Jane Morgan
Encyclopedia
Jane Morgan is an American
popular
singer
, specializing in traditional pop music
. Her first broad fame came in Europe.
She has achieved six gold records; and was recognized by Brandeis University
(Woman of the Year Award, 1971.)
and the United Kingdom
before achieving recognition in the United States. Born Florence Catherine Currier in Newton, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of Bertram Currier and Olga Brandenberg Currier, both of whom were dedicated and accomplished musicians. Bertram Currier was born in Munich, Germany in 1874 where his father, the famous American artist Joseph Frank Currier (1843–1909) was installed from 1870-1898. In another connection to the art world, Currier was also a distant, collateral relative of Nathaniel Currier
, the 19th century lithographer). Bertram Currier was the eldest of three children (Bertram, 1874; Frank, 1875; Elisabeth, 1877), and he played cello and other stringed instruments with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
for many years. He led an orchestra
and string quartet
during the Boston's off season. Olga Brandenberg Currier majored in piano and graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music
. Both were composers and music teachers and operated a family music school in Newton. Morgan was taught to sing, play the piano, dance, and act, and also took some violin lessons. Bertram Currier died in 1934, when Jane was 13.
When she was four years old, Jane and her family moved to Daytona Beach, Florida
. The following year she began receiving vocal lessons, while continuing her study of the piano. During the summers, Morgan would frequently take on child roles and appear in theater productions at the Kennebunkport Playhouse in Kennebunkport, Maine
, which her brother had founded. Her first professional role was in her brother's melodrama
when she was 7. By the time she was 13, Morgan was singing as a lyric soprano
.
While attending grade school, Morgan actively engaged in singing and competing against other students throughout Florida and the Southeast. Upon graduating from Seabreeze High School
, Morgan's multiple musical skills and overall background enabled her prompt acceptance into the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York City
where she studied under Belle Julie Soudant; she intended to become an opera singer. She studied opera by day and performed in nightclub
s and at parties whenever possible.
in Manhattan with the house second band for $25 a week, six nights a week. While she was still in Juilliard (1944), orchestra leader Art Mooney
heard her perform and hired her. Mooney changed her name to Jane Morgan by taking the first name of one of his vocalists, Janie Ford, and the last name of another, Marian Morgan.
In 1948 Morgan was chosen by French impresario Bernard Hilda to accompany him to Paris. Hilda was a prominent French society bandleader who needed a young singer to perform at a nightclub that he planned to open near the Eiffel Tower
. She began to appear regularly at the Club des Champs-Elysées
, performing (two shows per night) American songs to mostly French audiences. Morgan's mother had taught her French and Italian, so she quickly became proficient in French, and performed her act in flawless French, singing the classic songs of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, French songs, and standards of the century.
Morgan became a sensation in Paris, and accompanied by Hilda and his gypsy violin, quickly became known throughout France. French café society frequented Hilda's upscale club, which was likened to the Copacabana in New York
. Many French songwriters, including Charles Trenet, frequented the club, and they wrote several songs that became hit recordings for Morgan. Morgan and Hilda soon opened a new weekly hour-long television show, and she began recording in 1949 on the French Polydor label as well as Parlophone
, Philips
, and others. Morgan performed seven days a week except in the summertime when she was booked in clubs in other European countries including Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and the UK. During this time Morgan was making very little money but was treated elegantly, and many of the finest designers in the world, including Balmain
and Dior
, provided her with gowns. Her hats were the work of milliners such as Jean Barthet and John Frederick
, and Morgan was regarded as one of the best-dressed performers in the world. She remained in Europe for more than four years, becoming a "continental chanteuse," though virtually unknown in the United States.
In 1952 Morgan went to Montreal, Canada, and opened at the Ritz Hotel
as a soloist with a bilingual act using French and English. She returned to New York with regular performances in upscale nightclubs and her own radio show on NBC
, backed by the 50-piece NBC Symphony Orchestra
. She also performed at the St. Regis Hotel
in New York
. She returned to Europe in 1954 to appear in a London West End review with comedian Vic Oliver
, and later at the Savoy Theatre
and London Palladium
. During this period, Morgan married Larry Stith.
in New York. Walters, father of television newswoman Barbara Walters
, kept Morgan at the Latin Quarter
for a year. There she was noticed by entrepreneur Dave Kapp, who had recently founded a new recording label, Kapp Records
. Kapp signed Morgan to a recording contract, and near that same period he also signed pianist Roger Williams
.
In order to counter her reputation as a French singer, Kapp had Morgan record "Baseball, Baseball," and her first album release was entitled "The American Girl from Paris". She recorded several additional albums and soon was paired with Williams, who had gained national acceptance with his recording of Autumn Leaves. They recorded Two Different Worlds
, which gave Morgan her first significant airplay on US radio.
In 1957 Kapp brought The Troubadors, a virtually unknown group of five musicians, to his studio. They had appeared in the 1957 comedy film Love in the Afternoon
, with Gary Cooper
, Audrey Hepburn
and Maurice Chevalier
. Kapp asked Morgan to join The Troubadors and sing a song Fascination. Although written in 1904 by Italian F. D. Marchetti and entitled "Valse Tzigane," it had been modified and used in Paris at the Folies Bergère as a "strip" number. With English lyrics added by Dick Manning in 1932, it had also been played throughout the 1957 movie (the French lyric had been created in 1942). Morgan's recording was released in late 1957 and it became an instant sensation, remaining on the charts for 29 weeks. It marked Morgan's acceptance by the American public. She became in demand with agents wishing to book her in variety television programs, new nightclub venues, and with major corporations such as IBM, NCR, and Buick
.
