Corky Hale (born July 3, 1936) is an American jazz harpist, pianist, flutist, and vocalist. She has been a theater producer, political activist, restaurateur, and the owner of the Corky Hale women's clothing store in Los Angeles, California.

Early life and education

On July 3, 1936, Hale was born Merrilyn Hecht in

Freeport, Illinois Freeport is the largest city in Stephenson County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. The population was 23,973 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, and the mayor of Freeport is Jodi Miller, elected in 2017. Freeport is k ...

. She had learned piano, harp, flute, and cello by the time she was in her teens. She studied at the Chicago Music Conservatory and at

Interlochen Center for the Arts Interlochen Center for the Arts ( '; also known as I.C.A. or Inty) is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit corporation which operates Visual arts education, arts education institutions and Music venue, performance venues. Established in 1928 b ...

in Michigan. At age 16, she enrolled in

Stephens College Stephens College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Timeline of women's colleges in the United States#First and oldest, the second-oldest women's educa ...

, a school for young ladies, for her last year of high school. After graduation, she announced to her parents that she was moving to Hollywood to be a musician; her father sent her to nearby

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

. After a year of college, she dropped out, again intending to move to Hollywood. A compromise with her parents led to becoming at student at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

. She is Jewish. In a 1997 interview with SFGATE, she describes herself as a "Jewish princess who had a wonderful childhood".

Personal life

Corky Hall is married to

Mike Stoller Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...

of the Leiber-Stoller songwriting team.

Career

During the 1950s, she was a studio musician in Hollywood, playing

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

on albums by

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

June Christy June Christy (born Shirley Luster; November 20, 1925 – June 21, 1990) was an American singer, known for her work in the cool jazz genre and for her silky smooth vocals. Her success as a singer began with The Stan Kenton Orchestra. She pursued ...

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self-proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...

, and Frank Sinatra. She worked as a vocalist with

Freddy Martin Frederick Alfred Martin (December 9, 1906 – September 30, 1983) was an American bandleader and tenor saxophonist. Early life Freddy Martin was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Raised largely in an orphanage and by various relatives, ...

at the

Coconut Grove Coconut Grove, also known colloquially as "The Grove", is an affluent and the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhoods of Miami, neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The neighborhood is roughly bounded by North Prospect Driv ...

in Los Angeles. Jerry Gray invited her to perform with his band at Las Vegas, where she played piano for

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

and accompanied her on tour. As a solo act, she recorded the album ''Corky Hale Plays George Gershwin and Vernon Duke'' with

Buddy Collette William Marcel "Buddy" Collette (August 6, 1921 – September 19, 2010) was an American jazz flutist, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He was a founding member of the Chico Hamilton Quintet. Early life William Marcel Collette was born in ...

Howard Roberts Howard Mancel Roberts (October 2, 1929 – June 28, 1992) was an American jazz guitarist, educator, and session musician. Early life Roberts was born in Phoenix, Arizona to Damon and Vesta Roberts, and began playing guitar at the age of 8 — a ...

, and

Chico Hamilton Foreststorn "Chico" Hamilton (September 20, 1921 – November 25, 2013) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He came to prominence as sideman for Lester Young, Gerry Mulligan, Count Basie, and Lena Horne. Hamilton became a bandleader, f ...

. On October 12, 1968, she accompanied

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

on ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Johnny Carson, it aired from October 1, 1962 to May 22, 1992, replacing ''T ...

'' and sang a song by herself. She has worked with

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer and actor. He was born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish Americans, Polish origin and enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, ...

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

Elkie Brooks Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder; 25 February 1945) is an English Rock music, rock, blues and jazz singer. She was a vocalist with the bands Dada and Vinegar Joe (band), Vinegar Joe, and later became a solo artist. She gained her biggest su ...

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but ...

Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music, he is referred to by Honorific nick ...

Spike Jones Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician, bandleader and conductor specializing in spoof arrangements and satire of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment wer ...

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer-songwriter and record producer. Regarded as a pop culture icon, he is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling rec ...

and

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...

. Hale has also produced plays, including ''Give 'Em Hell, Harry'', starring

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor and comedian. Over the course of his career he has received an Emmy Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for four Golden Globe ...

and ''Lullaby of Broadway'', a profile of the lyricist

Al Dubin Alexander Dubin (June 10, 1891 – February 11, 1945) was an American lyricist. He is best known for his collaborations with the composer Harry Warren. Life Al Dubin came from a Russian Jewish family that immigrated to the United States from Sw ...

. She has appeared at Vibrato, Catalina Bar & Grill, Knickerbocker Saloon, The White House, and the Kennedy Center. At the University of Wisconsin, Hale was one of the few white students to join the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...

. She was a birth control teacher at

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization

in New York and is on the National Advisory Board of

NARAL Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America and commonly known as simply NARAL ( ), is a non-profit 501(c)(4) organization in the United States that engages in lobbying, political action, and advocacy efforts to oppose rest ...

and on the board of WRRAP. She is an

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

associate and is the founder of Angel Harvest, an organization which redistributes unused food from restaurants, hotels, and events to hungry and needy people in Los Angeles.

