Joan Weber
Encyclopedia
Joan Weber was an American
popular music
singer.
Weber was raised in Paulsboro, New Jersey
and married
to a young bandleader
. She was pregnant in 1954 when she was introduced to Eddie Joy, a manager, who in turn introduced her to Charles Randolph Grean
, an A&R
worker for RCA
and Dot Records
in New York
.
Grean gave a demo
of Weber's singing a song
called "Marionette" to Mitch Miller
, the head of A&R at Columbia Records
. Miller took a song entitled "Let Me Go, Devil
" and had it rewritten by Jenny Lou Carson
and Al Hill as "Let Me Go, Lover!
" for Weber, who recorded it on the Columbia label. The song was performed on the television
show, Studio One
and caught the public's fancy, reaching #1 in the United States
and #16 in the United Kingdom
in 1955. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
.
At the time of the song's biggest success, however, she gave birth to a baby daughter Terry Lynn, and was unable to promote her career. Consequently the song was the only recording
of hers to chart
, and she was dropped from Columbia's roster.
During her final years, she lived a reclusive life, before moving to a mental institution. Columbia Records' efforts to send her royalty checks have failed, as all her checks were returned to sender as "Address Unknown". For this reason, chart program American Top 40
ranked Weber at number one on a special program featuring the "Top 40 Disappearing Acts", which was broadcast in 1975.
, aged 45.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popular music
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.
Weber was raised in Paulsboro, New Jersey
Paulsboro, New Jersey
Paulsboro is a Borough in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 6,097....
and married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
to a young bandleader
Bandleader
A bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
. She was pregnant in 1954 when she was introduced to Eddie Joy, a manager, who in turn introduced her to Charles Randolph Grean
Charles Randolph Grean
Charles Randolph Grean was an American producer and composer.-Professional life:Grean's first work was as a copyist in several big bands, including Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and Charlie Spivak...
, an A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
worker for RCA
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...
and Dot Records
Dot Records
Dot Records was an American record label and company that was active between 1950 and 1977. It was founded by Randy Wood. In Gallatin, Tennessee, Wood had earlier started a mail order record shop, known for its radio ads on WLAC in Nashville and its R&B air personality Bill "Hoss" Allen...
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...
.
Grean gave 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 Weber's singing a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
called "Marionette" to Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
, the head of A&R at Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Miller took a song entitled "Let Me Go, Devil
Let Me Go, Devil
"Let Me Go, Devil" is a song written in 1953 by Jenny Lou Carson. Carson greatly admired the talents of Hank Williams. Williams' battle with alcoholism and subsequent death inspired her to write the song....
" and had it rewritten by Jenny Lou Carson
Jenny Lou Carson
Jenny Lou Carson, , born Virginia Lucille Overstake, was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first woman to write a No. 1 country music hit...
and Al Hill as "Let Me Go, Lover!
Let Me Go, Lover!
"Let Me Go, Lover!", a popular song, was written by Jenny Lou Carson and Al Hill, a pseudonym used by Fred Wise, Kathleen Twomey, and Ben Weisman. It is based on an earlier song called "Let Me Go, Devil," about alcoholism. It was featured on the television program Studio One on November 15, 1954,...
" for Weber, who recorded it on the Columbia label. The song was performed on the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show, Studio One
Studio One (TV series)
Studio One is a long-running American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by the 26-year-old Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC.-Radio:...
and caught the public's fancy, reaching #1 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and #16 in 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...
in 1955. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a 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,...
.
At the time of the song's biggest success, however, she gave birth to a baby daughter Terry Lynn, and was unable to promote her career. Consequently the song was the only recording
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
of hers to chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, and she was dropped from Columbia's roster.
During her final years, she lived a reclusive life, before moving to a mental institution. Columbia Records' efforts to send her royalty checks have failed, as all her checks were returned to sender as "Address Unknown". For this reason, chart program American Top 40
American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
ranked Weber at number one on a special program featuring the "Top 40 Disappearing Acts", which was broadcast in 1975.
Death
In May 1981, Weber died of heart failure at a mental institution in Ancora, Winslow Township, Camden County, New JerseyCamden County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census the population of Camden County was 60.28% Non-Hispanic white, 18.45% Non-Hispanic black, 1.12% Hispanic blacks, 0.17% Non-Hispanic Native American, 0.15% Hispanic Native Americans, 5.07% Non-Hispanic Asian, and 0.14% non-Hispanics reporting some other race...
, aged 45.
External links
- [ Biography] at AllMusic