Introduction
The International Ballroom of the Beverly Hilton Hotel resounded
with cascades of applause and loving affirmation of a timeless
music legend on May 11, 1994. Peggy Lee was honored that evening
with a gala tribute event in Beverly Hills by the Society of
Singers, and as a fitting gesture of appreciation for their
financial support as well as for the public honor, Lee performed a
touching, heartfelt rendition of her original song, “Here’s To
You,” melodiously wishing those in attendance “good luck” in
several languages before closing with her favorite blessing,
“angels on your pillows…” The masterful timing, declamatory
phrasing and gentle, musical delivery that were Peggy’s alone shone
through one of the last performances this remarkable artist would
share with her adoring public…
The highly diverse, six-decade catalog of music created by
vocalist/songwriter Peggy Lee—a globally beloved singer, composer,
lyricist, voiceover artist, actress and entertainer—represents one
of the greatest singular contributions by anyone to the oeuvre of
American music. Lee’s remarkable work in big band swing, popular
music, jazz, blues, the “cool” school, film music, radio,
television, and crossover styles forever changed the landscape of
American music as well as the role and society’s expectations of
the female vocalist. Hailing from rural North Dakota nee Norma
Delores Egstrom, she was first nicknamed “Peggy Lee” by a radio DJ.
Deciding to keep the new stage name, Peggy moved to Los Angeles and
continued to sing, being fortuitously heard and hired by Benny
Goodman shortly after his band’s vocalist, Helen Forrest, resigned.
Peggy would soon prove that she could not only successfully replace
Forrest, but also carve her own path as a force to be reckoned with
in 1940s American popular music.
Chapter 1
The Goodman Band
At the beginning of her career, the newly monikered Peggy Lee may
have seemed to be just one of many attractive “chick” singers
fronting important big bands of the 1930s. During the Goodman
years, she was relegated to sing songs in other singers’ keys,
causing her high-pitched, youthful tone to match that of many other
leading big band vocalists. When finally given opportunities to
show off her lower, sultry, softer, bluesy approach via
arrangements in lower keys, Lee began to come into her own
signature style. Early hits propelling Lee to the top of the pop
music charts began with “Somebody Else Is Taking My Place” from
1941 (peaking at #1) and “Why Don’t You Do Right?” which rose to #4
in 1942. “We’ll Meet Again,” which topped at #16 that same year,
became a song long associated with Lee. Meeting her first husband,
Dave Barbour, through association with Goodman’s band proved to be
doubly advantageous for Peggy—Barbour also became her first
collaborative composer with whom she wrote several hit songs.
Chapter 2
A Capitol Idea
Following her split with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, Lee pursued a
wildly successful career as a solo artist with Capitol Records.
Recording sessions and hits were plentiful for Lee throughout the
1940s and 50s, and she proved to be a public favorite with her
cool, seductive delivery, musical phrasing and magnetic sex appeal.
The Barbour/Lee songwriting team churned out dozens of great songs
over the next few years while Lee also continued to record songs by
other composers. At Capitol, record executives began to encourage
Lee to focus on recording songs they provided her, rather than on
writing her own material. Fortunately, she managed to find time to
be successful at both ventures.
Chapter 3
The Peggy Lee Show
Radio shows were all the rage in the mid-1940s through the 1950s,
and were hosted by famous entertainers including Bing Crosby, Jimmy
Durante, Woody Herman and eventually, Peggy Lee. Highlights from
Lee’s show were often created when she brilliantly performed songs
normally associated with other artists (“Somewhere Along The Way,”
a Nat Cole hit, and “A Kiss To Build A Dream On,” associated with
Louis Armstrong). Performances from hosted radio programs
represented a crucial connection between leading pop musicians and
their adoring American fans during this period. These shows finally
gave way to widely popular television variety shows filmed before a
live studio audience (hosted by Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Ed
Sullivan and many others). Among a slew of interesting skits and
other acts, these variety shows broadcast hundreds of impromptu
performances showcasing the top entertainers of the day. Lee made
history when she sang the Academy Award-nominated song, “Zing a
Little Zong,” from Just For You at the first-ever televised
broadcast of the Oscars.
Chapter 4
The Decca Years
In 1953 Lee turned to the Decca label to record what jazz history
scholars have ranked as one of the top ten vocal jazz albums of all
time: Black Coffee. This important Decca recording reveals Lee to
be no less than a serious jazz artist, capable of text-based
improvisation bathed heavily in the blues. Her characteristic
skills in backphrasing, understatement, unprecedented use of soft
dynamics and astounding vocal control are readily apparent on this
recording. Although Lee was criticized for sounding a bit like
Billie Holiday here, her original approach to this material makes
itself apparent to the discriminating listener. This decade also
birthed a Capitol hit single most associated with Lee (“Fever,” in
1958) as well as a highly controversial rendering of the formerly
innocuous Rodgers and Hart composition, “Lover,” which caused a
public outcry in 1952 due to its vividly sensual, emotionally
intense interpretation.
