Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
and
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
singer who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.
[Mapes, Jillian.]
Margaret Whiting, Iconic Standards Singer, Dies at 86
. ''Billboard'', January 12, 2011.
Biography
Youth
Whiting was born in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
,
[Heckman, Don.]
Margaret Whiting Dies at 86; pop singer mentored by Johnny Mercer
. ''Los Angeles Times'', January 13, 2011. Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1929, when she was five years old. Her father,
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...
, was a composer of popular songs, including the classics "
Hooray for Hollywood", "
Ain't We Got Fun?", and "
On the Good Ship Lollipop
"On the Good Ship Lollipop" is a song composed by Richard A. Whiting with lyrics by Sidney Clare. It was the signature song of child actress Shirley Temple. Temple first sang it in the 1934 film, '' Bright Eyes''.
In the song, the "Good Ship L ...
". Her sister,
Barbara Whiting
Barbara Whiting Smith (May 19, 1931 – June 9, 2004) was an American actress and singer.
Early life
Whiting was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of music manager Eleanor Youngblood Whiting and composer Richard A. Whi ...
, 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-lyricist
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallic ...
, with whom her father had collaborated on some popular songs, including "Too Marvelous for Words". In 1942, Mercer co-founded
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of not ...
and signed Margaret to one of Capitol's first recording contracts.
Recording career
Whiting's first recordings were as featured singer with various orchestras.
In 1944, her version of "
Moonlight in Vermont", with
Billy Butterfield
Charles William Butterfield (January 14, 1917 – March 18, 1988) was an American jazz bandleader, trumpeter, flugelhornist, and cornetist.
Early years
Charles William Butterfield was born in Middletown, Ohio and attended high school in Wyomin ...
's Orchestra, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a
gold disc by the
RIAA.
Other recordings included "
That Old Black Magic", with
Freddie Slack and His Orchestra (1942) and "
It Might as Well Be Spring", with
Paul Weston and His Orchestra (1945).
In 1945, Whiting began to record under her own name. "
A Tree in the Meadow" was a number 1 hit in the summer of 1948 and her duet with
country music
Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
star
Jimmy Wakely, "
Slippin' Around", was another number one hit in 1949 selling 1.75 million copies and she was titled "Queen of the Jukeboxes". Other recordings include:
*"All Through the Day" (1945, becoming a bestseller in the spring of 1946)
*"In Love in Vain" (1945)
:(these two from the movie "Centennial Summer")
*"
Guilty" (1946)
*"
Pretending" (1946)
*"Oh, But I Do" (1946)
*"
Baby, It's Cold Outside" (duet with
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallic ...
, 1949)
*"Blind Date", a novelty record with
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...
(1950)
*"
Far Away Places" (1949)
*"
Silver Bells" (duet with
Jimmy Wakely, 1951)
Until the mid-1950s Whiting continued to record for Capitol, but as she ceased to record songs that charted as hits, she switched to
Dot Records in 1957 and to
Verve Records in 1960.
Whiting returned to Capitol in the early 1960s and then signed with
London Records
London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...
in 1966. On London, Whiting landed one last major hit single in 1966, "
The Wheel of Hurt", which hit No. 1 on the
Easy 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 included
Buddy Bregman,
Frank DeVol,
Russell Garcia,
Johnny Mandel
John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...
,
Billy May
Edward William May Jr. (November 10, 1916 – January 22, 2004) was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film and television music for ''The Green Hornet'' (1966), ''The Mod Squad'' (1968), '' Batman'' (with ''Batgirl'' them ...
,
Marty Paich,
Nelson Riddle
Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. He worked with many world-famous vocalists at Capitol Recor ...
,
Pete Rugolo, and
Paul Weston.
Radio career
Whiting co-starred on the 15-minute musical programs ''
The Jack Smith Show'' and ''
Club Fifteen''.
[Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. .] She also was a vocalist on ''The Eddie Cantor Show'' and was in the cast of ''The Philip Morris Follies of 1946'' and ''
The Railroad Hour
''The Railroad Hour'' was a radio series of musical dramas and comedies broadcast from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s.
Sponsored by the Association of American Railroads, the series condensed musicals and operettas to shorter lengths, concentra ...
''.
[ Additionally, she was hostess on the ''Spotlight Revue''][Terrace, Vincent (1981), ''Radio's Golden Years: The Encyclopedia of Radio Programs 1930–1960''. A.S. Barnes & Company, Inc. . P. 248.] and a featured singer on the transcribed ''Barry Wood Show''. She also appeared in the role of a young Sophie Tucker in the January 13, 1957 '' CBS Radio Workshop'' presentation of "No Time For Heartaches".