In 1958 Kapp released The Day the Rains Came (a French song by Gilbert Becaud
called "Le jour où la pluie viendra") with Morgan singing in English on one side and in French on the other. It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart
in January 1959.
This led directly to her first TV Special, Spectacular: the Jane Morgan Hour on 7 March 1959. She was featured on the 10 November 1959 jazz special Timex-All-Star Jazz III alongside Louis Armstrong
, Lionel Hampton
, Anita O'Day
, Gene Krupa
, Bob Crosby
's Wildcats, Les Brown
and his orchestra and Chico Hamilton
and his orchestra.
with David Brooks
. This was followed by Kiss Me, Kate
with Earl Wrightson
, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
, Bells Are Ringing
, Anniversary Waltz with Russell Nype
, Affairs of State
with Edward Everett Horton
, and others. She also appeared in nightclubs in several US cities, complemented with television appearances and bookings in Las Vegas
and Lake Tahoe
.
In 1959 Morgan was one of six contestants in A Song for Europe to determine the UK
's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1959
. She sang "If Only I Could Live My Life Again", but the song was not chosen.
Morgan's agent died in 1959, and her new manager, Jerry Weintraub
, was able to obtain bookings for her in many noted US venues. Morgan divorced Larry Stith and she and Weintraub were subsequently married in 1965. Weintraub went on to assist in the careers of Elvis Presley
, Neil Diamond
and Bob Dylan
.
In 1960 Morgan recorded the English language version of an Italian song, Romantica
. The recording was an airplay hit on BBC Radio
. She continued recording for Kapp until the middle of 1962.
as dual soundtracks of the music heard in the film The Victors
. Morgan's second Colpix LP, The Last Time I Saw Paris garnered excellent reviews and a hit single, "C'est Si Bon".
After fulfilling her contract with Colpix, Morgan recorded numerous singles and four albums for Epic
. During this period she had consistent hit singles on the adult contemporary charts and continued to appear on top TV programs of the day.
Morgan appeared at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel
in Canada in 1964; was the lead singer with Bea Lillie and Carol Lawrence in the Broadway musical production of the Ziegfeld Follies
and replaced Angela Lansbury
in Mame in 1966. "Being on Broadway was one of the most exciting things in my life because I had always dreamed of it," Morgan said.
In 1966 Morgan recorded the song that she had performed at the Academy Awards
, I Will Wait for You, written for her by Michel Legrand
.
From 1967 to 1968, Morgan was under contract at ABC Records
, recording a dozen singles and issuing one LP which produced several hit singles and led to her second TV Special, The Jane Morgan Special. Syndicated in March 1968, the show featured the Doodletown Pipers
and its highlight was her musical tribute to Edith Piaf
.
Her two final albums were for RCA Records
. Her final LP, Jane Morgan in Nashville, yielded two big hits on the country and western charts including her answer to Johnny Cash
's song, A Boy Named Sue
, titled A Girl Named Johnny Cash. She performed the song on Cash's TV series
in early 1971. Producer Ronnie Light said that everyone was a little nervous at the start, and he in particular worried that his age (twenty-five at the time) might make Morgan uneasy. But co-producer Chet Atkins
stated that Morgan was a joy and that everyone enjoyed working with her. He also noted that she sincerely wanted to be a success in the country/western music genre. Of the experience, Morgan stated that she was "thrown a bit" by the fact that Nashville normally dispensed with formal arrangements and was known for "head arrangements." The only other time she had recorded without formal arrangements was on her hit single, "Fascination." Nevertheless, she was given the title "The Countryest Girl in Nashville" by the crew.
In 1969 Morgan recorded the RCA soundtrack for the film
Marry Me, Marry Me.
In 1969 she appeared on Broadway
in the musical
Mame, taking over the title role from Angela Lansbury
. Garnering excellent notices, she performed with members of the cast on numerous shows including The Ed Sullivan Show
and The Hollywood Palace
.
Morgan made some of her last TV appearances on the Johnny Cash Show and The Merv Griffin Show in 1971. After that, she and Weintraub adopted three children: Julie, 1974, Jamie, 1977; and Jodie, 1980. Morgan retired from performing in the mid 1970s but has appeared occasionally over the years at special events and benefits. She has in recent years worked as a production assistant to her husband on films including Ocean's Eleven
.
In 2008 Morgan joined forces with the citizens of Kennebunkport, Maine
by writing a letter of objection to the Kennebunkport Planning Board about the proposed Olde Port Village development.
On 10 December 2009, Morgan performed at the UNICEF Ball honoring Jerry Weintraub
held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, singing "Ten Cents a Dance" and "Big Spender
".
On May 6, 2011 she received the 2,439th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
She is now known as Jane Weintraub and lives in Malibu, California, Kennebunkport, Maine
and Palm Springs, California
.
range throughout her career.
, and for five US Presidents: John F. Kennedy
, Richard Nixon
, Gerald Ford
, Jimmy Carter
, and George W. Bush
. Morgan worked with Burt Bacharach
, Roger Williams
, The Troubadors, Frank Hunter, Nick Perito
, Marty Manning, Peter Matz
, Chet Atkins
, Ronny Light, Maurice Chevalier
and Michel Legrand
. Morgan toured with Jack Benny
and John Raitt
and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry
in Nashville
, Tennessee
. Two of her RCA singles hit the Billboard country charts in 1970. Morgan has owned Blueberry Hill Farm in Kennebunkport, Maine since 1958.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popular
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, specializing in traditional pop music
Traditional pop music
Traditional pop or classic pop or standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,...
. Her first broad fame came in Europe.
