Swell Dames who appear in this episode are: Ella Mae Morse, Blossum Dearie, Astrud Gilberto, Barbara Blaine, Julie London, Dinah Washington, Carmen McRae, Dakota Staton, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Aretha Franklin
Over her seven-decade career, Peggy Lee helped redefine what it meant to be a female singer, and her quietly captivating voice continues to resonate with audiences of all ages. Born in an era where women struggled for equality – a conversation that continues today – and carrying the burden of years of a traumatic childhood, she was a true pioneer and survivor to her core. What she accomplished as a woman, and as an artist, is nothing short of extraordinary.
Episode one's Swell Dame is Abbe Lane
This episode's featured Swell Dame is Abbe Lane. Abbe Lane was born Abigail Francine Lassman on 14th December, 1932 into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. Early in her career, Lane was billed as "Abbe Marshall" using that name, she appeared in the Broadway shows Barefoot Boy with Cheek (1947) and As the Girls Go (1948). She was known as much as an actress as a singer owing to the extensive film career that she had. She first appeared in an Italian film Al Diavolo El Cellebrite (A Night of Fame) in 1949 and then followed with three westerns Wings of the Hawk (1953), Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) and The Americano (1955) which starred Van Heflin, Audie Murphy and Glen Ford respectively.