Television career
Margaret and Barbara Whiting starred as themselves in the situation comedy ''Those Whiting Girls''. The show, produced by Desilu
Desilu Productions () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Mannix'', ''The Untouchabl ...
Productions, aired on CBS as a summer replacement series (in place of '' I Love Lucy'') between July, 1955 and September, 1957.
Margaret Whiting was a regular guest on variety shows and talk shows
A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...
throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, including '' Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town'', when the musical series focused on Whiting's hometown of Detroit; ''The Big Record'', ''The Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with ...
Show'', '' The Colgate Comedy Hour'', ''The Tony Martin Show'', ''The David Frost
Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ...
Show'', ''The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...
'', '' The George Jessel Show'', ''The Guy Mitchell Show
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'', ''The Jonathan Winters Show'', '' The Merv Griffin Show'', '' The Mike Douglas Show'', ''The Nat King Cole Show'', ''Over Easy'', ''The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom'', ''The Patti Page Show'', ''The Red Skelton
Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...
Hour'', '' The Steve Allen Show'', ''The Ford Show Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford
''The Ford Show'' (also known as ''The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford'' and ''The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show'') is an American variety program, starring singer and folk humorist Tennessee Ernie Ford, which aired on NBC on Thursday even ...
'', '' The Texaco Star Theater'', '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', ''The Virginia Graham
Virginia Graham, born Virginia Komiss, (July 4, 1912 – December 22, 1998) was an American daytime television talk show host from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. On television, Graham hosted the syndicated programs ''Food for Thought'' (1953 ...
Show'', and '' The Voice of Firestone''.
In 1960, Whiting appeared as Vinnie Berkeley in one of the last episodes, "Martial Law", of the ABC/Warner Brothers
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
western series, '' Colt .45''. Paul Picerni was cast in the same segment as Duke Blaine.
In 1984, Whiting appeared in the television musical movie ''Taking 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's Entermedia 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's ''Sunday 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 several documentaries
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...
about singers and songwriters of her era, including ''Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
: By Myself'' (2004), ''Fever: The Music of Peggy Lee'' (2004), '' Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer'' (2007), ''Johnny Mercer
John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallic ...
: The Dream's on Me'' (2009), '' The Andrews Sisters: Queens of the Music Machines'' (2009) and '' Michael Feinstein's American Songbook'' (2010).
Cabaret Master Teacher
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.
Marriages
Whiting was married four times, and had one child:
*Hubbell Robinson Jr., a writer, producer, and television executive (married December 29, 1948 – divorced August 18, 1949)
*Lou Busch Lou may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Personal name
* Lou (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Lou (German singer)
*Lou (French singer)
* Lou (surname 娄), the 229th most common surname in China
* Lou (surname 楼), the 269th most common ...
, a ragtime pianist known as "Joe 'Fingers' Carr" (divorced; one daughter, Deborah, born 1950)
*John Richard Moore, a founder of Panavision (married 1958 – divorced)
* Jack Wrangler (John Stillman), 1970s and 1980s gay pornography film actor (married 1994, when Whiting was 70 and he was 48 – until his death from emphysema April 7, 2009)
Death
Whiting died on January 10, 2011, aged 86, from natural causes at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey
Englewood is a city in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which at the 2020 United States census had a population of 29,308. Englewood was incorporated as a city by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 17, 1899, from po ...
.
Discography
Albums
Singles
Unrelated B-sides not shown
References
External links
Margaret Whiting Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (1995)
Margaret Whiting Discography
Margaret Whiting interviewed on the Pop Chronicles
Sources
*
*Pop ranking from Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954, published in 1986 by Record Research Inc., Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
*Contributing artists from booklet with the "My Ideal" four CD set by Jasmine Records in 2007; confirmed by Time-Life Music tape set "Late 40s" released in 1991, and by Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890–1954. Some Internet sources give Tex Beneke's orchestra as accompanying Whiting's hit, "A Wonderful Guy", but Beneke claimed Claire Chatwin was the singer on his version: see his album, "Here's To The Ladies Who Sang With The Band" – the latter can also be found here
Here is an adverb that means "in, on, or at this place". It may also refer to:
Software
* Here Technologies, a mapping company
* Here WeGo (formerly Here Maps), a mobile app and map website by Here
Television
* Here TV (formerly "here!"), a ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whiting, Margaret
1924 births
2011 deaths
Cabaret singers
American women jazz singers
American jazz singers
Traditional pop music singers
Dot Records artists
Capitol Records artists
London Records artists
Verve Records artists
Musicians from Los Angeles
Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
Jazz musicians from California
21st-century American women