Frances Langford was an American singer and actress who was popular during the Golden Age of Radio and made film and television appearances for over two decades. She was known as the "GI Nightingale", an American armed-forces sweetheart, who entertained troops by frequently touring with Bob Hope.
This week's Swell Dames show features an eclectic mix of swell dames on vinyl purchased by Ross at the Williamstown Record fair.
Ann Richards was a better singer than she was often given credit for, but her career fell short of its potential. She was self-taught on piano and started taking singing lessons when she was ten. Richards began singing professionally in the San Francisco Bay area and played a short stint with Charlie Barnet. She joined Stan Kenton's band for a few months in 1955; they were married and she was a part-time singer throughout their marriage (which lasted until 1961). Richards recorded a few pleasing and swinging albums on her own for Capitol, Atco, and Vee Jay. She died by suicide in 1982, at the age of 46.
Tender and warm with a ballad, Carmen McRae was one of the great singers of jazz, finding the depth of feeling in the lyrics of the songs she interpreted. An accomplished pianist who in her early career accompanied herself, she occasionally returned to the piano later in her career.
Wynona Carr (August 23, 1923 – May 11, 1976)[1] was an American gospel, R&B and rock and roll singer, pianist, and -songwriter, who recorded as Sister Wynona Carr when performing gospel material.
Alice Darr (April 22, 1930 – February 4, 2024) was an American jazz musician and songwriter. Alice grew up on Pine Avenue in Cumberland, Maryland, and attended the Carver School. At age seven, she won an amateur competition; at 17, she performed professionally. Her parents were extremely hard working and worked several jobs to provide for the family. Her father, James Darr, worked as a jazz musician with many well-known musicians of his time at the local level. Alice not only sang but learned to play the piano and snare drum at a young age. She first gained experience performing at the Cadillac Cocktail Lounge in downtown Cumberland, where she was eventually discovered by a brother of singer Nat King Cole. Soon after, she received a call from an agent in Pittsburgh, which led to a nationwide tour. She performed in New York, Miami Beach, Chicago, and Mexico, where she had engagements in supper clubs, including extended periods at The Toast (1068 First Avenue) and The Left Bank in Manhattan. Darr also performed all over the world, Television host Ed Sullivan wrote that she had "a lot of talent" in his column in the New York Daily News. Billboard magazine described Alice Darr as "talented, with the ability to project a ballad with feeling and warmth". The nationally syndicated show business columnist Earl Wislon, writing for the New York Post, described her as, "a lovely, charming, and vivacious girl".
Thelma Carpenter, the only child of Mary and Fred Carpenter, was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 15, 1922, and her career spanned seven decades.
Ketty Lester is a singer and actress best known for her chart-topping single “Love Letters,” as well as her appearance in the cult classic film Blacula (1972). Lester was a regular on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives and was especially known for her long-running role on the TV series Little House on the Prairie.
Mamie Van Doren; born Joan Lucille Olander; February 6, 1931is an American actress. A blonde bombshell, she is one of the "Three M's" along with Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, who were friends and contemporaries. In 1953, Van Doren, then named Joan Lucille Olander, signed a seven-year contract with Universal, which hoped that she would be their version of Monroe. She starred in teen dramas, exploitation, musical, comedy and rock and roll films, amongst other genres, many of which have gone on to become cult classics. She was one of the leading sex symbols in the 1950s.
Swell Dames swing with Count Basie
Count Basie was among the most important bandleaders of the swing era. With the exception of a brief period in the early '50s, he led a big band from 1935 until his death almost 50 years later, and the band continued to perform after he died. Basie's orchestra was characterized by a light, swinging rhythm section that he led from the piano, lively ensemble work, and generous soloing. Basie was not a composer like Duke Ellington or an important soloist like Benny Goodman. His instrument was his band, which was considered the epitome of swing and became broadly influential on jazz.