Chapter 5
A Flair for Film
Lee contributed music to fourteen films throughout her storied
career. Two of the most notable include Disney’s Lady and the
Tramp, for which she served as both lyricist for all the songs in
the film and voiceover artist for all female characters, and Pete
Kelly’s Blues, in which she attained a Best Supporting Actress
nomination for her acting role as an alcoholic nightclub singer.
Both films feature Lee’s singing as well as her original songs.
Several other films include songs co-written by Lee, showcasing her
innate ability to adapt lyrics to a variety of storylines and film
scores. For these and other projects, Lee collaborated with A-list
composers Sonny Burke, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mandel and Henry
Mancini. Film dramas including Johnny Guitar, The Russians Are
Coming! The Russians Are Coming! and Anatomy Of A Murder boast
Peggy Lee’s songs in their soundtracks.
Chapter 6
1960s Jazz and Blues
The 1960s found Lee as prolific and focused as ever, and eager to
collaborate with some of the most talented young musicians in the
business. Mink Jazz, another exquisite straight-ahead jazz album
showcasing Lee’s jazz sensibilities, was a successful venture with
trumpeter Jack Sheldon, reinforcing Lee’s rightful place in the
circle of top jazz vocalists. Blues Cross-Country was a songwriting
collaboration with a young Quincy Jones, proving Lee’s fearless
willingness to foray into the blues--a genre for which her voice
was uniquely suited. In 1965 Lee recorded Cy Coleman’s bluesy
classic, “Big Spender,” from his new musical, Sweet Charity. Lee
obtained special permission to record the song before the original
cast recording was made, releasing her version upon the premiere of
the Broadway production in January 1966 to become an instant
hit.
Chapter 7
Live at Basin Street East
This historically important recording of a live New York
performance in 1961 offers a rare glimpse into the extraordinary
“live” Peggy Lee concert experience during the height of her career
and worldwide fame. This recording best exemplifies Lee’s artistry
as the masterful performing artist that she was, capable of casting
a musical spell and holding an audience in the palm of her hand for
an entire evening. The full show includes various hits, originals
and three multi-song medleys. Lee’s former bandmates claim that Lee
loved to program medleys into her show songlists as a preferred way
to present related material to a live audience while adding to the
flow and unpredictability of the music. One such related group on
this recording is a Ray Charles tribute medley connecting four of
Ray’s signature songs together.
Chapter 8
Leiber and Stoller
The songwriting team that is often identified with Lee’s 1960s work
is the duo that penned two of her signature songs in that
decade—Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. While the later ubiquitously
known “I’m a Woman” never charted when it was released in 1963, “Is
That All There Is?” earned Lee and the songwriting duo their only
Grammy awards (1969). Mirrors, a problematic album collaboration in
1975, was irreparably plagued by poor recording quality, and never
managed more than a lukewarm album remodeling project in recent
years. Still, the Leiber and Stoller period in Lee’s total output
represents a particular sound and genre exemplifying the aging
persona of Peggy Lee.
Chapter 9
The Late Albums
Lee managed to snag not one, but two Grammy nominations for albums
she recorded in her late 60s—Peggy Lee Sings the Blues (1988) and
The Peggy Lee Songbook: There’ll Be Another Spring (1989). These
records (released on the MusicMasters label) featured a young, very
talented combo of jazz instrumentalists who would go on to become
jazz masters themselves (Mike Renzi and Emilio Palame, piano, John
Chiodini, guitar and Mark Sherman, drums). While these albums
revealed a very different vocal quality than heard in Lee’s early
work, her timing, phrasing and storytelling capabilities were still
intact.
Chapter 10
That’s Not All There Is
The long, successful musical career and extensive song catalog of
Peggy Lee, totaling several hundred recorded covers and 270
originals, boasts the productivity of a truly universal woman
capable of singing and recording at a level that shattered most of
her competition. Not only this, but Lee’s ability to write
artistically viable lyrics and music at a highly prolific clip
despite incessant discouragement from record label executives
continued throughout her career. Moreover, her ventures into
performing a wide variety of genres with relative authenticity and
courageous, inspiring voraciousness illuminates a comparatively
boundless creative spirit. Several albums of Lee’s previously
unreleased work have been made public since her death in 2002
including “lost” Capitol masters and several original songs. Lee’s
ongoing commitment to musical excellence, artistic integrity and
the protection of intellectual property for songwriters serve as
timely reminders for today’s artists about the importance of
contributing something positive and enduring to the body of art in
our current musical culture.
