Margaret Whiting | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Whiting in New York, 1940s | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Margaret Eleanor Whiting (1924-07-22)July 22, 1924 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | January 10, 2011(2011-01-10) (aged 86) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz,traditional pop |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1942–2010 |
| Labels | Capitol,Dot,Verve,London, Audiophile, DRG |
| Website | Musical biography of Margaret Whiting |
Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American singer ofpopular music who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.[1]
Whiting was born inDetroit.[2] Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1929, when she was five years old. Her father,Richard, was a composer of popular songs, including the classics "Hooray for Hollywood", "Ain't We Got Fun?", and "On the Good Ship Lollipop".[3] Her sister,Barbara Whiting, was an actress (Junior Miss,Beware, My Lovely) and singer.
An aunt,Margaret Young, was a singer and popular recording artist in the 1920s. Whiting's singing ability was noticed at an early age and at seven she sang for singer-lyricistJohnny Mercer, with whom her father had collaborated on some popular songs, including "Too Marvelous for Words". In 1942, Mercer co-foundedCapitol Records and signed Margaret to one of Capitol's first recording contracts.[4][1]
Whiting's first recordings were as featured singer with various orchestras.[2] In 1944, her version of "Moonlight in Vermont", withBilly Butterfield's Orchestra, sold over one million copies, and was awarded agold disc by theRIAA.[5]Other recordings included "That Old Black Magic", withFreddie Slack and His Orchestra (1942) and "It Might as Well Be Spring", withPaul Weston and His Orchestra (1945).
In 1945, Whiting began to record under her own name. "A Tree in the Meadow" was a number one hit in the summer of 1948, and her duet withcountry music starJimmy Wakely, "Slippin' Around", was another number one hit in 1949. It sold 1.75 million copies, and Whiting was titled "Queen of the Jukeboxes".[6] Other recordings include:
Until the mid-1950s Whiting continued to record for Capitol, but as she ceased to record songs that charted as hits, she switched toDot Records in 1957 and toVerve Records in 1960.[2] Whiting returned to Capitol in the early 1960s and then signed withLondon Records in 1966. On London, Whiting landed one last major hit single in 1966, "The Wheel of Hurt", which hit No. 1 on theEasy Listening singles chart. Her final solo albums were made for Audiophile (1980, 1982, 1985) and DRG Records (1991). Her distinguished conductors and musical arrangers through the years includedBuddy Bregman,Frank DeVol,Russell Garcia,Johnny Mandel,Billy May,Marty Paich,Nelson Riddle,Pete Rugolo, andPaul Weston.
Whiting co-starred on the 15-minute musical programsThe Jack Smith Show[7] andClub Fifteen.[8] She also was a vocalist onThe Eddie Cantor Show and was in the cast ofThe Philip Morris Follies of 1946 andThe Railroad Hour.[8] Additionally, she was hostess on theSpotlight Revue[9] and a featured singer on the transcribedBarry Wood Show.[10] She also appeared in the role of a youngSophie Tucker in the January 13, 1957CBS Radio Workshop presentation of "No Time For Heartaches".[11]
Margaret and Barbara Whiting starred as themselves in thesituation comedyThose Whiting Girls. The show, produced byDesilu Productions, aired on CBS as a summer replacement series (in place ofI Love Lucy) between July, 1955 and September, 1957.[12]
Margaret Whiting was a regular guest onvariety shows andtalk shows throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, includingFaye Emerson's Wonderful Town, when the musical series focused on Whiting's hometown of Detroit;The Big Record,TheBob Hope Show,The Colgate Comedy Hour,TheTony Martin Show,TheDavid Frost Show,The Ed Sullivan Show,The George Jessel Show,The Guy Mitchell Show,TheJonathan Winters Show,The Merv Griffin Show,The Mike Douglas Show,TheNat King Cole Show,Over Easy,The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom,ThePatti Page Show,TheRed Skelton Hour,The Steve Allen Show,The Ford Show Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford,The Texaco Star Theater,The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,TheVirginia Graham Show, andThe Voice of Firestone.
