Who is your favorite "forgotten singer"?

BinkieBaumont · Oct 4, 2008

"Hildegarde"

Hildegarde claimed to be from Paris, which was all a story cooked up by her or her manager, she actualy came from The USA, and put on a very dodgy French accent, she looked amazing, and was " tres elegante"

According to my February 1938 copy of esquire magazine: "The Crystal room at the Ritz has again been re-decorated and a more intimate show attempted than the gay affair of last year. The one and only Hildegarde, evidently weary of waiting for television to catch up with her is the chanteause, the dance orchestra is that of Rudolph Friml."

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=RblMSHULNXU

vitanola · Oct 4, 2008

Fletch said:
Tony Sacco, a nice-sounding tenor-baritone and guitar player who made a fair number of band records - mostly with Enric Madriguera's ork in 1933-'35 - and was privileged to sing with Benny Goodman on a few occasions (back when BG's name didn't mean much).

Marjory Logan, a velvet-voiced dark-toned singer who helped make the mid '30s Johnny Green band what it was – just perfect.

I LOVE Helen Ward! An unfortunately overlooked warbler of the swing era. She could even make tripe like "The Dixieland Band" or "The Popcorn Man" swing.

vitanola · Oct 4, 2008

DerMann said:
Tough choice.

Either Harry Champion:

Mark Sheridan:

or Charles Coborn:

Opposite ends of the spectrum, eh?

Coborn singing "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" in five languages, or Champion intoning "A Little Bit of Cucumber" Both wonderful, but for my money, one can't beat "Dainty" Lilly Morris' cockney numbers, "Don't 'ave any More Mrs. Moore". "My Old Man Said Follow the Van", or her seriocomic wail "Why Am I Always The Bridesmaid". B

Billy Williams is another of my favorite music hall artists. Try his "When Father Papered the Parlor", or "Giving a Donkey a Strawberry".

As far as American artists of the period, there is the inimitable Billy Murray, with his way with topical songs, and Henry Burr, singing "heart songs" in his sympathetic manner.

Faye Templeton certainly had a way with a comic number, check out her rendition of "the Bully" if you can find it, and for Rube and Darky humor Billy Golden can't be beat. What a powerful voice, and what excellent comic timing!

vitanola · Oct 4, 2008

Another favorite of mine who is largely forgotten today is Lee morse. Her style is not to everyone's, taste, but she mad a good many excellent recordings in the late 1920's.

For comic numbers with a jazz influence, Jay C. Flippen could not be beat, and for straight vocals there is a great deal that may be said in Irving Kaufman's favor.

tuppence · Oct 24, 2008

josephine baker

Prien said:
My favorite singer - thus far, is Josephine Baker. I have a CD of her French songs and just love them. As far as musicians are concerned - Django Reinhardt and Paul Whiteman.

Prien

I'm listening to her now. It is a shame that she is remembered more for her topless bananna dance, than her beautiful singing voice

StaceFace · Oct 24, 2008

Ginny Simms from her work with Kay Kyser. I particularly liked her on With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair.

Elizabeth.F · Nov 14, 2008

I was excited when I saw that a couple of people mentioned Billy Murray. I love his singing voice and nothing can make me laugh harder than one of his novelty songs!

Bill Taylor · Nov 16, 2008

dhermann1 said:
I just rememberd somebody who's REALLY forgotten. The very first, I mean very first, hit recording artist was a guy named Bill Murray (ca 1880 - 1957). His big hit was "The Little Ford Rambled Right Along" - 1915. It's a great little rumpy tumpy ditty.

Actually, his name was Billy Murray, not Bill and he wasn't the first or most popular recording star of that time. Other of his big hits of the teens was Me and My Gal, Sister Susie's Sewing Shirts for the Solders (on the Singer in the Kitchen) and many many other hits. Al Jolson also did Sister Susie (he was a bigger star than Murray). Billy Murray did Over There in 1917 (Victor), but the big hit was Nora Bayes version, also in 1917 but earlier. Other bigger recording stars were Al Jolson (Swanee, Mammy, Toot Tootsie, Goodbye) and Fanny Brice (later known as "Baby Snooks" on the radio) with her pre 1919 recordings of My Man, Second Hand Rose, Rose of Washington Square, etc. Also big hitters of the time were the Stoneman's, The Peerless Quartet. Nora Bayes wrote and recorded Shine on Harvest Moon in 1908 (or 1903 - can't remember, exactly). Oddly, though, that became the signature song of Ruth Etting in the late teens and during the 20's. The first recording star to sell 1 million records was Enrico Caruso, in 1902 (I think is the date). Another "song and dance man" of the teens was William Frawley (in his later life Fred Mertz (Fred and Ethyl) on the I Love Lucy Show in the 1950's. I have a ton of 78 records from the teens, 20's, 30's which I inherited. I kind of like the tinny sound of the acoustic 78s(pre about 1925 or so when they were changed to electric). I forgot a bunch of other big hit stars of the teens such as Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey (now THATS the blues). I think Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey were the mentors of Ella Fitzgerald and maybe Billie Holiday. I keep remembering other big hit recording stars of the teens such as John McCormack (It's a Long Way to Tipperary - 1914 and Keep the Home Fires Burning - 1914) and I better stop now or this will go on forever.

