Art and Dotty Todd
Encyclopedia
Art and Dotty Todd were an American
husband
and wife
singing duo
who reached the Top Ten in the UK and the US with the respective hits "Broken Wings
" (1953) and "Chanson D'Amour
" (1958).
Dotty Todd was born Doris Dabb in Elizabeth NJ on 22 June 1913. She studied piano from an early age, giving a piano recital at Carnegie Hall
at the age of 13. She was performing at the Providence Biltmore Hotel in Rhode Island when she met Art Todd born Arthur William Todd in Baltimore MD 11 March 1914 - a guitarist/vocalist also playing a gig at the Biltmore; the pair met as a result of the Biltmore accidentally booking them into the same suite. The couple married in 1941 and - subsequent to Art Todd's stint in the army where he worked in an entertainment unit - Art and Dotty Todd settled in Sherman Oaks CA (as of 1947) with a gig at the Shadow Mountain Club in Palm Desert, California
inaugurating a career on the California lounge circuit; Art and Dotty Todd also eventually sang on their own radio show. The duo cut records including "Heavenly Heavenly" for RCA Victor in 1952: the single flopped but when the song which served as its B-side
: "Broken Wings
" became a hit in the UK for the Stargazers the Art and Dotty Todd version had a UK release charting at #6 (the Stargazers' version reached #1 while another version by Dickie Valentine
reached #12).
In 1958 Art and Dotty Todd were the resident act at the Chapman Park Hotel in Los Angeles; Art Todd recalls how that year "[composer] Wayne Shanklin
stopped us one day and said, 'I've got a great song for you.'" Art and Dotty Todd cut a demo
of "Chanson D'Amour" which was shopped to Era Records
who released the demo track as a single. According to Art Todd: "The airplay was just sensational. This was just at the beginning of rock 'n' roll and the old-time DJs hated rock 'n' roll and they jumped on our song." Art and Dotty Todd's "Chanson D'Amour" reached #6 in April 1958.
Art and Dotty Todd continued to record for Era and then for Dart Records but were unable to overcome the increasing dominance of radio airplay by rock 'n' roll remaining one hit wonders. With "Chanson D'Amour" failing to chart as a single in the UK - where a remake by the Manhattan Transfer
would spend three weeks at #1 in 1977 - Art and Dotty Todd also remained one hit wonders in the UK. The duo are in the unique position of being one hit wonders both the US and the UK with different hits which reached the same chart position, as "Broken Wings" reached #6 UK and "Chanson D'Amour" reached #6 US. and "Chanson D'Amour (Song of Love)
" respectively. The latter track sold over one million copies, with gold disc
status.
The success of "Chanson D'Amour" allowed Art and Dotty Todd to pursue their nightclub career at a higher-profile level: they regularly played the Dunes
in Las Vegas where they set a consecutive longevity record for playing one room (the Top o' the Strip) for 68 weeks (reported in Billboard magazine
27 August 1966). In 1980 the duo relocated to Honolulu Hawaii where they opened their own club. Dotty Todd died Los Angeles 12 December 2000 at the age of 87 three months after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease
. Art Todd died 10 October 2007 of congestive heart failure
in Honolulu.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
husband
Husband
A husband is a male participant in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the husband regarding his spouse and others, and his status in the community and in law, vary between cultures and has varied over time...
and wife
Wife
A wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
singing duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
who reached the Top Ten in the UK and the US with the respective hits "Broken Wings
Broken Wings (1953 song)
"Broken Wings" is a popular song, written by John Jerome and Bernard Gunn.Probably the best known version of the song was produced by Dick Rowe and recorded in the UK by The Stargazers in 1953...
" (1953) and "Chanson D'Amour
Chanson D'Amour
"Chanson D'Amour" is a popular song written by Wayne Shanklin which was a Top Ten hit in 1958 for Art and Dotty Todd; a remake by the Manhattan Transfer was an international hit - #1 in the UK - in 1977....
" (1958).