In 1960, Whiting appeared as Vinnie Berkeley in one of the last episodes, "Martial Law", of theABC/Warner Brotherswestern series,Colt .45.Paul Picerni was cast in the same segment as Duke Blaine.
In 1984, Whiting appeared in the television musical movieTaking My Turn. It was basically a filmed version of the 1983 off-Broadway show in which she appeared. This ensemble show also included Marni Nixon, Tiger Haynes, and Cissy Houston among others. The music was composed by Gary William Friedman with lyrics by Will Holt. The revue was centered on issues regarding aging. The stage production opened at New York City'sEntermedia Theatre on June 9, 1983. It went on to win the 1984 Outer Critic's Circle Award for Best Lyrics/Music and was nominated for the 1984 Drama Desk Award for Best Musical (losing to Stephen Sondheim'sSunday In the Park With George). A cast recording of the stage production was released and subsequently re-released on CD.
In the 2000s, Whiting was interviewed in severaldocumentaries about singers and songwriters of her era, includingJudy Garland: By Myself (2004),Fever: The Music ofPeggy Lee (2004),Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer (2007),Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me (2009),The Andrews Sisters: Queens of the Music Machines (2009) andMichael Feinstein's American Songbook (2010).
From 1989 through 2001, Whiting was the Artistic Director of the annual Cabaret and Performance Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford Connecticut. With other performers such as Julie Wilson and Anne Francine as well as musical directors like Tex Arnold, she spent 10 days instructing selected professionals and amateurs in the cabaret performance process.
Whiting was married four times, and had one child:[13]
Whiting died on January 10, 2011, aged 86, fromnatural causes at theLillian Booth Actors Home inEnglewood, New Jersey.[15][1][2]
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Label | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US BB [16] | US CB [17] | |||
| 1949 | South Pacific (with Peggy Lee & Gordon MacRae) | 4 | — | Capitol |
| 1950 | Margaret Whiting Sings Rodgers and Hart | — | — | |
| 1954 | Love Songs by Margaret Whiting | — | — | |
| 1956 | Margaret Whiting Sings for the Starry-Eyed | — | — | |
| 1957 | Goin' Places | — | — | Dot |
| 1958 | Margaret | — | — | |
| 1959 | Margaret Whiting's Great Hits | — | — | |
| Ten Top Hits | — | — | ||
| 1960 | Just a Dream | — | — | |
| Margaret Whiting Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook | — | — | Verve | |
| 1961 | Broadway, Right Now! (withMel Tormé) | — | — | |
| Past Midnight | — | — | MGM | |
| 1967 | The Wheel of Hurt | 109 | 95 | London |
| Maggie Isn't Margaret Anymore | — | — | ||
| 1968 | Pop Country | — | — | |
| 1980 | Too Marvelous for Words | — | — | Audiophile |
| 1982 | Come a Little Closer | — | — | |
| 1985 | The Lady's in Love with You | — | — | |
| 1991 | Then and Now | — | — | DRG |
Unrelated B-sides not shown
| Year | Single (A-side, B-side) Both sides from same album except where indicated | Contributing Artist | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop | Country | AC | ||||
| 1942 | "That Old Black Magic" b/w "Hit the Road to Dreamland" | Freddie Slack & His Orchestra | 10 | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| 1944 | "Silver Wings in the Moonlight" b/w "Furlough Fling" | Freddie Slack & His Orchestra | 19 | – | – | |
| "My Ideal" | Billy Butterfield & His Orchestra | 12 | – | – | Margaret Whiting Sings (10" LP) | |