Will

(actually, come to think of it, most of these aren't really "forgotten" and quite a few people recognize the names)

mannySpaghetti · Nov 16, 2008

Probably not as forgotten as I think, but I like Jack Jones. I think the guy's got a great voice.

FATS88 · Nov 21, 2008

REMEMBER KJAZ?

Favorite female vocalist
has to be "The American original" Betty Carter.
I was just begining to understand her artistry when she passed...
What a tough Lady, and loving educator.
Favorite male, the late, great Bobby Scott, who penned "the Taste of Honey"
although most associate it with the Tijuana Brass, I feel that only
Morgana "Momma Corleone" King did it justice.
He had the warmest personal tone, I've heard...yet.
He only made two solo recordings that I know of, shortly before
HE passed.
He was Quincy Jones' choice for piano on many recordings, and
motion picture scores.

Cheers!
Fats

just_me · Nov 21, 2008

mannySpaghetti said:
Probably not as forgotten as I think, but I like Jack Jones. I think the guy's got a great voice.

I remember Jack Jones (his father was Allan Jones of Donkey Serandade fame). My friends and our dates thought we were too cool to go to our high school prom, so the boys rented a limo and we went into the city. After dinner at a French restuarant, we went to the Persian Room at the Plaza Hotel and saw Jack Jones. We really enjoyed him. :eusa_clap

Marzipan · Nov 21, 2008

I love Betty Hutton, Blossom Dearie, and Jo Stafford.

lolly_loisides · Nov 21, 2008

Harry Roy
http://www.archive.org/details/HarryRoyAndHisMayfairHotelOrchestra-01-10

FATS88 · Nov 27, 2008

BLOSSOM!

Marzipan said:
I love Betty Hutton, Blossom Dearie, and Jo Stafford.

I love Blossom also!
First turned on to her, along with her Husband Bob Dorough Sat.
and Sun. mornings with "multiplication rock"
Later in my life she was also a regularly featured artist on KJAZ,
my favorite work of hers, besides "Number Eight"
is "The Answering Machine"lol
Brings back great memories

Cheers!
Fats

magnolia76 · Dec 1, 2008

Gordon Lightfoot. What a beautiful voice.

Katt in Hat · Feb 3, 2009

Mike in Seattle said:
I think it would have to be a toss-up between Florence Foster Jenkins and the inimitable Jonathan and Darlene Edwards.

Tongue firmly in cheek, of course...

Robin and Linda Williams as Marvin and Mavis Smiley and the Manhattan Valley Boys and their tribute to ...
on Prairie Home Companion Archive. Numerous appearances...

http://www.prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/20020622/mm.shtml

The unique Frances Faye almost never remembered, all but forgotten. My Mother's LP collection now my treasure.
http://www.tyleralpern.com/francesfaye.html

Ah, Blossom Dearie singing 'BLUESETTE"...

This post addresses 3 other older posts.
:rage:

BinkieBaumont · Feb 3, 2009

Dorothy Lamour

Famous for all those "Road" movies with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, she does in fact have a rather charming and distinctive voice

http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1058687/a/The+Moon+of+Manakoora.htm

I have this one it is rather good, my favourite track is, Sentimental Sandwich, never heard anyone else record it?

Lily Powers · Feb 3, 2009

I love the sound of Johnny "Scat" Davis' voice. He did some acting and was a horn player, but his most famous singing was on "Hollywood Hotel," where he played the trumpet and sang "Hooray For Hollywood."

tbrunke · Mar 28, 2009

Lotus Leroux said:
Tex Beneke

Ivie Anderson

I was reading through all these pages to see if anyone would mention Ivie Anderson! She was awesome and died much too young. Ivie sang with Duke Ellington's Band......."It Don't Mean A Thing, If It Ain't Got That Swing".....

I also really like Helen Ward, Helen Forrest and all the old 20's singers who are now mostly forgotten!

BinkieBaumont · Mar 28, 2009

Valaida Snow

She not only sang but played the trumpet!.. not at the same time, obviously

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uj2N18ZfZAY

Who is your favorite "forgotten singer"?

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