FORGOTTEN ONES: BELLE BAKER - PART ONE

Time has been flying by and with each decade old stars are more and more forgotten. One such big star that is largely forgotten is Belle Baker. Born in Los Angeles) was a singer and actress. Popular throughout the 1910s and 1920s, Baker introduced a number of ragtime and torch songs including Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies" and "My Yiddishe Mama". She performed in the Ziegfeld Follies and introduced a number of Irving Berlin's songs. An early adapter to radio, Baker hosted her own radio show during the 1930s. Eddie Cantor called her “Dinah Shore, Patti Page, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland all rolled into one.”

Baker was born Bella Becker in 1893 to a Russian Jewish family originally from Akmene, Lithuania on New York's Lower East Side. She was the third child of eight children born to Hyman (Chaim) Becker and Sarah Rabinowitz. Her mother was chronically ill. Born into extreme poverty, Baker was unable to attend school and was forced to work in a factory when she was 6 years old.

Baker started performing at the Lower East Side's Cannon Street Music Hall at age 11, where she was discovered by the Yiddish Theatre manager Jacob Adler. She was managed in vaudeville by Lew Leslie, who would become Baker's first husband. She made her vaudeville debut in Scranton, Pennsylvania, at the age of 15. She performed in Oscar Hammerstein I's Victoria Theatre in 1911, although her performance was panned, mainly for her song choices. By age 17, she was a headliner. One of her earliest hits was "Cohen Owes Me $97". Belle Baker on the sheet music cover of Nick Clesi's 1916 hit "I'm Sorry I Made You Cry"

Baker first introduced the song "Eli, Eli" to the American public. The song was originally written by a Jewish songwriter only known by the name Schindler for Baker's role as a child in a play. In the play, the mother is crucified and Baker sings the first line in English ("G-d, oh G-d, why has thou forsaken me?"). Gentiles at the time believed that this was a sung version of a Jewish prayer. However, Baker later clarified this, and it became one of the most popular tunes of the time. The song was later covered by John McCormack, John Steel and Dorothy Jardon.

In 1926, Baker became the lead in a play called Betsy. In this play, Baker played the oldest daughter of a Jewish family named the Kitzels. The mother (portrayed by Pauline Hoffman) wouldn't let any of her children get married until Betsy (played by Baker) got married. Legend has it that the story desperately needed a Baker song, and so she called Irving Berlin for help. Baker introduced his hit song Blue Skies in Betsy. The song was such a hit that she played it for twenty-four encores on opening night. Blue Skies would later become immortalized by Al Jolson's performance of it in the first ever talkie movie, The Jazz Singer.

TO BE CONTINUED...

FORGOTTEN ONES: CARL GRAYSON

Anyone remember Carl Grayson? Born in Canton, Ohio to Swiss and German Immigrants, his name at birth was Carl Frederick Graub. At the age of 5, he suffered a serious injury when he fell on a board that caused a protruding nail to penetrate into his forehead. During childhood, violin lessons helped him achieve a full recovery, and he became more proficient at playing as he grew older. By his late teenage years, Graub began playing recitals and concerts professionally throughout Ohio and Indiana. He went abroad to study music at Oxford University.

While in Europe, he met bandleader Johnny Hamp who signed him as a violinist and vocalist for Hamp’s Kentucky Serenaders Orchestra during the band’s 1930 England tour. Not long after, Graub began singing and playing with the Henry Busse Orchestra. Busse was the bandleader at the Chez Paree Night Club in Chicago owned by notorious gangster boss Al Capone. At Chez Paree, Graub met a singer named Georgia Madelon Baker and they married in Chicago in June, 1933.

Around this time, Graub began billing himself professionally as Carl Grayson, while his new wife billed herself as Madelon Grayson. One night in June 1936, Grayson was spotted by Columbia Studio Chief Harry Cohn singing “Is It True What They Say About Dixie”. Cohn offered Grayson a job on the spot, reported the next day by gossip columnist Hedda Hopper as “the quickest contract in film history”. Grayson moved to Hollywood the same year. At Columbia, Cohn visioned Grayson as a replacement for Roy Rogers who wanted out of his Columbia contract to work for Republic Pictures. Columbia billed him as Donald Grayson for several pictures, beginning with Dodge City Trail (1936) and Outlaws of the Prairie (1937) with Donald Grayson singing with the Sons of the Pioneers. Next came The Old Wyoming Trail (1937), Cattle Raiders (1938), and Call of the Rockies (1938). Bob Nolan replaced Grayson as the Sons lead singer, and about as quick as he had been signed, his three-year contact with Columbia was not renewed.

In the meantime, Madelon Grayson appeared in Girls of the Road (1940) and soon thereafter, filed for divorce against her husband, with the Los Angeles Times reporting the couple’s contentious allegations as front page news on March 16, 1940.