She has achieved six gold records; and was recognized by Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
(Woman of the Year Award, 1971.)
Early years
Morgan initially found success in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
before achieving recognition in the United States. Born Florence Catherine Currier in Newton, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of Bertram Currier and Olga Brandenberg Currier, both of whom were dedicated and accomplished musicians. Bertram Currier was born in Munich, Germany in 1874 where his father, the famous American artist Joseph Frank Currier (1843–1909) was installed from 1870-1898. In another connection to the art world, Currier was also a distant, collateral relative of Nathaniel Currier
Nathaniel Currier
Nathaniel Currier was an American lithographer, who headed the company Currier & Ives with James Ives.-Early years:...
, the 19th century lithographer). Bertram Currier was the eldest of three children (Bertram, 1874; Frank, 1875; Elisabeth, 1877), and he played cello and other stringed instruments with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
for many years. He led an orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
during the Boston's off season. Olga Brandenberg Currier majored in piano and graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
. Both were composers and music teachers and operated a family music school in Newton. Morgan was taught to sing, play the piano, dance, and act, and also took some violin lessons. Bertram Currier died in 1934, when Jane was 13.
When she was four years old, Jane and her family moved to Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
. The following year she began receiving vocal lessons, while continuing her study of the piano. During the summers, Morgan would frequently take on child roles and appear in theater productions at the Kennebunkport Playhouse in Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,720 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area....
, which her brother had founded. Her first professional role was in her brother's melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
when she was 7. By the time she was 13, Morgan was singing as a lyric soprano
Lyric soprano
A lyric soprano is a type of operatic soprano that has a warm quality with a bright, full timbre which can be heard over an orchestra. The lyric soprano voice generally has a higher tessitura than a soubrette and usually plays ingenues and other sympathetic characters in opera. Lyric sopranos have...
.
While attending grade school, Morgan actively engaged in singing and competing against other students throughout Florida and the Southeast. Upon graduating from Seabreeze High School
Seabreeze High School
Seabreeze High School is a high school located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.- Notable alumni :...
, Morgan's multiple musical skills and overall background enabled her prompt acceptance into the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where she studied under Belle Julie Soudant; she intended to become an opera singer. She studied opera by day and performed in nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s and at parties whenever possible.
Early career
Morgan sang popular songs in nightclubs, private parties, bar mitzvahs, and small restaurants to earn spending money to help pay for her tuition expenses at Juilliard. Eventually she was hired as a singer at the Roseland BallroomRoseland Ballroom
The Roseland Ballroom is a multi-purpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theatre district, on West 52nd Street....
in Manhattan with the house second band for $25 a week, six nights a week. While she was still in Juilliard (1944), orchestra leader Art Mooney
Art Mooney
Art Mooney was an American popular bandleader. His biggest hits were "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" and "Baby Face" in 1948 and "Nuttin' For Christmas," with Barry Gordon, in 1955...
heard her perform and hired her. Mooney changed her name to Jane Morgan by taking the first name of one of his vocalists, Janie Ford, and the last name of another, Marian Morgan.
In 1948 Morgan was chosen by French impresario Bernard Hilda to accompany him to Paris. Hilda was a prominent French society bandleader who needed a young singer to perform at a nightclub that he planned to open near the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
. She began to appear regularly at the Club des Champs-Elysées
Champs-Élysées
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a prestigious avenue in Paris, France. With its cinemas, cafés, luxury specialty shops and clipped horse-chestnut trees, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world. The name is...
, performing (two shows per night) American songs to mostly French audiences. Morgan's mother had taught her French and Italian, so she quickly became proficient in French, and performed her act in flawless French, singing the classic songs of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, French songs, and standards of the century.
Morgan became a sensation in Paris, and accompanied by Hilda and his gypsy violin, quickly became known throughout France. French café society frequented Hilda's upscale club, which was likened to the Copacabana in New York
Copacabana (nightclub)
The Copacabana is a famous New York City nightclub. Many entertainers, among them Danny Thomas, Pat Cooper and the comedy team of Martin and Lewis, made their debuts at the Copacabana. The 1978 Barry Manilow song "Copacabana" is named after, and is about the nightclub. Part of the 2003 Yerba...
. Many French songwriters, including Charles Trenet, frequented the club, and they wrote several songs that became hit recordings for Morgan. Morgan and Hilda soon opened a new weekly hour-long television show, and she began recording in 1949 on the French Polydor label as well as Parlophone
Parlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
, Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
, and others. Morgan performed seven days a week except in the summertime when she was booked in clubs in other European countries including Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and the UK. During this time Morgan was making very little money but was treated elegantly, and many of the finest designers in the world, including Balmain
Balmain (fashion house)
Balmain is a fashion house that was founded by Pierre Balmain.In the period following World War II, Pierre Balmain was "a king of French fashion" and outfitted stars including Ava Gardner and Brigitte Bardot. His most famous client were Queen Sirikit of Thailand...
and Dior
Dior
Dior can mean:* Christian Dior SA, a French clothing retailer* In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth legendarium:**Dior Eluchíl, a Half-elven of the First Age**Dior , a Steward of GondorDior is a surname, and may refer to:...
, provided her with gowns. Her hats were the work of milliners such as Jean Barthet and John Frederick
John Frederick
John Frederick may refer to:* John Frederick, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp, Lutheran administrator of the prince-bishoprics of Bremen, Lübeck and Verden * John Frederick, Elector of Saxony , known as "The Magnanimous"...
, and Morgan was regarded as one of the best-dressed performers in the world. She remained in Europe for more than four years, becoming a "continental chanteuse," though virtually unknown in the United States.