Tish Oneyis an international jazz recording artist, arranger, composer and artistic director of several productions. She has performed as soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, The Williamsburg Symphony, The Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Symphoria, the U.S. Army Bands and several other outstanding large ensembles. Tish’s fifth recording project—this time with John Chiodini (guitar), Chuck Berghofer (bass) and Ray Brinker (drums)—is a compilation of new original songs by contemporary jazz composers, including three never-before-heard songs by jazz diva Peggy Lee. A talented jazz journalist and blogger, Oney writes a monthly column titled “Anatomy of a Standard” and an interview series highlighting L.A.-based jazz musicians for All About Jazz. Her diverse artistic talents combine to form an outstanding performing artist with exceptional technique, improvisational skill, and expertise. She lives in New York City.
. . . this finely tuned appraisal of Peggy Lee's prolific career is
totally absorbing. . . . Oney reminds us that Lee was a true
pioneer, deftly navigating her way through a male dominated
industry and not afraid to champion royalty rights for fellow
songwriters.-- "The Jazz Rag"
Oney pays tribute to the iconic singer by focusing "exclusively on
Lee's musical footprint and artistic legacy." Previous books about
Lee haven't paid sufficient attention to her musicianship, Oney
writes, and she capably fills the void with this thoughtful and
perceptive look at Lee's 60-year career. Lee recorded more than 50
albums and composed more than 250 songs, and Oney describes how
many were created. Lee worked with a number of notables in American
popular song, and among them were Benny Goodman, Bing Crosby, Mel
Torm�, Vic Damone, Perry Como, Judy Garland, and Frank Sinatra. Lee
was also an advocate for intellectual property rights and royalties
for film composers, songwriters, and musical performers. In her
early years as a big band singer to her recordings for Capitol,
Decca, and other labels; her film contributions as performer,
composer, and lyricist; her concerts and collaborations with other
artists, new and established; her television performances; and
more, Peggy Lee left her mark on American music. Oney's fresh and
comprehensive biography is the perfect way to celebrate the
centennial of Lee's birth.-- "Booklist"
Carefully researched and lovingly written, [Peggy Lee] digs into
the backstories of Lee's career, documenting challenges faced and
triumphs claimed during six decades of performing.-- "New York City
Jazz Record"
It is impossible to come away from this book, especially if
revisiting Lee's music en route, without a heightened sense of the
nuance, skill and control in Lee's delivery . . . Oney's relentless
attention to the technicalities in Lee's singing--the smears and
slides, the perfect pitch, her rich tone and emotional gravitas,
the soft, breathy delivery that was her calling card, and her
improvisational ability to transform a song's melody and rhythm,
build a persuasive picture of a singular talent . . . Peggy Lee: A
Century Of Song will doubtless delight Lee's legions of fans, but
its insights into Lee's stagecraft should be of particular interest
to any aspiring singers who are sincere about the art of song,
regardless of genre.-- "All About Jazz"
Jazz composer Oney celebrates the centennial of musician Peggy
Lee's birth in a melodious tribute to the singer's versatility as a
singer and composer. Lee (1920-2002) grew up in North Dakota and
during high school had guest spots singing on local radio stations
until she was offered her own show. At age 17 she left for
California, where she was discovered by and joined up with band
leader Benny Goodman. She eventually left Goodman's band to pursue
a solo career, and signed a contract with Capitol Records,
releasing her first album, Rendezvous with Peggy Lee, in 1947. Oney
illustrates how Lee's restless creativity and canny music and
business sense helped her climb the ladder of success and expanded
her audiences. In the 1950s Lee was offered another radio show, the
Peggy Lee Show (also known as Club 88), a segment of which was to
highlight contemporary composers such as Frank Loesser and Hoagy
Carmichael. In the 1970s, Lee collaborated with such stars as Paul
McCartney and Stevie Wonder, which introduced her to a new
generation of listeners. As Oney points out, Lee's ways with a song
allowed her to move with ease from singing blues and jazz to
popular contemporary songs. This is a delightful volume for fans of
American pop standards. -- "Publishers Weekly"
This beautiful book achieves its aim with resounding success . . .
Professor Oney seems uniquely qualified for her narrowly specified
subject - an easily accessible and lucidly composed examination of
Peggy Lee's individual recordings over her career. . . . It is rare
to find a work of such perfection as this book, and I can confirm
that it is matched in that by the genius and natural talent of its
subject.-- "Jazz Journal"
This is a book that will appeal to those who are fans not only of
Peggy Lee, but anyone interested in the area of American popular
music. It is well written and researched, and provides a
comprehensive view of the unique and continuingly appealing
artistry of one of America's most significant musical
personalities.-- "Jersey Jazz"
4 Stars . . . Oney's analysis of her subject's unique singing style
and eclectic musical output is revealing and piercingly insightful.
She paints a fascinating portrait of a genius-level pop music
pioneer . . . the book's persuasive tone will justifiably prompt
many readers to explore the vast shining sea that is Lee's back
catalogue.-- "MOJO"
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