Free to return to musical opportunities, Grayson answered the calling from Spike Jones who was actively pursuing unique and talented musicians willing to play and perform his brand of zany musical comedy. The band signed a long-term engagement as the house band for the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles, billing itself the Donald Grayson and His Jonathan Club Dance Band. When Jones recruited clarinetist Del Porter, he brought in members of his band, the Feather Merchants, and the growing new orchestra emerged as Spike Jones and the City Slickers, the name a derivative from an early 1940’s Cindy Walker song called “Gonna Stomp Them City Slickers Down”.

Jones quickly incorporated Grayson’s vocal talents into songs and routines that included his unique and cartoonish vocal ability of his that became known as “glugging”. The earliest City Slicker recording of this style of vocalization was used in the song Siam (recorded July/August 1942). More famously, Grayson reemployed “gluggling” in “Cocktails For Two” (1945), and the routine was immortalized through a Soundies film version that can be enjoyed on YouTube. His last “gluggling” effort was recorded in “Hawaiian War Chant” released in October 1946.

It was no secret that early member of the City Slickers were heavy drinkers, and when Jones gave up drinking himself, he quickly became intolerant of alcohol abuse among the musicians he employed in his band. As popularity of the City Slickers soared after the release of “Der Fuhrer’s Face”, Grayson was among several members who made a mass exodus in the transition where Jones soon found himself in a better position to pick talent for his band from a broader pool of expert musicians, skillful comedians and multi-talented performers, rather than rely on the comparatively frat house party culture that pervaded among the band’s earlier ranks. Grayson’s alcoholism had become problematic, and he was replaced by clarinet player and equally-competent “gluggist” Mickey Katz in 1946. He played with Eddy Brandt and the Hollywood Hicks, but faded into obscurity, most likely due to pervasive drinking that too often becomes its own fulltime and all-consuming job.

He died in obscurity in April 1958 at age 49 without fanfare or an obituary. The cause of death was said to be liver cirrhosis and cancer. Only a handful of people who remembered him were said to have attended his funeral or memorial service, but there is no published record known. Disposition of his remains may have been assigned through indigent means: a sad ending for this once-talented and promising star whose light faded far too early on this earth...

FORGOTTEN ONES: THE MERRY MACS

One of the most charming singing groups of the 1940s were The Merry Macs.The Merry Macs were an American close-harmony pop music quartet who were active from the 1920s until the 1960s. They were best known for the hits "Mairzy Doats", "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition" and "Sentimental Journey". The group also sang on recordings with Bing Crosby.

Formed to play proms in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the group originally consisted of the three McMichael brothers: tenors Judd (1906–1989) and Joe (1916–1944), and baritone Ted (1908–2001). They were discovered by organist-bandleader Eddie Dunstedter of station WCCO, who suggested they perform in masks and dubbed them The Mystery Trio.

In 1931–32, the McMichaels toured with the orchestra of arranger-composer Joe Haymes, who renamed them The Personality Boys. By 1933 they added a female lead singer, Cheri McKay, and changed their name to The Merry Macs. At Haymes' recommendation, Victor Records engaged the group for one single that year, their first recording.

In 1936, they appeared on several national radio programs, and Cheri McKay was replaced by Helen Carroll. (McKay trained her successor in the group's singing style.) Another record session followed with Ray Noble's orchestra. The Merry Macs started appearing with Fred Allen on Town Hall Tonight starting on November 17, 1937. In September 1938, they signed a contract with Allen for the 1938–1939 season, and they remained until the end of the 1940 season.

Vocal quartets had customarily harmonized like barbershop quartets. The Merry Macs revolutionized vocal harmony with closer harmonic chords. This style inspired other groups, like The Modernaires and Six Hits and a Miss. In 1938 The Merry Macs signed with Decca Records and recorded "Pop Goes the Weasel". The Merry Macs (with Carroll) sang a swing version of "Down by the Old Mill Stream" in the 1939 Vitaphone musical Seeing Red, Red Skelton's first film.

In 1939, Mary Lou Cook (1908–2008) replaced Helen Carroll. This is the foursome that most listeners know from film appearances. The McMichael brothers and Cook appeared as a specialty act in Hollywood movies, including 1940's Love Thy Neighbor, and Universal Pictures gave The Merry Macs their own feature-film series in 1941. Their most famous film is Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942), an Abbott and Costello comedy in which The Merry Macs offer musical interludes. At the time, Cook was married to actor Elisha Cook, Jr.; she ended both her marriage and her affiliation with The Merry Macs at about the same time.

Marjory Garland (1923–1991) replaced Mary Lou Cook after Ride 'Em Cowboy was filmed. The Merry Macs continued to score on the hit parade; their version of "Mairzy Doats" was a best-seller. Garland, who later married Judd McMichael, remained with the group for two decades. Imogene Lynn was the group's female lead singer in 1946–1947.