In 1952 Morgan went to Montreal, Canada, and opened at the Ritz Hotel
Ritz Hotel
The Ritz London is a luxury 5-star hotel located in Piccadilly and overlooking Green Park in London.- History :Swiss hotelier César Ritz, former manager of the Savoy Hotel, opened the hotel on 24 May 1906...
as a soloist with a bilingual act using French and English. She returned to New York with regular performances in upscale nightclubs and her own radio show on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, backed by the 50-piece NBC Symphony Orchestra
NBC Symphony Orchestra
The NBC Symphony Orchestra was a radio orchestra established by David Sarnoff of the National Broadcasting Company especially for conductor Arturo Toscanini...
. She also performed at the St. Regis Hotel
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is a hospitality ownership and management organization, headquartered in White Plains, New York. One of the world's largest hotel companies, it owns, operates, franchises and manages hotels, resorts, spas, residences, and vacation ownership properties...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. She returned to Europe in 1954 to appear in a London West End review with comedian Vic Oliver
Vic Oliver
Vic Oliver was an actor and radio comedian.He was born in Vienna, Austria, the son of Viktor von Samek and came to England via America....
, and later at the Savoy Theatre
Savoy Theatre
The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre located in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre opened on 10 October 1881 and was built by Richard D'Oyly Carte on the site of the old Savoy Palace as a showcase for the popular series of comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan,...
and London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
. During this period, Morgan married Larry Stith.
US success
Morgan desired to advance her career in the US, but initially found that booking agents and managers in show business felt she was too specialized and would never make it outside the nightclub circuit. Meaning to prove them wrong, she left her agent and began singing at Lou Walter's Latin QuarterLatin Quarter
Latin Quarter is a part of the 5th arrondissement in Paris.Latin Quarter may also refer to:* Latin Quarter , a British pop/rock band* Latin Quarter , a 1945 British film*Latin Quarter, Aarhus, part of Midtbyen, Aarhus C, Denmark...
in New York. Walters, father of television newswoman Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
, kept Morgan at the Latin Quarter
Latin Quarter
Latin Quarter is a part of the 5th arrondissement in Paris.Latin Quarter may also refer to:* Latin Quarter , a British pop/rock band* Latin Quarter , a 1945 British film*Latin Quarter, Aarhus, part of Midtbyen, Aarhus C, Denmark...
for a year. There she was noticed by entrepreneur Dave Kapp, who had recently founded a new recording label, Kapp Records
Kapp Records
Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp . David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca Records and RCA Victor Records. Kapp licensed its records to London Records for release in the UK.In 1967, David Kapp sold his label to MCA Inc...
. Kapp signed Morgan to a recording contract, and near that same period he also signed pianist Roger Williams
Roger Williams (pianist)
Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.-Biography:...
.
In order to counter her reputation as a French singer, Kapp had Morgan record "Baseball, Baseball," and her first album release was entitled "The American Girl from Paris". She recorded several additional albums and soon was paired with Williams, who had gained national acceptance with his recording of Autumn Leaves. They recorded Two Different Worlds
Two Different Worlds (1956 song)
"Two Different Worlds" is a popular song with music by Al Frisch and the lyrics by Sid Wayne, published in 1956.The biggest U.S. hit version was recorded by Don Rondo. It reached #11 on the Billboard chart and #12 on the Cash Box chart...
, which gave Morgan her first significant airplay on US radio.
In 1957 Kapp brought The Troubadors, a virtually unknown group of five musicians, to his studio. They had appeared in the 1957 comedy film Love in the Afternoon
Love in the Afternoon (1957 film)
Love in the Afternoon is a 1957 American romantic comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on the Claude Anet novel Ariane, jeune fille russe , which previously was filmed as Scampolo in 1928 and Scampolo, ein Kind der Strasse in...
, with Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
, Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
and Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, entertainer and a noted Sprechgesang performer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including Louise, Mimi, Valentine, and Thank Heaven for Little Girls and for his films including The Love Parade and The Big Pond...
. Kapp asked Morgan to join The Troubadors and sing a song Fascination. Although written in 1904 by Italian F. D. Marchetti and entitled "Valse Tzigane," it had been modified and used in Paris at the Folies Bergère as a "strip" number. With English lyrics added by Dick Manning in 1932, it had also been played throughout the 1957 movie (the French lyric had been created in 1942). Morgan's recording was released in late 1957 and it became an instant sensation, remaining on the charts for 29 weeks. It marked Morgan's acceptance by the American public. She became in demand with agents wishing to book her in variety television programs, new nightclub venues, and with major corporations such as IBM, NCR, and Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
.
In 1958 Kapp released The Day the Rains Came (a French song by Gilbert Becaud
Gilbert Bécaud
Gilbert Bécaud was a French singer, composer and actor, known as "Monsieur 100,000 Volts" for his energetic performances. His best-known hits are "Nathalie" and "Et Maintenant", a 1961 release that became an English language hit as "What Now My Love"...
called "Le jour où la pluie viendra") with Morgan singing in English on one side and in French on the other. It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in January 1959.
This led directly to her first TV Special, Spectacular: the Jane Morgan Hour on 7 March 1959. She was featured on the 10 November 1959 jazz special Timex-All-Star Jazz III alongside Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
, Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day
Anita O'Day was an American jazz singer.Born Anita Belle Colton, O'Day was admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appearances shattered the traditional image of the "girl singer"...
, Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
, Bob Crosby
Bob Crosby
George Robert "Bob" Crosby was an American dixieland bandleader and vocalist, best known for his group the Bob-Cats.-Family:...
