Marion Montgomery
Encyclopedia
Marion Montgomery was a United States
born jazz singer who lived in the United Kingdom
.
Born Maud Runnells in Natchez
, Mississippi
, she began her career in Atlanta working clubs, and then in Chicago
where singer Peggy Lee
heard her on an audition tape and suggested she should be signed up by Capitol Records
, releasing three albums for them in the early and mid 1960s. During this early part of her career, she became Marian Montgomery and then later changed the spelling of her first name to Marion, having previously gone by the nickname of Pepe.
In 1965 she came to England
to play a season with John Dankworth
and met and married English pianist and musical director Laurie Holloway
, thus beginning a long and productive association in which they both became very well known to British
jazz, cabaret and television audiences. She numbered amongst her admirers Nat King Cole
, Frank Sinatra
and British chat show host Michael Parkinson
, on whose show she became resident singer in the 1970s. She also famously collaborated with composer and conductor Richard Rodney Bennett
for a series of concerts and albums in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Montgomery's recording of the song "Maybe The Morning" (contained on her 1972 album Marion in the Morning), was used by Radio Luxembourg
each evening to close the station in the late 1960s and early 1970s and again as the final song to be heard on the station when it closed in 1992.
She is judged to have been amongst the very best of modern jazz singers and to have possessed a unique musical style along with an equally unique way of expressing the sentiments of her material. Montgomery never categorized herself purely as a jazz singer, rather simply as “a singer”. This is reflected in the huge variety of styles she sang, although she acknowledged her influences as being jazz based.
Her final studio recording was That Lady from Natchez, released in 1999. She continued to perform until just before her death, including a sell-out three week season at London
’s Pizza in the Park in April 2002.
Montgomery died in July 2002 (the same year as Peggy Lee) after a 10-year fight with cancer which she always blamed on passive smoking
from working in nightclubs, though she herself had never smoked.
CD’s
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
born jazz singer who lived 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...
.
Born Maud Runnells in Natchez
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, she began her career in Atlanta working clubs, and then in Chicago
Chicago
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...
where singer Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
heard her on an audition tape and suggested she should be signed up by 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...
, releasing three albums for them in the early and mid 1960s. During this early part of her career, she became Marian Montgomery and then later changed the spelling of her first name to Marion, having previously gone by the nickname of Pepe.
In 1965 she came to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to play a season with John Dankworth
John Dankworth
Sir John Phillip William Dankworth, CBE , known in his early career as Johnny Dankworth, was an English jazz composer, saxophonist and clarinetist...
and met and married English pianist and musical director Laurie Holloway
Laurie Holloway
Laurie Holloway is a British pianist and composer from Oldham, Lancashire. He is perhaps best known as the Musical Director for Michael Parkinson's chat show firstly on the BBC and more recently on ITV...
, thus beginning a long and productive association in which they both became very well known to British
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...
jazz, cabaret and television audiences. She numbered amongst her admirers Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, Frank Sinatra
Frank 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...
and British chat show host Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
, on whose show she became resident singer in the 1970s. She also famously collaborated with composer and conductor Richard Rodney Bennett
Richard Rodney Bennett
Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, CBE is an English composer renowned for his film scores and his jazz performance as much as for his challenging concert works...
for a series of concerts and albums in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Montgomery's recording of the song "Maybe The Morning" (contained on her 1972 album Marion in the Morning), was used by Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
each evening to close the station in the late 1960s and early 1970s and again as the final song to be heard on the station when it closed in 1992.
She is judged to have been amongst the very best of modern jazz singers and to have possessed a unique musical style along with an equally unique way of expressing the sentiments of her material. Montgomery never categorized herself purely as a jazz singer, rather simply as “a singer”. This is reflected in the huge variety of styles she sang, although she acknowledged her influences as being jazz based.
Her final studio recording was That Lady from Natchez, released in 1999. She continued to perform until just before her death, including a sell-out three week season at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
’s Pizza in the Park in April 2002.
Montgomery died in July 2002 (the same year as Peggy Lee) after a 10-year fight with cancer which she always blamed on passive smoking
Passive smoking
Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke, called secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke , from tobacco products used by others. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment. Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke causes...
from working in nightclubs, though she herself had never smoked.
Discography
LP Records- Marion Swings for Winners and Losers, Capitol (1962)
- Let there be Marion Montgomery, Capitol (1963)
- Lovin’ is Livin’, Capitol (1965)
- What’s New?, Decca 74773
- Marion in the Morning, Polydor 2383159 (1972)
- Surprise Surprise (with Richard Rodney Bennett), Cube HIFLY 24 (1977)
- Town and Country (with Richard Rodney Bennett), Cube HIFLY 28 (1978)
- On Stage, Cube HIFLY 29 (1982)
- Puttin’ on the Ritz (with Richard Rodney Bennett), Cube HIFLY 40, (1984)
- I Gotta Right to Sing (live at Ronnie Scott’s), Jazz House Records, 003 1988 (1988)
CD’s
- Sometimes in the Night, See for Miles (1989)
- Mellow, See for Miles (1994)
- A Night at Ronnie’s (recorded live), Ronnie Scott’s Jazz House
- Nice and Easy (live), Ronnie Scott’s Jazz, (1989)
- I Gotta Right to Sing (live), Ronnie Scott’s Jazz, (1996) (reissue)
- For the Love of Mercer Vol 1, Elgin (1997)
- For the Love of Mercer Vol 2, Elgin (1997)
- Makin’ Whoopie (with Mart Rodger Manchester Jazz), Bowstone records (1993)
- Ballads and Blues, Elgin (1999)
- That Lady from Natchez, Audiophile (1999)
- What’s New? Universal (2002) (CD reissue)
- Skylark, UCJ (2004)
- Marion Montgomery, EMI (2005) (two disc CD reissue of Let There be MM and Lovin’ is Livin’)