Youngest brother Joe McMichael served in the armed forces and died in 1944 following an accidental overdose of Sulfa tablets while ill. He was replaced by Clive Erard, then Dick Baldwin, and finally Vern Rowe. The foursome of Judd, Ted, Marjory, and Vern continued performing until Judd retired from show business in 1964.

Vern and Ted took The Merry Macs to the U.K. where they made it their home until Vern and Ted retired 1967 and return to their homeland USA The Merry Macs continued in Britain making its base on the south coast Salisbury Wiltshire until 2000 when Harold Lambert John Reg Peter and their female vocalist Lettice Mackenzie Campbell retired from the music entertainment industry Cheri McKay was the first female vocalist 1933-36 with Lettice Mackenzie Campbell being the last female vocalist and the longest serving 1977-2000 with The Merry Macs. The singing group is largely forgotten now, but they gave hope and optimism in their songs during a difficult time in America's history...

FORGOTTEN ONES: VAUGHN DE LEATH

One of the early recording era's brightest stars was Vaughn De Leath. She was a mega star in the 1920s, but she is not very well remembered today. Born on September 26, 1894, Vaughn gained popularity in the 1920s, earning the sobriquets "The Original Radio Girl" and the "First Lady of Radio.De Leath was an early exponent, and often credited as inventor, of a style of vocalizing known as crooning. One of her hit songs, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?," recorded in 1927, achieved fame when it became a hit for Elvis Presley in 1960.

In January 1920, inventor and radio pioneer Lee DeForest brought her to the cramped studio of his station, 2XG, located in New York City's World's Tower, where De Leath broadcast "Swanee River". Although not, as is sometimes stated, the first broadcast of live singing, she established herself as a skilled radio performer, and De Forest would later note: "She was an instant success. Her voice and her cordial, unassuming microphone presence were ideally suited to the novel task. Without instruction she seemed to sense exactly what was necessary in song and patter to successfully put herself across". According to some historical accounts of this incident, having been advised that high notes sung in her natural soprano might shatter the fragile vacuum tubes of her carbon microphone's amplifier, De Leath switched to a deep contralto and in the process invented "crooning", which became the dominant pop vocal styling for the next three decades.

Her recording career began in 1921. Over the next decade she recorded for a number of labels, including Edison, Columbia, Victor, Okeh, Gennett, and Brunswick. She occasionally recorded for the subsidiary labels of some of these companies under various pseudonyms. These included Gloria Geer, Mamie Lee, Sadie Green, Betty Brown, Nancy Foster, Marion Ross, Glory Clarke, Angelina Marco, and Gertrude Dwyer. De Leath had a highly versatile range of styles, and as material required could adapt as a serious balladeer, playful girl, vampish coquette, or vaudeville comedian.

In 1923, she became one of the first women to manage a radio station, WDT in New York City, over which she also performed and led a sixty-piece orchestra. In 1928 she appeared on an experimental television broadcast, and later became a special guest for the debut broadcast of The Voice of Firestone radio show. She also was one of the first American entertainers to broadcast to Europe via transatlantic radio transmission.

De Leath made her last recording in 1931 for the Crown label. She made her final nationwide network performances in the early 1930s. In her waning years, she made radio appearances on local New York stations, including WBEN in Buffalo.

De Leath was married twice. In 1924 she wed artist Leon Geer, from whom she was divorced in 1935. The following year, she married musician Irwin Rosenbloom, from whom she was divorced in 1941.

In 1931, De Leath sued Kate Smith for using the "First Lady of the Radio" designation. Although Smith desisted for a time, she resumed the mantle after De Leath's death.After her career went into decline, De Leath endured considerable financial difficulties, complicated by a drinking problem, which contributed to her death at age 48 in Buffalo, New York. Her obituary in The New York Times incorrectly stated her age at death as 42. Her ashes were buried in her childhood home of Mount Pulaski, Illinois. Vaughn De Leath did too young and was forgotten too soon...

RIP: STEVE LAWRENCE

Steve Lawrence, the Fifties and Sixties crooner, actor, and comedian who teamed with his wife Eydie Gormé to form the duo Steve and Eydie, has died at the age of 88.

Lawrence died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles from complications from Alzheimer’s disease, a spokesperson for the family told Variety; Lawrence was forced to retire from touring after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019.

“My Dad was an inspiration to so many people,” his son David Lawrence said in a statement. “But, to me, he was just this charming, handsome, hysterically funny guy who sang a lot. Sometimes alone and sometimes with his insanely talented wife. I am so lucky to have had him as a father and so proud to be his son. My hope is that his contributions to the entertainment industry will be remembered for many years to come.”

The New York City-born Lawrence got his start in show business as an 18-year-old singer hired by Steve Allen’s late-night show in 1953; a year later, the program was rebranded as The Tonight Show, with Allen its first host. While at The Tonight Show, Lawrence met fellow singer and cast mate Eydie Gormé, with the pair marrying in 1957.