's Wildcats, Les Brown
Les Brown (bandleader)
Les Brown, Sr. and the Band of Renown are a big band that began in the late 1930s, initially as the group Les Brown and His Blue Devils that Brown led while a student at Duke University. He was the first president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences...
and his orchestra and Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton
Chico Hamilton , is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.-Early life through 1960s:Hamilton was born in Los Angeles, California. He had a fast-track musical education in a band with Charles Mingus, Illinois Jacquet, Ernie Royal, Dexter Gordon, Buddy Collette and Jack Kelso...
and his orchestra.
Middle years
In addition to her popular recordings, Morgan desired to perform in musicals on the stage and Broadway. She successfully appeared in Can-CanCan-Can (musical)
Can-Can is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and a book by Abe Burrows. The story concerns the showgirls of the Montmartre dance halls during the 1890s....
with David Brooks
David Brooks (actor)
David Brooks was an American actor, singer, director, and producer. He first drew critical acclaimation for starring in several Broadway musicals during the 1940s, including portraying Tommy Albright in the original production of Brigadoon. In the early 1950s he was an important stage director in...
. This was followed by Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate
Kiss Me, Kate is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. It is structured as a play within a play, where the interior play is a musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. The original production starred Alfred Drake, Patricia Morison, Lisa Kirk and Harold Lang.Kiss...
with Earl Wrightson
Earl Wrightson
Earl Wrightson was an American singer and actor best known for musical theatre, concerts and television performances. His regular singing partner was the soprano Lois Hunt.-Early life and career:...
, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (musical)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a musical with a book by Joseph Fields and Anita Loos, lyrics by Leo Robin, and music by Jule Styne, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Loos...
, Bells Are Ringing
Bells Are Ringing (musical)
Bells Are Ringing is a musical with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne. The story revolves around Ella, who works at an answering service and the characters that she meets there. The main character was based on Mary Printz, who worked for Green's answering...
, Anniversary Waltz with Russell Nype
Russell Nype
Russell Nype is an American actor and singer.Born in Zion, Illinois, Nype made his Broadway debut in Marc Blitzstein's opera Regina in 1949. The following year he won critical acclaim and both the Tony and Theatre World Awards for his performance opposite Ethel Merman in Call Me Madam...
, Affairs of State
Affairs of State
Affairs of State is a 1950 Broadway comedy written and directed by Louis Verneuil. It opened at the Royale Theatre, then moved to the Music Box Theatre and played for a total of 610 performances.It was the first play Verneuil wrote in English.-Cast:...
with Edward Everett Horton
Edward Everett Horton
Edward Everett Horton was an American character actor. He had a long career in film, theater, radio, television and voice work for animated cartoons. He is especially known for his work in the films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.-Early life:Horton was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Isabella...
, and others. She also appeared in nightclubs in several US cities, complemented with television appearances and bookings in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
.
In 1959 Morgan was one of six contestants in A Song for Europe to determine the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1959
Eurovision Song Contest 1959
The Eurovision Song Contest 1959 was the fourth Eurovision Song Contest. It was held in Cannes, following the French victory the previous year....
. She sang "If Only I Could Live My Life Again", but the song was not chosen.
Morgan's agent died in 1959, and her new manager, Jerry Weintraub
Jerry Weintraub
Jerry Weintraub is an American film producer and former chairman and CEO of United Artists. He now lives in Palm Desert, California.-Life and career:...
, was able to obtain bookings for her in many noted US venues. Morgan divorced Larry Stith and she and Weintraub were subsequently married in 1965. Weintraub went on to assist in the careers of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
.
In 1960 Morgan recorded the English language version of an Italian song, Romantica
Romantica (song)
"Romantica" was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1960, performed in Italian by Renato Rascel. The song was performed twelfth on the night, following Germany's Wyn Hoop with "Bonne nuit ma chérie" and preceding France's Jacqueline Boyer with "Tom Pillibi"...
. The recording was an airplay hit on BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
. She continued recording for Kapp until the middle of 1962.
Later years
Morgan ended her association with Kapp Records after eight years. Weintraub then negotiated a deal for three albums for Colpix including Jane Morgan Serenades the Victors, a side by side LP along with that recorded by Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
as dual soundtracks of the music heard in the film The Victors
The Victors (film)
-Overview:The film follows a group of U.S. soldiers through Europe during World War II, from Britain in 1942, through the fierce fighting in Italy and France, to the uneasy peace of Berlin. It is adapted from a collection of short stories called The Human Kind by British author Alexander Baron,...
. Morgan's second Colpix LP, The Last Time I Saw Paris garnered excellent reviews and a hit single, "C'est Si Bon".
After fulfilling her contract with Colpix, Morgan recorded numerous singles and four albums for Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. During this period she had consistent hit singles on the adult contemporary charts and continued to appear on top TV programs of the day.
Morgan appeared at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel
Queen Elizabeth Hotel
The Queen Elizabeth Hotel is a grand hotel in Montreal, Quebec. Completed in 1958, it was built by the Canadian National Railway, but was later sold to Canadian Pacific Hotels, now Fairmont Hotels and Resorts...
in Canada in 1964; was the lead singer with Bea Lillie and Carol Lawrence in the Broadway musical production of the Ziegfeld Follies
Ziegfeld Follies
The Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
and replaced Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury
Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
in Mame in 1966. "Being on Broadway was one of the most exciting things in my life because I had always dreamed of it," Morgan said.
In 1966 Morgan recorded the song that she had performed at the Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, I Will Wait for You, written for her by Michel Legrand
Michel Legrand
Michel Jean Legrand is a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist...
.
From 1967 to 1968, Morgan was under contract at ABC Records
ABC Records
ABC Records was an American record label, founded in New York City in 1955 as ABC-Paramount Records. It originated as the main popular music label operated the Am-Par Record Corporation, the music subsidiary of the American Broadcasting Company . ABC-Paramount Records' first president was Samuel H....
