Fred Lowery (2 November 1909 – 11 December 1984) was a blind professional whistler who recorded a No. 9 Billboard chart hit version of " The High and the Mighty" with conductor and arranger

LeRoy Holmes Alvin LeRoy Holmes (September 22, 1913 – July 27, 1986) was an American songwriter, composer, arranger, orchestra conductor and record producer. Biography Holmes graduated from Hollywood High School, studied music at Northwestern Universi ...

. Lowery whistled with

Horace Heidt Horace Heidt (May 21, 1901 – December 1, 1986) was an American pianist, big band leader, and radio and television personality. His band, Horace Heidt and his Musical Knights, toured vaudeville and performed on radio and television during the 19 ...

and

Vincent Lopez Vincent Lopez (December 30, 1895 – September 20, 1975) was an American bandleader, actor, and pianist. Early life and career Vincent Lopez was born of Portuguese immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, Distinguished Am ...

in the 1930s and 40s. Hi
'Silent Night'
an
'William Tell Overture'
demonstrate the difference between everyday whistling and

puccalo Whistling without the use of an artificial whistle is achieved by creating a small opening with one's lips, usually after applying moisture (licking one's lips or placing water upon them) and then blowing or sucking air through the space. The ...

. Lowery was born in

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East J ...

in Anderson County in east Texas and lost his eyesight at the age of two after being stricken with

scarlet fever Scarlet fever, also known as Scarlatina, is an infectious disease caused by ''Streptococcus pyogenes'' a Group A streptococcus (GAS). The infection is a type of Group A streptococcal infection (Group A strep). It most commonly affects child ...

. With an artificial right eye and limited vision in the left, Fred Lowery was legally blind - not totally blind. From the age of eight he was educated at the

Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) is a Texas special public school, in the continuum of statewide placements for students who have a visual impairment. It is considered a statewide resource to parents of these children ...

. In 1929, when he was attending school, he met a bird imitator. "He encouraged me," he recalled, "and I began to discover there was more to whistling than bird calls." After a series of minor successes, including a radio show on WFAA in Dallas, and a -year engagement with the Vincent Lopez orchestra in New York, he was heard by Horace Heidt. Heidt gave Lowery his chance for national recognition as a featured part of his show. In 1945, Lowery struck out on his own. His 1939 version of the song ''

Indian Love Call "Indian Love Call" (first published as "The Call") is a popular song from ''Rose-Marie'', a 1924 operetta-style Broadway musical with music by Rudolf Friml and Herbert Stothart, and book and lyrics by Otto Harbach and Oscar Hammerstein II. Origi ...

'' sold over 2 million copies. During his career, he performed at Carnegie Hall and at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington, D.C., NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. preside ...

Discography

''William Tell Overture'' - Columbia 35234 (WB 24992) 10" 78 (1939) ''Listen to the Mocking Bird'' - Columbia 35234 (WB 24940) 10" 78 (1939) ''Whistling For You'' - Columbia C-148 10" 78 (1947) ''Whistling For You'' - Columbia CL 6091 10" LP (1950) ''Walking Along Kicking the Leaves'', Fred Lowery whistling with orchestra directed by Own Bradley - Decca DL 8476 LP Mono (1957) ''Whistle a Happy Tune'' - Decca DL 8995 LP Mono (1960) ''Fred Lowery Sings for the Birds'' - Lowery ED1001 LP Mono ''There'll Be Whistling and Singing In Heaven'' - Gra-Low GR-7100 LP Mono ''A Family Christmas'' - Gra-Low GR-7101 LP Mono ''Fred Lowery Whistles Your Gospel Favorites'' - Word WST-8326 LP Stereo (1967) ''Abide With Me'' - Word WST-8456 LP Stereo (1968) ''Precious Memories'' - Word WST-8516 LP Stereo (1971) ''It is Well with My Soul'' - Word WST-8563 LP Stereo (1972)

References

1909 births 1984 deaths Whistlers Blind musicians People from Palestine, Texas Musicians from Texas 20th-century American musicians {{US-musician-stub