Dotty Todd was born Doris Dabb in Elizabeth NJ on 22 June 1913. She studied piano from an early age, giving a piano recital at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
at the age of 13. She was performing at the Providence Biltmore Hotel in Rhode Island when she met Art Todd born Arthur William Todd in Baltimore MD 11 March 1914 - a guitarist/vocalist also playing a gig at the Biltmore; the pair met as a result of the Biltmore accidentally booking them into the same suite. The couple married in 1941 and - subsequent to Art Todd's stint in the army where he worked in an entertainment unit - Art and Dotty Todd settled in Sherman Oaks CA (as of 1947) with a gig at the Shadow Mountain Club in Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
inaugurating a career on the California lounge circuit; Art and Dotty Todd also eventually sang on their own radio show. The duo cut records including "Heavenly Heavenly" for RCA Victor in 1952: the single flopped but when the song which served as its B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
: "Broken Wings
Broken Wings (1953 song)
"Broken Wings" is a popular song, written by John Jerome and Bernard Gunn.Probably the best known version of the song was produced by Dick Rowe and recorded in the UK by The Stargazers in 1953...
" became a hit in the UK for the Stargazers the Art and Dotty Todd version had a UK release charting at #6 (the Stargazers' version reached #1 while another version by Dickie Valentine
Dickie Valentine
Dickie Valentine was an English pop singer in the 1950s.-Early life:Valentine was born Richard Maxwell , though Valentine was known as Richard Bryce as his mother later married Bryce and gave her young son the same name. He was born in Marylebone, London...
reached #12).
In 1958 Art and Dotty Todd were the resident act at the Chapman Park Hotel in Los Angeles; Art Todd recalls how that year "[composer] Wayne Shanklin
Wayne Shanklin
Wayne Shanklin was an American music performer, composer, arranger, and producer....
stopped us one day and said, 'I've got a great song for you.'" Art and Dotty Todd cut a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of "Chanson D'Amour" which was shopped to Era Records
Era Records
Era Records was an independent American record label located in Hollywood, California. It was founded by Herb Newman and Lou Bedell in 1955 as a pop, country and western and jazz label. Era had a #1 hit in 1956 with Gogi Grant's "The Wayward Wind", written by Newman. In 1959 Bedell sold his...
who released the demo track as a single. According to Art Todd: "The airplay was just sensational. This was just at the beginning of rock 'n' roll and the old-time DJs hated rock 'n' roll and they jumped on our song." Art and Dotty Todd's "Chanson D'Amour" reached #6 in April 1958.
Art and Dotty Todd continued to record for Era and then for Dart Records but were unable to overcome the increasing dominance of radio airplay by rock 'n' roll remaining one hit wonders. With "Chanson D'Amour" failing to chart as a single in the UK - where a remake by the Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer
The Manhattan Transfer is an American vocal music group. There have been two manifestations of the group, with Tim Hauser being the only person to be part of both...
would spend three weeks at #1 in 1977 - Art and Dotty Todd also remained one hit wonders in the UK. The duo are in the unique position of being one hit wonders both the US and the UK with different hits which reached the same chart position, as "Broken Wings" reached #6 UK and "Chanson D'Amour" reached #6 US. and "Chanson D'Amour (Song of Love)
Chanson D'Amour
"Chanson D'Amour" is a popular song written by Wayne Shanklin which was a Top Ten hit in 1958 for Art and Dotty Todd; a remake by the Manhattan Transfer was an international hit - #1 in the UK - in 1977....
" respectively. The latter track sold over one million copies, with gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
status.
The success of "Chanson D'Amour" allowed Art and Dotty Todd to pursue their nightclub career at a higher-profile level: they regularly played the Dunes
Dunes (hotel and casino)
The Dunes Hotel was a Paradise, Nevada, hotel and casino that operated from May 23, 1955 to January 26, 1993, and was the tenth resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip. The Bellagio now stands on the former grounds.-History:...
in Las Vegas where they set a consecutive longevity record for playing one room (the Top o' the Strip) for 68 weeks (reported in Billboard magazine
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
27 August 1966). In 1980 the duo relocated to Honolulu Hawaii where they opened their own club. Dotty Todd died Los Angeles 12 December 2000 at the age of 87 three months after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. Art Todd died 10 October 2007 of congestive heart failure
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure often called congestive heart failure is generally defined as the inability of the heart to supply sufficient blood flow to meet the needs of the body. Heart failure can cause a number of symptoms including shortness of breath, leg swelling, and exercise intolerance. The condition...
in Honolulu.