, recording a dozen singles and issuing one LP which produced several hit singles and led to her second TV Special, The Jane Morgan Special. Syndicated in March 1968, the show featured the Doodletown Pipers
Doodletown Pipers
The Doodletown Pipers were a 1960s and 1970s easy listening vocal group founded by Ward Ellis, George Wilkins, Bernie Brillstein and Jerry Weintraub....
and its highlight was her musical tribute to Edith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
.
Her two final albums were for RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. Her final LP, Jane Morgan in Nashville, yielded two big hits on the country and western charts including her answer to Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
's song, A Boy Named Sue
A Boy Named Sue
"A Boy Named Sue" is a song written by Shel Silverstein and performed by Johnny Cash. Cash was at the height of his popularity when he recorded the song live at California's San Quentin State Prison at a concert on 24 February 1969. The concert was filmed by Granada Television for later...
, titled A Girl Named Johnny Cash. She performed the song on Cash's TV series
The Johnny Cash Show (TV series)
The Johnny Cash Show was an American television music variety show hosted by Johnny Cash. The Screen Gems 58-episode series ran from June 7, 1969 to March 31, 1971 on ABC; it was taped at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The show reached No...
in early 1971. Producer Ronnie Light said that everyone was a little nervous at the start, and he in particular worried that his age (twenty-five at the time) might make Morgan uneasy. But co-producer Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
stated that Morgan was a joy and that everyone enjoyed working with her. He also noted that she sincerely wanted to be a success in the country/western music genre. Of the experience, Morgan stated that she was "thrown a bit" by the fact that Nashville normally dispensed with formal arrangements and was known for "head arrangements." The only other time she had recorded without formal arrangements was on her hit single, "Fascination." Nevertheless, she was given the title "The Countryest Girl in Nashville" by the crew.
In 1969 Morgan recorded the RCA soundtrack for the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Marry Me, Marry Me.
In 1969 she appeared on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in the musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Mame, taking over the title role from Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury
Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
. Garnering excellent notices, she performed with members of the cast on numerous shows including The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
and The Hollywood Palace
The Hollywood Palace
The Hollywood Palace is an hour-long American television variety show that was broadcast weekly on ABC from January 4, 1964 to February 7, 1970. It began as a mid-season replacement for the short-lived Jerry Lewis Show, another variety show which had lasted only three months...
.
Morgan made some of her last TV appearances on the Johnny Cash Show and The Merv Griffin Show in 1971. After that, she and Weintraub adopted three children: Julie, 1974, Jamie, 1977; and Jodie, 1980. Morgan retired from performing in the mid 1970s but has appeared occasionally over the years at special events and benefits. She has in recent years worked as a production assistant to her husband on films including Ocean's Eleven
Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
.
In 2008 Morgan joined forces with the citizens of Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,720 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area....
by writing a letter of objection to the Kennebunkport Planning Board about the proposed Olde Port Village development.
On 10 December 2009, Morgan performed at the UNICEF Ball honoring Jerry Weintraub
Jerry Weintraub
Jerry Weintraub is an American film producer and former chairman and CEO of United Artists. He now lives in Palm Desert, California.-Life and career:...
held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, singing "Ten Cents a Dance" and "Big Spender
Big Spender
"Big Spender" is a song written by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields for the musical Sweet Charity, first performed in 1966. It is sung, in the musical, by the dance hostess "girls"; it was choreographed by Bob Fosse for the Broadway musical and the film...
".
On May 6, 2011 she received the 2,439th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
She is now known as Jane Weintraub and lives in Malibu, California, Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport, Maine
Kennebunkport is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,720 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford metropolitan statistical area....
and Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
.
Singing style
Morgan's style contained little sense of rhythm or beat. Using a very long melody line with lavish and elegant phrasing, she blended lyric and melody passages into long extensions with an elegant, Juilliard sound. Her 1962 LP, What Now My Love, (inspired by Frank Sinatra's Only the Lonely,) reveals Morgan's depth, emotion and confidence without sacrificing any of her silky musical attributes. Morgan was a skilled performer and her club act blended informality and fun with impeccable musicianship. Morgan has recorded songs in five languages. Morgan performed in the coloratura contraltoContralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
range throughout her career.
Notable associates
Morgan has performed for French President Charles de GaulleCharles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, and for five US Presidents: John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, and George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Morgan worked with Burt Bacharach
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
, Roger Williams
Roger Williams (pianist)
Roger Williams was an American popular music pianist. As of 2004, he had released 116 albums.-Biography:...
, The Troubadors, Frank Hunter, Nick Perito
Nick Perito
Nicholas Perito was a Hollywood composer and arranger and, for 40 years, the closest collaborator of singer Perry Como.-Early years:...
, Marty Manning, Peter Matz
Peter Matz
Peter Matz was an award winning American musician, composer, arranger and conductor. His musical career in film, theater, television and studio recording spanned fifty years, and he worked with a number of prominent artists, including Marlene Dietrich, Noël Coward and Barbra Streisand...
, Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, Ronny Light, Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier was a French actor, singer, entertainer and a noted Sprechgesang performer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including Louise, Mimi, Valentine, and Thank Heaven for Little Girls and for his films including The Love Parade and The Big Pond...
and Michel Legrand
Michel Legrand
Michel Jean Legrand is a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist...
. Morgan toured with Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
and John Raitt
John Raitt
John Emmett Raitt was an American actor and singer best known for his performances in musical theater.-Early years:...
and appeared at the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Two of her RCA singles hit the Billboard country charts in 1970. Morgan has owned Blueberry Hill Farm in Kennebunkport, Maine since 1958.