The couple together embarked on a recording career in addition to their television appearances — after Allen left the Tonight Show, the duo briefly launched their own The Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé Show — with Steve and Eydie releasing a string of singles over the late Fifties and early Sixties. Steve and Eydie also won a pair of Grammy for Best Performance By a Vocal Duo or Group.

Over the ensuing decades, Lawrence was a fixture on the small screen, appearing on programs like the Carol Burnett Show, What’s My Line? and his own variety show. Lawrence also appeared on Broadway, starring and earning a Tony Award nomination for his role in the 1964 musical What Makes Sammy Run? Eyde Gorme died in 2013...

FORGOTTEN ONES: ROSE MURPHY

There were so many great entetainers in the 1930s and 1940s that it is easy to lose track of one. One such singer that I listened to when my Grandfather was alive, and then I lost track of her was Rose Murphy. Murphy was born in Xenia, Ohio, United States on April 28, 1913. Described by AllMusic's Scott Yanow as having "a unique place in music history", Murphy was known as "the chee chee girl" because of her habit of singing "chee chee" in many of her numbers. She was also known as "the girl with the pale pink voice".

Murphy began her musical career in the late 1930s, playing intermission piano for such performers as Count Basie, and became popular in the United States and United Kingdom in the late 1940s. She is best known for her high-pitched singing style, which incorporated scat singing, giggling, and percussive sound effects. "Busy Line", one of her most well-known songs, made use of perhaps her most famous vocal sound effect: the 'brrp, brrrp' of a telephone ring.  A version of the song was later used in 1990 by BT Cellnet in a television commercial, which was such a success that RCA reissued the original recording. Princess Margaret became a fan after "Busy Line" became a hit in England. She attended Murphy's concerts in London, imitated her while playing the piano and sang "Busy Line" at parties. Murphy was known for her highly personalized rendition of ''I Can't Give You Anything but Love.''

From the 1950s to the 1980s, Murphy continued to play at many of the top clubs in New York, such as the Cookery, Michael's Pub and Upstairs At the Downstairs. She was normally accompanied by bassist Slam Stewart or Morris Edwards. These were interspersed with engagements in London and tours of Europe.

During a two-week engagement at Hollywood Roosevelt's Cinegrill in June 1989, Murphy became ill and returned to New York City. She died in New York aged 76 on November 16, 1989, and, though married four times, left no direct descendants. Her final marriage, from 1950 to 1977, was to Eddie Matthews,  a businessman who, from 1928 to 1933, had been married to Ethel Waters. Rose Murphy and her radio broadcasts in the UK are referred to in the novel, Under the Pink Light, by the British author Brian Hurst. Rose Murphy is now forgotten, but she doesn't deserve to be...

SINGER SPOTLIGHT: MARTHA TILTON - PART TWO

It was while with the Goodman band that Martha Tilton met her second husband, Leonard Vannerson. Leonard was Goodman's manager and when he saw Martha he fell in love. It was not quite the same for Martha, for Leonard tipped the scale at a portly 200 pounds. She would kid him about his weight and before long he went on a strict diet, shed 50 pounds and won himself a wife.

The Tilton-Vannerson wedding was held in 1940 at the Wee Kirk of the Heather chapel in Forest Lawn. Her only attendant was sister Liz, while Benny Goodman stood as Leonard's best man.

Martha's next job was with Paul Whiteman's Philco radio show Hall of Fame at NBC. She also did dubbed the singing voices for film actresses like Barbara Stanwick, Maria Montez, Anne Gwynne and Martha O'Driscoll.

During the early 1940s, Martha got her own radio show on NBC; this is where the nickname "Liltin' Martha Tilton" was conjured up. The nickname stuck with her ever since. Martha also did a number of recordings for Standard Transcriptions in 1941. These were made to supply radio stations with music during a large ASCAP strike. She recorded 17 songs during this time and another seven later.

Martha also sang briefly with Artie Shaw, recording two sides with his band, "Dreamin' Out Loud " and " Now' We Know."

In 1942, Martha's career really took off, when she was contacted by Johnny Mercer to join Capitol Records; Mercer had just co-founded the new label with Buddy DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs and Martha became their first signed artist. Unlike working with Goodman, Martha got to choose many of the songs she recorded at Capitol. There, she produced many of her hit recordings: "I'll Walk Alone," "A Stranger In Town," "A Fine Romance." "Connecticut," "I'll Remember April" (Martha's favorite song), "The Angels Cried," and to my ears the best recording of "And The Angel Sings."

It was in 1943 that Martha's son Jonathan was born. But she wasn't slowed down much. During World War II, in the years 1943 and 1944, Martha traveled with Jack Benny's U.S.O. Show to the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters to perform for troop morale. Carol Landis accompanied her on these tours. Then during the Summer of 1945 Martha traveled again with Jack Benny's U.S.O. Show for a short tour of Germany. This tour included Martha, Jack, Ingrid Bergman, and Larry Adler.