| "Moonlight in Vermont" | 15 | – | – | Love Songs | ||
| 1945 | "It Might as Well Be Spring" b/w "How Deep Is the Ocean?" (Non-album track) | Paul Weston & His Orchestra | 6 | – | – | Margaret Whiting Sings (10" LP) |
| 1946 | "All Through the Day" / | Carl Kress orchestra | 11 | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| "In Love in Vain" | 12 | – | – | |||
| "Come Rain or Come Shine" b/w "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" (Non-album track) | Paul Weston orchestra | 17 | – | – | Love Songs | |
| "Along with Me" b/w "When You Make Love to Me" | Jerry Gray orchestra | 13 | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Passe" b/w "For You, For Me, For Evermore" | 12 | – | – | |||
| "Guilty" / | 4 | – | – | Margaret Whiting Sings (10" LP) | ||
| "Oh, But I Do" | 7 | – | – | Non-album tracks | ||
| 1947 | "Beware My Heart" b/w "What Am I Gonna Do About You" | Frank De Vol orchestra | 21 | – | – | |
| "Spring Isn't Everything" b/w "Time After Time" | – | – | – | |||
| "Old Devil Moon" / | 11 | – | – | Margaret Whiting Sings (10" LP) | ||
| "Ask Anyone Who Knows" | 21 | – | – | Non-album track | ||
| "Little Girl Blue" b/w "Thou Swell" | 25 | – | – | Margaret Whiting Sings Rodgers and Hart (10" LP) | ||
| "Don't Tell Me" b/w "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | ||
| "You Do" b/w "My Future Just Passed" | 5 | – | – | |||
| "Lazy Countryside" / | 21 | – | – | |||
| "So Far" | 14 | – | – | |||
| "Pass That Peace Pipe" / | 8 | – | – | |||
| 1948 | "Let's Be Sweethearts Again" | 22 | – | – | ||
| "But Beautiful" / | 21 | – | – | |||
| "Now Is The Hour" | 2 | – | – | |||
| "What's Good About Goodbye" b/w "Gypsy in My Soul" (fromMargaret Whiting Sings 10" LP) | 29 | – | – | |||
| "Please Don't Kiss Me" b/w "April Showers" (fromMargaret Whiting Sings 10" LP) | 23 | – | – | |||
| "It's You or No One" b/w "Nobody But You" | – | – | – | |||
| "A Tree in the Meadow" b/w "I'm Sorry But I'm Glad" (Non-album track) | 1 | – | – | Love Songs | ||
| "What Did I Do" b/w "Heat Wave" (fromMargaret Whiting Sings 10" LP) | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | ||
| "Far Away Places" b/w "My Own True Love" | 2 | – | – | |||
| "My Dream Is Yours" b/w "While the Angelus Was Ringing" | – | – | – | |||
| 1949 | "Forever and Ever" b/w "Dreamer with a Penny" | 5 | – | – | ||
| "It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World" | Jack Smith | – | – | – | ||
| "Comme Ci, Comme Ca" b/w "Great Guns" | – | – | – | |||
| "When Is Sometime" b/w "Story of My Life" | – | – | – | |||
| "A Wonderful Guy" b/w "Younger Than Springtime" | 12 | – | – | Love Songs | ||
| "Baby, It's Cold Outside" b/w "I Never Heard You Say" | Johnny Mercer | 3 | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Slippin' Around" / | Jimmy Wakely | 1 | 1 | – | ||
| "Wedding Bells" | 30 | 6 | – | |||
| "Everytime I Meet You" b/w "It Happens Every Spring" | – | – | – | |||
| "Let's Take an Old-Fashioned Walk" b/w "Paris Wakes Up and Smiles" | Frank De Vol orchestra | – | – | – | ||
| "Dime a Dozen" b/w "Whirlwind" | 19 | – | – | |||
| "St. Louis Blues" b/w "It's a Most Unusual Day" | Frank De Vol orchestra | – | – | – | ||
| "Festival of Roses" b/w "Three Rivers" | Frank De Vol orchestra | – | – | – | ||
| "The Sun Is Always Shining" b/w "Sorry" | Frank De Vol orchestra | – | – | – | ||
| "Lucky Us" b/w "Ain't We Got Fun" | Bob Hope Billy May orchestra | – | – | – | ||