Television appearances
- Morgan made her American TV Debut on Celebrity TimeCelebrity TimeCelebrity Time was an American game and audience participation television series which aired originally aired on CBS and ABC from November 1948 to September 1952...
in 1951. Early televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
credits include The Victor BorgeVictor BorgeVictor Borge ,born Børge Rosenbaum, was a Danish comedian, conductor and pianist, affectionately known as The Clown Prince of Denmark,The Unmelancholy Dane,and The Great Dane.-Early life and career:...
Show, The Colgate Comedy HourThe Colgate Comedy HourThe Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC network from 1950 to 1955. The show stars many notable comedians and entertainers of the era, including Eddie Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Fred Allen, Donald O'Connor, Bud Abbott and Lou...
, Cavalcade of Stars and The Jonathan WintersJonathan Winters-Early life:Winters was born in Bellbrook, Ohio, the son of Alice Kilgore , a radio personality, and Jonathan Harshman Winters II, an investment broker. He is a descendant of Valentine Winters, founder of the Winters National Bank in Dayton, Ohio...
Show. Her more than one hundred appearances on major television programTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
s from 1951 through 1971 include the Andy WilliamsAndy WilliamsHoward Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
, Jack BennyJack BennyJack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
, Garry MooreGarry MooreGarry Moore was an American entertainer, game show host and comedian best known for his work in television...
, Jimmy DeanJimmy DeanJimmy Ray Dean was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. Although he may be best known today as the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand, he became a national television personality starting in 1957, rising to fame for his 1961 country crossover hit "Big Bad...
, American BandstandAmerican BandstandAmerican Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, Bob NewhartBob NewhartGeorge Robert Newhart , known professionally as Bob Newhart, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Noted for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery, Newhart came to prominence in the 1960s when his album of comedic monologues The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart was a worldwide...
, Jerry LewisJerry LewisJerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
, Mike Douglas, Merv GriffinMerv GriffinMervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...
, Joey BishopJoey BishopJoey Bishop was an American entertainer who was perhaps best known for being a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin...
, David FrostDavid FrostSir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
, Jackie GleasonJackie GleasonJackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
, Perry ComoPerry ComoPierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Patti PagePatti PageClara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
, and Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
shows, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
, Hollywood Palace, Person to PersonPerson to PersonPerson to Person was a popular television program in the United States that ran from 1953 to 1961. Well-respected news reporter Edward R. Murrow hosted it until 1959, interviewing celebrities in their homes from a comfortable chair in his New York studio Person to Person was a popular television...
and more than 50 performances on the Ed Sullivan Show.
- Among the many television specials were: Highways of Melody 1961; Bell Telephone Hour: "A Trip to Christmas, 1961; Bell Telephone Hour: Christmas Program, 1965; Bell Telephone Hour: Masterpieces and Music, 1966; Coliseum, 1967; Kraft Music HallKraft Music HallThe Kraft Music Hall was a popular variety program, featuring top show business entertainers, which aired on NBC radio and television from 1933 to 1971....
: Broadway's Best, 1969 and Operation: Entertainment, 1969.
- Morgan starred in 3 specials: The Jane Morgan Hour, 1959; Voice of Firestone: An Evening in Paris, 1959 and The Jane Morgan Show, 1968.
- Morgan made a few dramatic appearances on TV: The Web: Rehearsal for Death (1952); Peter GunnPeter GunnPeter Gunn is an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards...
: Down the Drain (1961); and It Takes a Thief: The Suzie Simone Caper (1970).
Singles
| Year | Title | Label and Number | US Pop Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US AC Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
US Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1949 | "C'est Tout" / "J'aurais Bien Donne Dix Ans De Ma Vie2 (with Bernard Hilda Orchestra in London) | |
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| 1953 | "April in Portugal" / "If I Were a Bell" (with Philip Green Orchestra in London) | |
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| 1953 | "Say You're Mine Again" / "The Kissing Tree" (with Philip Green Orchestra in London) | |
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| 1953 | "Eyes of Blue" / (Unknown song) (with Philip Green Orchestra in London) | |
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| 1953 | Unknown Songs (with Philip Green Orchestra in London) | |
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| 1954 | "Baseball, Baseball" / "Fairweather Friends" | |
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| 1954 | "Why" / "The Heart You Break" | |
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| 1955 | "I Try To Forget You" / "Why Don't They Leave Us Alone" | |
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| 1955 | "Flyin' High" / "Give Me Your World" | |
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| 1955 | "In Paree" / "Take Me Away" | |
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| 1956 | "Let's Go Steady" / "Take Care" (With the Jones Boys) | |
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| 1956 | "La Ronde" / "Midnight Blues" | |
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| 1956 | "Two Different Worlds" / "Nights In Verona" (with Roger Williams) | |
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| 1957 | "Come Home" / "From The First Hello To Our Last Goodbye" | |
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| 1957 | "It's Not For Me To Say" / "Around The World In Eighty Days" | |
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| 1957 | "Fascination" / "Whistling Instrumental" (with The Troubadors) | |
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| 1957 | "It's Been A Long Long Time" / "I'm New At The Game Of Romance" (Canadian hit) | |
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| 1958 | "Only One Love" / "I've Got Bells In My Heart" | |
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| 1958 | "Enchanted Island" / "Once More My Love Once More" | |