In the May 14, 1945 issue of Newsweek magazine, Martha was featured as the weekly pin-up, a feature added to the issues sent to servicemen. And what serviceman wouldn't fall in love with her after she sang, "I'll Walk Alone"? Unlike most pinups, who wore sexy attire, Martha was pictured in an evening gown and the warm beautiful smile she was famous for; a classic example of the "girl next door."

In 1947, Martha's marriage to Leonard Vannerson ended in divorce; Martha retained custody of her two sons. Martha and her sons formed a close-knit family from that point on.

Leaving Capitol in 1949, Martha continued to sing on radio shows like The Jack Benny Show, The Bob Hope Show, and many more. She also recorded on smaller record labels like Coral, Crown, and Majestic. These fine recordings are becoming hard to find.

In 1955, Martha played herself in "The Benny Goodman Story," recreating their 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. Hollywood took its usual liberties, having her sing "And The Angels Sing," which was not performed in the actual concert; in real life, they wouldn't perform it for another year.

In 1952, at a U.S. Treasury Bond drive at a local North American Aircraft plant in 1952, Martha met the love of her life; a 6 foot tall pilot named Jim Brooks. Jim had been a World War II ace and was now a test pilot for North American. He was given the job of showing Martha around the plant; at the end of their tour, he ask her to dinner that evening. She accepted and it just kept getting better after that.

Very important to Martha about her growing relationship with Jim was how her sons felt about it. Jerry was now 16 and John was 10 and the two indirectly asked if she was going to marry Jim. This put her in a bit of a predicament; what to tell them. With out really knowing how they might react, she asked them if they thought she should. The answer came back an overwhelming "yes."

Her concern now was how a bachelor would handle being the instant father of two boys. This proved no problem for Jim; he adapted to the challenge quickly, and what American boy wouldn't want a fighter ace and test pilot as their new father?

Shortly after marrying, the lovebirds found a house close to both their work places, on Mandeville Canyon Blvd. in Los Angeles. They have lived there ever since.

Martha gave birth to their daughter, Cathy, on Sept 13, 1955. From this point on, Martha devoted most of her time to her family and pretty much ceased performing. She also devoted time to charity work, appearing in several PBS big band programs and doing a few big band tours both overseas and in the States. Her last tour was to Australia and throughout the United States in the mid-1990s with John Gary and Horace Heidt. She was honored in the Big Band Academy of America's "Golden Bandstand" at their annual reunion in March 1997.

Martha and Jim Brooks, married for over 50 years, enjoyed a healthy life together in their home on Mandeville Canyon Blvd. Jim eventually retired as an Executive Director with North American Aviation and they enjoyed spending time with their five grandchildren (her son, Jon Vannerson's children Elise and Spenser; her daughter, Cathy Smith's children Maura, Virginia and Jimmy). Martha also kept busy with her dogs and enjoyed needlepoint as a hobby.

Martha passed away on December 8, 2006, peacefully and in her home.

Martha and Jim had a true love of life; their marriage held true to the 1953 article written about them, it was "... Happily Ever After." Martha said she enjoyed her years with the big bands and is proud of the contribution she made to those great organizations. While she considered the pop music of today "not very good" to her ears, she was "very happy" with the revival of Swing music that is in, if you'll pardon the word play, "full swing."

SOURCE

RIP: TONY BENNETT

Tony Bennett, the legendary New York pop and jazz singer died on Friday aged 96.

A statement posted on his Twitter account said: "Tony left us today but he was still singing the other day at his piano and his last song was Because of You, his first #1 hit.

"Tony, because of you we have your songs in our heart forever."

Bennett's death was confirmed by his publicist Sylvia Weiner in a statement to the Associated Press.

She said he died in his hometown of New York. No specific cause of death was announced, but Bennett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. Sir Elton John led the tributes on social media, writing in a statement posted on his Instagram that he was "so sad to hear of Tony's passing".

"Without doubt the classiest singer, man, and performer you will ever see," Sir Elton said. "He's irreplaceable. I loved and adored him. Condolences to Susan, Danny and the family."

The White House released a statement saying that "Tony Bennett didn't just sing the classics - he himself was an American classic" and praising his enduring contributions to American life.

Former US first lady Hillary Clinton described Bennett as a "true talent, a true gentleman, and a true friend". She tweeted: "We'll miss you, Tony, and thanks for all the memories."

Singer Carole King said: "RIP Tony Bennett. Such a big loss. Deepest sympathy to his family and the world."

In a statement to Rolling Stone, singer Billy Joel said: "Tony Bennett was the one of the most important interpreters of American popular song during the mid to late 20th Century. "He championed songwriters who might otherwise have remained unknown to many millions of music fans. His was a unique voice that made the transition from the era of Jazz into the age of Pop.

