Romancing." This budget-priced box set includes 65 performances from jazz luminaries including Oscar Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Michel Legrand, Sarah Vaughan, Stan Getz, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Shirley Horn. Whether it's a night out on the town or a simple romantic evening, A Night Out With Verve has a great deal to offer die-hard jazz fans and casual listeners alike. [Review by Al Campbell]
Helen Humes was a short, buxom woman with twinkling eyes and a broad, warm smile. She had a motherly appearance even when she was singing the double entendre lyrics of such songs as ''He May Be Your Man but He Comes to See Me Sometimes'' and ''The Million Dollar Secret,'' which made up part of her repertory. She was usually thought of as a blues singer, but Miss Humes preferred ''pretty songs, torch songs.''
Swell Dames singing the blues
Our Swell Dames singing the blues.