Discography

As leader

* ''Modern Harp Vol. 17'' (GNP, 1956) * ''Harp Beat'' (Stash, 1985) * ''Harp! the Herald Angels Swing'' (LaserLight, 1995) * ''Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Christmas'' (LML Music, 1999)

As guest

, ''Sings and Plays with Bud Shank, Russ Freeman and Strings'' (Pacific Jazz, 1955) *

, ''Tony Makes It Happen!'' (Columbia, 1967) * Bjork, ''Debut'' (One Little Indian, 1993) * Bjork, ''Surrounded'' (One Little Indian, 2006) *

, ''Live and Learn'' (A&M, 1979) * Elkie Brooks, ''Two Days Away'' (A&M, 1977) *

Artie Butler Arthur Butler (born December 2, 1942) is an American arranger, composer, songwriter, and session musician. In a long career, he has been involved in numerous hit records and other recordings, and has been awarded over 60 gold and platinum album ...

, ''Have You Met Miss Jones?'' (A&M/CTI, 1968) *

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning nearly seven decades. An Academy Awards, Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Awards, Grammy Award-winning rec ...

, ''Judith'' (Elektra, 1975) * Dino & Sembello, ''Dino & Sembello'' (A&M, 1974) *

, ''Sings the Cole Porter Song Book'' (Verve, 1956) * Ella Fitzgerald, ''Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Rodgers and Hart Song Book'' (Verve, 1956) *

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...

, ''Chapter Two'' (Atlantic, 1970) * Roberta Flack, ''Quiet Fire'' (Atlantic, 1971) *

Dean Friedman Dean Friedman (born May 23, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter who plays piano, keyboard, guitar, and harmonica. Although considered a one-hit wonder in the US, he has had multiple singles chart in other territories and continues to write, ...

, ''Dean Friedman'' (Lifesong, 1977) * Herbie Harper, ''Herbie Harper'' (Bethlehem, 1955) *

, ''The Bands of Renown'' (Renown, 1993) *

Steve Kuhn Steve Kuhn (born March 24, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, and educator. He is the composer of the jazz standard " The Saga of Harrison Crabfeathers". Biography Kuhn was born in New York City, New York, to S ...

, Gary McFarland, ''The October Suite'' (Impulse!, 1967) * Ronny Lang/Ray Sims/Dave Pell/Don Fagerquist, ''The Les Brown All Stars'' (Capitol, 1955) *

, ''Mirrors'' (A&M, 1975) *

Jon Lucien Lucien Leopold Harrigan (January 8, 1942 – August 18, 2007), known professionally as Jon Lucien, was a singer from Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. Life and career Born in Tortola in 1942, Lucien was raised in St. Thomas. His parents we ...

, ''Rashida'' (RCA, 1995) *

Melissa Manchester Melissa Manchester (born February 15, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Since the 1970s, her songs have been played by adult contemporary radio stations. She has also appeared on television, in films, and on stage. Early li ...

, ''Home to Myself'' (Bell, 1973) *

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz Flute, flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet ...

, ''Turtle Bay'' (Atlantic, 1973) *

Wade Marcus Wade Marcus was a music producer and arranger associated with the Motown (music style), Motown sound during the 1970s. He composed the music to the film ''The Final Comedown'' with Grant Green. He also produced albums by The Blackbyrds, Gary Bartz ...

, ''A New Era'' (Cotillion, 1971) *

Les McCann Leslie Coleman McCann (September 23, 1935 – December 29, 2023) was an American jazz pianist and vocalist. He is known for his innovations in soul jazz and his Swiss Movement, 1969 recording of the protest song "Compared to What". His music ha ...

, ''

Invitation to Openness ''Invitation to Openness'' is an album by pianist Les McCann recorded in 1971 and released on the Atlantic label.Freed., RLes McCann Discographyaccessed March 8, 2016 Reception Allmusic gives the album 4 stars stating "Every nuance of McCann's ...

'' (Atlantic, 1972) * Murray McEachern, ''Music for Sleepwalkers Only'' (Key, 1956) *

, ''Anita'' (Verve, 1956) * Anita O'Day, ''In a Mellow Tone'' (DRG, 1989) *

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...

, '' Here Comes the Sun'' (RCA Victor, 1971) * Lyn Stanley, ''The Moonlight Sessions'' (A.T. Music, 2017) *

Stealers Wheel Stealers Wheel were a Scottish folk rock/rock music, rock band formed in 1972 in Paisley (Scotland), Paisley, Scotland, by former school friends Joe Egan (musician), Joe Egan and Gerry Rafferty. Their best-known hit is "Stuck in the Middle with ...

, ''Ferguslie Park'' (A&M, 1973) *

Kitty White Kitty Jean Bilbrew (July 7, 1923 – August 11, 2009), known professionally Kitty White, was an American jazz singer who was popular in Los Angeles nightclubs. She recorded mostly on the West Coast with Buddy Collette, Gerald Wiggins, Chico ...

, ''A Moment of Love'' (Pacific Jazz, 1956)

References

External links

Official site

Musician's website, ''City Cabaret''

Looking Back: Brother/sister are credit to native city
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hale, Corky 1936 births Living people People from Freeport, Illinois Jazz musicians from Illinois American cabaret performers American women jazz musicians American women harpists American jazz harpists 21st-century American women American theatre managers and producers American women theatre managers and producers American women activists American flautists American women flautists American jazz pianists American women jazz pianists