"I will always be grateful for his outstanding contribution to the art of contemporary music. He was a joy to work with. His energy and enthusiasm for the material he was performing was infectious. He was also one of the nicest human beings I've ever known."

Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, to a family of Italian immigrants, Bennett was just nine years old when his father died, plunging the family further into poverty. As a teenager he became a singing waiter before enrolling to study music and painting at New York's School of Industrial Art. He was drafted into the US army in 1944 to fight in France and Germany towards the end of World War Two. "It's legalised murder," he said of the scarring experience in an interview with the Guardian in 2013.

After returning home, his singing career continued - first under the name Joe Bari - and his breakthrough came in 1951 the song Because of You, which gave him first number one. He changed his name to the Americanised Tony Bennett on the say so of fellow entertainer Bob Hope. Bennett soon became a teenage icon, releasing his first album in 1952. The same year his wedding was besieged by female fans in mourning.

He went on to chart in the US in every subsequent decade of his life, building a reputation for making timeless swinging jazz-inflected pop hits - like Blue Velvet and Rags to Riches - and, later, show tunes and big band numbers.

His 1962 version of a song from the previous decade, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, sent his star into an even bigger orbit, winning him two Grammys. However, with the arrival of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones into the US, as the decade rolled on his relevance faded. Personal problems followed, including the end of two marriages and drug addiction. He performed through the pain, recording two records with pianist Bill Evans.

After hiring his son Danny to become his manager and reuniting with his pianist and musical director Ralph Sharon, his fortunes began to change. He enjoyed a revival in the 1980s and 1990s, when Grammy awards flooded in for the star, then in his sixties. His 1986 comeback album, The Art of Excellence, got the ball rolling again for the star who had returned to New York from Las Vegas.

He followed it with the chart-topping Perfectly Frank, a tribute to his musical hero Sinatra, before 1994's MTV Unplugged saw Bennett win the Grammy for album of the year. In an interview with the Independent in 2008, Bennett said he had not been surprised by his renewed success.

"Good music is good music," he said. "I'm not concerned with whether someone who listens to me is old or young. In fact, in many ways, I'm not interested in the young at all.

Bennett remained perpetually cool enough to win over new legions of fans. The Alzheimer's diagnosis from 2016 forced Bennett to finally retire in August of 2021...

SINGER SPOTLIGHT: MARTHA TILTON - PART ONE

One of the most beautiful of the musical songbirds was the great  Martha Tilton. This bio of the Liltin' Martha Tilton was taken from a website dedicated to her. A link to the great website is provided below...

Born on November 14th, 1915, her family moved to Edna, Kansas a short time after; then, in 1922, they settled on Laurel Avenue in Los Angeles. Her father worked as a banker in Los Angeles. and he did well (considering this was during the Great Depression), he soon moved his family to a nice home at 507 Highland Avenue in Los Angeles. This is the home Martha's parents lived in for the remainder of their lives and which Martha only recently sold.

The Tiltons were a close-knit family; aunts and uncles and grandparents all lived within a few blocks of each other. Martha's mother played piano and her father had a beautiful singing voice, and the whole extended family loved to sing whenever they got together. Some of Martha's favorite singers at the time were Ruth Etting and Connee Boswell.

Martha also had a younger sister named Liz who was born in 1918, whom Martha claims was even prettier then she (although it's hard to believe). Liz was also a talented singer, singing with Jan Garber's orchestra in the mid-1940s and also Bob Crosby's band; her recordings are rare, so we have included a few on this site for your enjoyment (see "Audio" page). When Liz's husband returned from WWII, Liz left the music business. Liz passed away a few years ago, in 2003.

While Martha attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, she met up with a girl friend who had an older sister dating a fellow from U.S.C. college. These fellows had a small band that performed on a local radio station. She went on to sing at the Ambassador Hotel's Coconut Grove with Sid Lippman's Band.

In 1937, Martha joined the Jimmy Dorsey Band and spent a few months with that organization. During that time Dorsey recorded many records, but none included Martha unfortunately.

Still in 1937, she appeared in her first movie, the Roland Young film "Topper," with Cary Grant and Constance Bennett. She had an uncredited part as a lounge singer, fronting the group "Three Hits and a Miss."

Besides appearing in the movie "Topper," Martha also appeared in the films "Irene," "You'll Never Get Rich," "Sunny," "Strictly In The Groove," "Crime Inc.," "Swing Hostess" and "The Benny Goodman Story." Her last film, "The Queen of the Stardust Ballroom," was made in 1975. Most of these movies are available for purchase online.

While with "Three Hits and a Miss," Martha was the first girl singer to sing four-part harmony with a pop group. About this time, Benny Goodman was in Hollywood filming "Hollywood Hotel" and became aware of Martha, and she was asked to audition to replace Helen Ward. Goodman seemed to be going through a lot of girl singers at this time. Martha later commented that the band worked 365 days straight for two years, with no breaks. With that kind of a schedule, one can see why some singers and band members might leave looking for easier work hours.