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| 1958 | "The Day The Rains Came" / "Le Jour Ou La Pluie Viendra" (Sung in French) | |
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| 1958 | "You'll Never Walk Alone" / "I May Never Pass This Way Again" | |
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| 1958 | "To Love And Be Loved" / "If Only I Could Live My Life Again" | |
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| 1959 | "Love Is Like Champagne" / "To Each His Own" | |
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| 1959 | "With Open Arms" / "I Can't Begin To Tell You" | |
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| 1959 | "I'm In Love" / "Was It Day, Was It Night" | |
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| 1959 | "Happy Anniversary" / "C'est La Vie C'est L'Amour" | |
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| 1960 | "My Love Doesn't Love Me At All" / "The Bells Of St. Mary's" | |
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| 1960 | "The Bells Of St. Mary's" / "Ballad Of Lady Jane" | |
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| 1960 | "I Am A Heart" / "Romantica" | |
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| 1960 | "Lord And Master" / "Where's The Boy (I Never Met)" | |
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| 1960 | "Somebody" / "The Angry Sea" | |
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| 1961 | "In Jerusalem" / "In Jerusalem" (French version) | |
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| 1961 | "Love Makes The World Go Round" / "He Makes Me Feel I'm Lovely" | |
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| 1961 | "Homesick For New England" / "It Takes Love" | |
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| 1961 | "Blue Hawaii" / "Moon River" | |
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| 1962 | "Forever My Love" / "What Now My Love" | |
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| 1962 | "Ask Me To Dance" / "Waiting For Charley To Come Home" | |
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| 1963 | "Bless 'Em All" / "Does Goodnight Mean Goodbye?" | |
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| 1964 | "From Russia with Love" / "Song from Moulin' Rouge" | |
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| 1964 | "C'est Si Bon" / "Once Upon a Summertime" | |
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| 1964 | "Dominque" / "Funny World" | |
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| 1964 | "Poor People of Paris" / "Funny World" | |
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| 1965 | "After the Fall" / "Oh How I Lie" | |
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| 1965 | "Maybe" / "Walking the Streets in the Rain" | |
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| 1965 | "Side by Side" / "Till I Waltz Again with You" | |
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| 1965 | "Little Hands" / "Everyone Come to My Party" | |
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| 1966 | "I Will Wait for You" / "Love Me True" | |
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| 1966 | "1-2-3" / "Kiss Away" | |
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| 1966 | "Elusive Butterfly" / "Good Lovin'" | |
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| 1966 | "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" / "Now and Forever" | |
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| 1967 | "The Three Bells" / "I Want to Be With You" | |
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| 1967 | "Somebody Someplace" / "This is My World Without You" | |
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| 1967 | "I Promise You" / "Him's a Dope" | |
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| 1967 | "The Marvelous Toy" / "Smile" | |
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| 1968 | "Masquerade" / "Smile" | |
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| 1968 | "A Child" / "My Funny Valentine" | |
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| 1968 | "Look What You've Done to Me" / "There's Nothing Else in My Mind" | |
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| 1969 | "Marry Me! Marry Me!" / "Three Rest Stops" | |
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| 1969 | "Traces" / "Where Do I Go?" | |
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| 1969 | "Congratulations, I Guess" / "All of My Laughter" | |
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| 1970 | "A Girl Named Johnny Cash" / "Charley" (US Country hit) | |
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| 1970 | "The First Day" / "I'm Only a Woman" (US Country hit) | |
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| 1970 | "He Gives Me Love" / "He's Never Too Busy" | |
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| 1971 | "Jamie Boy" / "Things of Life" | |
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Albums (original vinyl)
| Year | Album Title | Label and Album Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | The American Girl from Paris | |
| 1957 | Fascination | |
| 1958 | All the Way | |
| 1958 | Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue | |
| 1958 | Jane Morgan (repackage of The American Girl from Paris) | |
| 1958 | The Day the Rains Came | |
| 1958 | Chante Pour Ses Amis Canadiens | |
| 1959 | Jane in Spain | |
| 1959 | Great Songs from Great Shows of the Century | |
| 1959 | Broadway in Stereo | |
| 1960 | Jane Morgan Time | |
| 1960 | The Ballads of Lady Jane | |
| 1961 | The Second Time Around | |
| 1961 | Great Golden Hits | |
| 1961 | Big Hits from Broadway | |
| 1961 | Love Makes the World Go ‘Round | |
| 1962 | At the Cocoanut Grove | |
| 1962 | More Golden Hits | |
| 1962 | What Now My Love? | |
| 1963 | Greatest Hits | |
| 1963 | Serenades the Victors | |
| 1964 | The Last Time I Saw Paris | |
| 1965 | In My Style | |
| 1965 | Jane Morgan in Gold | |
| 1966 | Today’s Hits… Tomorrow’s Golden Favorites | |
| 1966 | Jane Morgan Album | |
| 1966 | Fresh Flavor | |
| 1967 | Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye | |
| 1968 | A Jane Morgan Happening | |
| 1969 | Marry Me! Marry Me! | |
| 1969 | Traces of Love | |
| 1970 | In Nashville | |
- This list does not include re-releases.
Albums (CD)
| Year | Album Title | Label and Album Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Jane Morgan - Greatest Hits | |
| 1998 | Fascination: The Jane Morgan Collection | |
| 2000 | In My Style/Fresh Flavor | |
| 2001 | Fascination | |
| 2007 | An American Songbird in Paris | |
| 2008 | Jane Morgan Sings Showstoppers | |
| 2008 | The American Girl From Paris Jane Morgan | |
| 2009 | Fascination: The Ultimate Collection | |
| 2009 | Jane Morgan Sings Popular Favorites | |
External links
- Biography on Oldies.Com site
- Biography on TV Tome site
- Kennebunk Port
- Personal Appearance
- Weintraub Salute