"Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" (often called simply "Lover Man") is a 1941

popular song 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). ''Funk ...

written by Jimmy Davis, Roger ("Ram") Ramirez, and James Sherman. It is particularly associated with Billie Holiday, for whom it was written, and her version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1989. Holiday's version reached No. 5 on the R&B chart and No. 16 on pop in 1945. In July 1946, Charlie Parker recorded a rendition of "Lover Man" while he was intoxicated. Dial Records producer Ross Russell had to hold him up to the microphone during the recording. Sonny Stitt played the song many times on

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...

in a virtuoso way, in the original key of D flat. Most jazz musicians play the song nevertheless in F. Barbra Streisand recorded a version for her album Simply Streisand in 1967, her version peaked #29 at Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Cover versions

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...

recorded the song for the Guild label in 1945 with backing by an instrumental ensemble that included

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

and Charlie Parker. * Blossom Dearie included a cover of the song on her 1957 debut studio album '' Blossom Dearie''. * José James recorded a remarkable version of Lover Man, in his 2015 album Yesterday I Had the Blues, The Music of Billie Holiday. * Barbra Streisand included a cover of the song in her 1967 album '' Simply Streisand''. *

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

recorded the song in 1972 for the soundtrack for the film '' Lady Sings the Blues,'' in which she portrayed Billie Holiday. *

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

recorded the song in 1983 for her breakthrough sixth solo album '' I'm in Love Again''. * The Communards released a cover of the song in their 1986 debut album. *In 1991, Whitney Houston performed the song as part of the set list during her I'm Your Baby Tonight Tour. Houston also performed the tune in a medley with "

My Man "Mon Homme" (),also known by its English translation, "My Man", is a popular song first published in 1920. The song was originally composed by Maurice Yvain with French lyrics by Jacques-Charles (Jacques Mardochée Charles) and Albert Willemet ...

" and " All the Man That I Need" at the 1991 ''Billboard'' Music Awards. * Jacky Terrasson and

Stéphane Belmondo Stéphane Belmondo (; born July 8, 1967) is a French jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, and drummer. Including recordings made with his brother Lionel Belmondo and Yusef Lateef, he won the best French album category ''(L'Album français de l'année ...

included the song in their 2016 album '' Mother''.

Charts

References

External links

"Lover Man..." at jazzstandards.com
{{authority control 1941 songs 1940s jazz standards Billie Holiday songs Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Jazz compositions in B-flat minor