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. Lowery whistled with bandleaders

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 education Lopez was born of Portuguese immigrant parents in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, Distinguished Americ ...

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

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

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). It most commonly affects children between five and 15 years of age. The signs and symptoms include a sore ...

. 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. 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 Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

and at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

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 Blind musicians People from Palestine, Texas Musicians from Texas 20th-century American musicians American blind people American musicians with disabilities American whistlers {{US-musician-stub