During her years with Goodman, Martha made over 80 recordings--some really great, some pretty bad. According to Martha, Benny would record anything that came along, knowing his established popularity would make them hits. Unfortunately, performers like Martha who sang with a popular big band got little recognition. While she lent her beautiful voice to a recording (and without her voice, a song may not have been nearly as popular), Benny Goodman got the credit.

Early in her career with the Goodman organization, Martha was singing at the SunnyBrook Ballroom in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. When it came time for Benny to introduce her, he gave her a big buildup: "Here is a pretty gal from Hollywood that's really going places." But Martha missed her cue. When she didn't appear on stage, after a moment Benny ad-libbed, "She's not going places, she's already gone."

One of the biggest hits Martha had with Goodman was the song "And The Angels Sing." This tune was recorded on the spur of the moment, after the band had just come off a road trip. Johnny Mercer was still working on the lyrics as they went into the recording studio. After each take, Johnny would make changes and they'd do it all over again. Ziggy Elman, trumpet player, had a lengthy solo in the second half of the record; needless to say, after so many takes, his lips had taken a pretty bad beating.

After the song was put to bed, Martha commented to Harry James that this particular tune would never be a hit. Much to her surprise, she was wrong. "And The Angels Sing" is one of those songs that will endure forever and no one has ever sang it as beautifully as Martha. Of the many different recordings of the song she made over the years, I prefer the one done in 1955 with Capitol Records.

January 16, 1938 was a very special day; not just for Martha, but also for the Goodman organization and the wonderful music they brought to the world. That evening, the Goodman band broke tradition when they played swing music to a packed house at Carnegie Hall. Martha was 23 years old and must have felt a strong sense of fulfillment when she sang "Lock Lomond" and received the longest ovation of the entire evening. She also sang "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon." I believe this solidly set Martha as one of the great swing vocalists.

Martha's career with Goodman ended in April 1939, when the band broke up. This was bound to happen considering the rigorous schedule Goodman worked under. Also a number of strong solo performers had started out by working for Benny: Lionel Hampton, Harry James, Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa, to name a few; they were ready to make their own marks on the music world. The remaining members of the band were saddened by Martha's leaving. Louise Tobin, who was then married to Harry James, replaced her....

TO BE CONTINUED...

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HOLLYWOOD BEAUTY: GINNY SIMMS

 Ginny Simms was famous for her vocals with Kay Kyser & His Orchestra, but she also tried to hand in acting and was one of the most beautiful woman vocalists in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Here are some prime examples of her beauty:

BORN ON THIS DAY: PHIL HARRIS

Phil Harris was many things in Hollywood. He was a singer, comedian, actor, band leader, and just an all around fun guy. He was born on this day in 1904. Harris was born in Linton, Indiana, but grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, and identified himself as a Southerner. His hallmark song was "That's What I Like About the South." He had a trace of a Southern accent and in later years made self-deprecating jokes over the air about his heritage. His parents were circus performers. His father, a tent bandleader, gave him his first job as a drummer with the circus' band.

Phil Harris began his music career as a drummer in San Francisco, in the mid-1920s playing drums in the Henry Halstead Big Band Orchestra. He formed an orchestra with Carol Lofner in the latter 1920s and started a long engagement at the St. Francis Hotel. In the 1930s, Lofner-Harris recorded swing music for Victor, Columbia, Decca, and Vocalion. The partnership ended by 1932, and Harris led a band in Los Angeles for which he was the singer and bandleader. In 1936, Harris became musical director of The Jell-O Program Starring Jack Benny singing and leading his band, with Mahlon Merrick writing much of the show's music. When Harris exhibited a knack for snappy one-liners, he joined the cast, portraying himself as a hip, hard-drinking Southerner whose good nature superseded his ego. He gave the others nicknames, such as "Jackson" for Jack Benny. (Addressing a man as "Jackson" or sometimes "Mr. Jackson" became popular slang in the early 1940s.) His signature song was "That's What I Like About the South." Many of his vocal recordings were comic novelty "talking blues," similar to the songs of Bert Williams, which are sometimes considered a precursor to rap. He remained on the Jack Benny program until 1952. He also starred in his own radio show with his wife Alice Faye from 1946 to 1954.

In 1956, Harris appeared in the film Good-bye, My Lady. He made numerous guest appearances on 1960s and 1970s television series, including The Steve Allen Show, the Kraft Music Hall, Burke's Law, F Troop, The Dean Martin Show, The Hollywood Palace, and other musical variety programs. He appeared on The American Sportsman which took celebrities on hunting and fishing trips around the world.

Harris worked as a voice actor for animated films, providing the voice of Baloo the bear in The Jungle Book (1967), Thomas O'Malley in The Aristocats (1970), and Little John in Robin Hood (1973). In 1989, he reprised his role as Baloo for the cartoon series TaleSpin, but after a few recording sessions he was replaced by Ed Gilbert. Harris's final film role was in Rock-a-Doodle (1991).