| "I'll Never Slip Around Again" b/w "Six Times a Week and Twice on Sunday" | Jimmy Wakely | 8 | 2 | – | I'll Never Slip Around Again | |
| "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" b/w "Mistletoe Kiss Polka" | Frank De Vol orchestra B:The Mellomen | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| 1950 | "Broken Down Merry Go Round" / | Jimmy Wakely | 12 | 2 | – | |
| "The Gods Were Angry With Me" | 17 | 3 | – | |||
| "You're an Old Smoothie" b/w "He's Funny That Way" | – | – | – | Love Songs | ||
| "I Said My Pajamas (and Put on My Prayers)" b/w "Be Mine" | Frank De Vol | 21 | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "My Foolish Heart" b/w "Stay with the Happy People" | Frank DeVol orchestra | 17 | – | – | ||
| "Let's Go to Church (Next Sunday Morning)" b/w "Why Do You Say Those Things" | Jimmy Wakely | 13 | 2 | – | ||
| "A-Razz-a-Ma-Tazz" b/w "I Gotta Get Out of the Habit" | Frank De Vol & Les Baxter Chorus | – | – | – | ||
| "Shawl of Calway Grey" b/w "If You Were Only Mine" | – | – | – | |||
| "Blind Date" b/w "Home Cookin'" | Bob Hope | 16 | – | – | ||
| "Close Your Pretty Eyes" b/w "Fool's Paradise" (Non-album track) | Jimmy Wakely | – | – | – | I'll Never Slip Around Again | |
| "I Didn't Know What Time It Was b/w "This Can't Be Love" | Frank De Vol orchestra | – | – | – | Margaret Whiting Sings Rodgers and Hart (10" LP) | |
| "I've Forgotten You" b/w "You're Mine, You" | Les Baxter Chorus | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Friendly Star" b/w "Let's Do It Again" | Frank De Vol orchestra | – | – | – | ||
| "I'm In Love With You" b/w "Don't Rock The Boat Dear" | Dean Martin | – | – | – | ||
| "I've Never Been In Love Before" b/w "The Best Thing For You" (Non-album track) | Frank De Vol orchestra | – | – | – | Love Songs | |
| "A Bushel and A Peck" b/w "Beyond The Reef" | Jimmy Wakely | 6 | 6 | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Christmas Candy" b/w "Silver Bells" | – | – | – | |||
| 1951 | "Once You Find Your Guy" b/w "A Man Is Nothing But A Wolf" | – | – | – | ||
| "Let's Go To Church (Next Sunday Morning)" b/w "Easter Parade" (Non-album track) | Jimmy Wakely | – | – | – | I'll Never Slip Around Again | |
| "Faithful" b/w "Lonesome Gal" | Frank De Vol orchestra | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Sing You Sinners" b/w "You Are The One" | – | – | – | |||
| "Make The Man Love Me" b/w "We Kiss In A Shadow" | Lou Busch orchestra | – | – | – | ||
| "Something Wonderful" b/w "Hello Young Lovers" | – | – | – | |||
| "When You and I Were Young, Maggie, Blues" b/w "Till We Meet Again" (Non-album track) | Jimmy Wakely | 20 | 7 | – | I'll Never Slip Around Again | |
| "Everlasting" b/w "The End Of A Love Affair" | Lou Busch orchestra | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| "Good Morning, Mr. Echo" b/w "River Road Two-Step" | 14 | – | – | |||
| "I Don't Want To Be Free" b/w "Let's Live A Little" (Non-album track) | Jimmy Wakely | – | 5 | – | I'll Never Slip Around Again | |
| 1952 | "I'll Walk Alone" b/w "I Could Write A Book" | Lou Busch orchestra | 29 | – | – | Non-album tracks |
| "Outside Of Heaven" b/w "Alone Together" | 22 | – | – | |||
| 1953 | "Try Me One More Time" b/w "Foggy River" | – | – | – | ||
| "Why Don't You Believe Me?" b/w "Come Back To Me, Johnny" | Lou Busch orchestra | 29 | – | – | ||
| "Singing Bells" b/w "Take Care, My Love" | – | – | – | |||
| "Gomen-Nasai" b/w "I Learned To Love You Too Later" (fromI'll Never Slip Around Again) | Jimmy Wakely | – | – | – | ||
| "Something Wonderful Happens" b/w "Where Did He Go" | – | – | – | |||
