June Hutton
Encyclopedia
June Hutton was an American popular
singer
.
of African American descent, in the late 1930s, Hutton joined the band
of her older sister, Ina Ray Hutton
, singing under the name of Elaine Merritt. In 1941, she joined Charlie Spivak
's band as a member of a vocal
group, The Stardusters (along with Glenn Calyon, Curt Purnell and Dick Wylder). The Spivak orchestra and the Stardusters appeared in a Betty Grable
film
, Pin-Up Girl
(1943). She had two hits
as a member of The Stardusters, "This Is No Laughing Matter" and "Brother Bill", and also made a solo
hit recording
, "Dreamsville, Ohio".
In 1944, when Jo Stafford
left The Pied Pipers
to go solo, Hutton replaced her in that group. With the Pipers, she recorded a number of hits: "Lily Belle", "Mam'selle", "In the Middle of May", "My Happiness", and the Pipers' trademark song, "Dream
". In 1945, she dubbed the singing voice
for Vera-Ellen
in the film, Wonder Man
.
In 1950, she left the group to become a soloist. The next year she married
orchestra
leader
and composer, Axel Stordahl
. Her recordings for Capitol Records
were backed up by Stordahl's orchestra. In 1953, she had three charted hits on Capitol
: "Say You're Mine Again", "No Stone Unturned", and "For the First Time". "Say You're Mine Again" was her only hit in the UK Singles Chart
, reaching #6 in 1953.
On her death in 1973, at the age of 52, Hutton was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
next to her husband, Axel Stordahl. They had two children, Susan and Jeffrey.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
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...
.
Career
Born in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
of African American descent, in the late 1930s, Hutton joined the band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
of her older sister, Ina Ray Hutton
Ina Ray Hutton
Ina Ray Hutton was an American female leader during the Big band era, and sister to June Hutton.Hutton was born as Odessa Cowan in Chicago, Illinois of African American descent. She began dancing and singing in stage revues at the age of eight. Cowan's mother Marvel Ray was a local pianist and...
, singing under the name of Elaine Merritt. In 1941, she joined Charlie Spivak
Charlie Spivak
Charlie Spivak was an American trumpeter and bandleader, best known for his big band in the 1940s.-Biography:...
's band as a member of a vocal
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
group, The Stardusters (along with Glenn Calyon, Curt Purnell and Dick Wylder). The Spivak orchestra and the Stardusters appeared in a Betty Grable
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
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...
, Pin-Up Girl
Pin-up girl
A pin-up girl, also known as a pin-up model, is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. Pin-ups are intended for informal display, e.g. meant to be "pinned-up" on a wall...
(1943). She had two hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
as a member of The Stardusters, "This Is No Laughing Matter" and "Brother Bill", and also made a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
hit 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...
, "Dreamsville, Ohio".
In 1944, when Jo Stafford
Jo Stafford
Jo Elizabeth Stafford was an American singer of traditional pop music and jazz standards and occasional actress whose career ran from the late 1930s to the early 1960s...
left The Pied Pipers
The Pied Pipers
The Pied Pipers were a popular singing group in the late 1930s and 1940s. Originally they consisted of eight members who had belonged to three separate groups: Jo Stafford from The Stafford Sisters, and seven male singers: John Huddleston, Hal Hopper, Chuck Lowry, Bud Hervey, George Tait, Woody...
to go solo, Hutton replaced her in that group. With the Pipers, she recorded a number of hits: "Lily Belle", "Mam'selle", "In the Middle of May", "My Happiness", and the Pipers' trademark song, "Dream
Dream (song)
"Dream", sometimes referred to as "Dream ", is a jazz and pop standard with words and music written by Johnny Mercer in 1944...
". In 1945, she dubbed the singing voice
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
for Vera-Ellen
Vera-Ellen
Vera-Ellen was an American actress and dancer, principally celebrated for her filmed dance partnerships with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Danny Kaye and Donald O'Connor.-Early life:...
in the film, Wonder Man
Wonder Man (film)
Wonder Man is a 1945 film starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. It is based on a short story by Arthur Sheekman, adapted for the screen by a staff of writers led by Jack Jevne and Eddie Moran, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and directed by H. Bruce Humberstone...
.
In 1950, she left the group to become a soloist. The next year she 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...
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...
leader
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....
and composer, Axel Stordahl
Axel Stordahl
Axel Stordahl was an arranger who was active from the late 1930s through the 1950s. He is perhaps best known for his work with Frank Sinatra in the 1940s at Columbia Records...
. Her recordings for Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
were backed up by Stordahl's orchestra. In 1953, she had three charted hits on Capitol
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
: "Say You're Mine Again", "No Stone Unturned", and "For the First Time". "Say You're Mine Again" was her only hit 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 ...
, reaching #6 in 1953.
On her death in 1973, at the age of 52, Hutton was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
next to her husband, Axel Stordahl. They had two children, Susan and Jeffrey.
External links
- Solid! page on June Hutton