Harris spent time in the 1970s and early 1980s leading a band that appeared often in Las Vegas, often on the same bill with bandleader Harry James.This "man of the south" led a full life and died at the age of 91 in 1995...

RIP: ED AMES

Ed Ames, a member of the Ames Brothers singing quartet who starred in TV series “Daniel Boone” in the 1960s, died Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 95.

Ed Ames and his brothers Vic, Joe and Gene had a hit with their version of “Rag Mop” in 1950. As a solo artist, he had hits with “Who Will Answer?,” “My Cup Runneth Over” and “Try to Remember.” In the 1950s, they had a syndicated TV program, “The Ames Brothers Show,” and 49 songs that charted before they broke up in 1963.

He then launched an acting career, which included off-Broadway performances in “The Crucible” and “The Fantasticks,” as well as a starring role on Broadway in “Carnival!” He starred with Kirk Douglas, Gene Wilder and William Daniels in the Broadway production of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Although his background was Russian Jewish, Ames was cast several times as a Native American, and played Mingo, a Cherokee Indian character with a British father, for several seasons of the Fess Parker Western “Daniel Boone.”

He became known for his skill in throwing a tomahawk, and on “The Tonight Show” in 1965, he demonstrated his skill for Johnny Carson on a wood panel with an outline of a cowboy. When Ames hit the figure squarely in the groin, Carson ad-libbed: “I didn’t even know you were Jewish!” and then “Welcome to Frontier Bris.” The saucy response caused the studio audience to laugh for four minutes, which has been reported to be the longest laugh by a studio audience in television history.

He also made guest appearances on shows including “The Rifleman,” “McCloud,” “Murder She Wrote,” “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and “Jake and the Fatman.”

Born on July 9, 1927 in Malden, Mass., Ames was the youngest of nine children, and later received a B.A. in theater and cinema arts from UCLA in 1975.

He is survived by his wife Jeanne; two children, Ronald and Sonya, seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and stepson Stephen Saviano. Another daughter, Marcella, predeceased him.Ed made his last public appearances and performances around 2017...

FRANCES LANGFORD: THE GI NIGHTINGALE - PART TWO

Frances Langford was received in much the same way throughout all of her performances with Hope. It was often said that sailors, soldiers, airmen, or marines would put their arms around each other, or bow their heads and sometimes cry when they heard her sing a familiar melody. They were transported to a different place and time in different company, but only for a moment. “I’d sing a song, and I could just see the guys getting this faraway expression. I knew they were going home in their minds.”

Her showstoppers with Hope were “Embraceable You,” “You Made Me Love You,” and “I’ll Be Seeing You.” There was always lots of jostling and lots of wolf-whistling when Langford appeared, but when she began singing everyone went completely still and silent. Hope said, “She knows just how much sex to pour and still be dignified.”

Langford and Hope’s troupe had some other close calls. In the summer of 1943, Hope brought his troupe to a very-recently liberated North Africa and Sicily through the USO Camp Shows Division, which was established to bring entertainment directly to those fighting overseas. The entertainers experienced what it was like to take cover in basements and in foxholes during bombing raids. After witnessing a harrowing Luftwaffe raid on Bizerte from a ditch outside of town, Hope joked that “When it was over, she helped me crawl out and get to the car. I don’t think she carried me, but knowing Frances, she probably tried.”

One columnist referred to Langford as a “one woman blitz” and said that she acted as a sort of “Fairy Godmother” to the GIs. Indeed she was called “Mother Langford” by Hope and by the other members of the troupe, even though she was ten years younger than Hope. In summer 1944, when the troupe toured the Pacific, they were joined by another female member, Patty Thomas. Langford took on the role of older sister and friend. They stayed very close for the remainder of their lives.

During the war, Langford, like Hope and Colonna, wrote about her travels. Purple Heart Diary was Langford’s column for Hearst newspapers, in which she recounted episodes from her visits to wounded troops in hospitals across the country. In 1951, the column was turned into a film, starring Langford. Even though Langford performed hundreds of shows during the war all over the world in a variety of settings, the bedside and wardroom performances in military hospitals became her signature appearances. Although emotionally taxing, this work was extremely gratifying. She often recounted how she would sneak away after a song to cry, always wanting to remain calm and cheerful to her audiences.

From 1946-1951, Langford starred with Don Ameche as part of the verbal sparring married duo, The Bickersons, a popular radio comedy. She later left Hollywood, returning to her native Florida, where she opened a Polynesian club and marina in Jensen Beach. When Langford married her third husband in 1994, Patty Thomas served as her Matron of Honor. Langford died in Florida on July 11, 2005 at age 92. Her voice would live on in the memories and imaginations of a million GIs....

THE END