| "The Night Holds No Fear (For The Lover)" b/w "I Just Love You" | – | – | – | |||
| "There's A Silver Moon On The Golden Gate" b/w "The Tennessee Church Bells" | Jimmy Wakely | – | – | – | ||
| 1954 | "Moonlight In Vermont"new version | Lou Busch orchestra | 29 | – | – | |
| "Joey" b/w "Ask Me" | Nelson Riddle orchestra | – | – | – | ||
| "An Affair Of The Heart" b/w "How Long Has It Been" | – | – | – | |||
| "All I Want Is All There Is and Then Some" b/w "Can This Be Love" | – | – | – | |||
| "My Own True Love" b/w "My Son, My Son" | – | – | – | |||
| "It's Nice To Have You Here" b/w "I Speak to the Stars" | – | – | – | |||
| 1955 | "Allah Be Prais'd" b/w "Stowaway" | – | – | – | ||
| "A Man" b/w "Mama's Pearls" | David Cavanaugh orchestra | – | – | – | ||
| "Lover Lover (Never Leave Me)" b/w "A Kiss You A Million Times" | Frank De Vol | – | – | – | ||
| 1956 | "Old Enough" b/w "Second Time In Love" | Frank De Vol | – | – | – | |
| "True Love" b/w "Haunting Love" | A: Buddy Bregman B: Frank De Vol | – | – | – | ||
| "The Money Tree" b/w "Maybe I Love Him" | Billy May orchestra | 20 | – | – | ||
| 1957 | "Speak For Yourself John" b/w "Kill Me With Kisses" | Billy Vaughn orchestra | – | – | – | Just A Dream |
| "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" b/w "That's Why I Was Born" (Non-album track) | A: Billy Vaughan B: Milton Rogers | 74 | – | – | Margaret | |
| "Silver Bells" b/w "Christmas Candy" | Jimmy Wakely | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| 1958 | "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" b/w "Hot Spell" (fromJust A Dream) | – | – | – | – | Margaret |
| "Just A Dream" b/w "Pretty-Eyed Baby" | – | – | – | – | Just A Dream | |
| "I Love You Because" b/w "The Waiting Game" (fromJust A Dream) | – | – | – | – | Margaret | |
| 1959 | "I'm Alone Because I Love You" b/w "Top Of The Moon" | – | – | – | – | Just A Dream |
| "Half As Much" b/w "My Ideal" | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| 1960 | "Why Was I Born" b/w "You Couldn't Be Cuter" | – | – | – | – | Margaret Whiting Sings The Jerome Kern Songbook |
| 1961 | "What's New At The Zoo" b/w "Hey, Look Me Over" | Mel Torme | – | – | – | Broadway, Right Now! |
| "On Second Thought" b/w "Who Can? You Can!" | – | – | – | – | Non-album tracks | |
| 1966 | "Somewhere There's Love" b/w "If This Is Goodbye" (fromMaggie Isn't Margaret Anymore) | – | – | – | 29 | The Wheel Of Hurt |
| "The Wheel Of Hurt" b/w "Nothing Lasts Forever" | Arnold Goland orchestra | 26 | – | 1 | ||
| 1967 | "Just Like A Man" b/w "The World Inside Your Arms" (fromThe Wheel Of Hurt) | – | 132 | – | 29 | Maggie Isn't Margaret Anymore |
| "Only Love Can Break A Heart" b/w "Where Do I Stand" (fromThe Wheel Of Hurt) | Arnold Goland orchestra | 96 | – | 4 | ||
| "I Almost Called Your Name" b/w "Let's Pretend" (Non-album track) | – | 108 | – | 4 | Pop Country | |
| 1968 | "I Hate To See Me Go" / | – | 127 | – | 27 | |
| "It Keeps Right On a-Hurtin'" | – | 115 | – | 28 | ||
| "Faithfully" b/w "Am I Losing You" (fromPop Country) | – | 117 | – | 19 | Non-album tracks | |
| "Can't Get You Out Of My Mind" b/w "Maybe Just One More" | – | 124 | – | 11 | ||
| 1969 | "Where Was I" b/w "Love's The Only Answer" | – | – | – | 24 | |
| "At The Edge Of The Ocean" b/w "Love Has A Way" | – | – | – | – | ||
| 1970 | "(Z Theme) Life Goes On" b/w "By Now" | – | – | – | 14 | |
| "Until It's Time For You To Go" b/w "I'll Tell Him Today" | – | – | – | 32 | ||
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