Remembering Peggy Lee And Her Sophisticated Style

The American entertainer, Peggy Lee (1920-2002), always had a serious independent streak in both her life and career. While many lounge singers chose to go loud Lee knew she couldn't do that and went rich, seductive, and stylish instead. Her method caught the eye and ear of bandleader Benny Goodman in 1941 and for the next five decades she wrapped songs in her personality, warmth, and intimacy for millions of fans.

Lee (r.) with Benny Goodman and his orchestra in 1943

Here is the song that made her famous:

She not only sang songs but also wrote or co-wrote over 270 of them. Here she is singing her biggest hit as a songwriter, Manana; words by Lee and music by Dave Barbour:

Lee had her last big hit in 1969 with Is That All There Is?. The songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote the song based on a story by Thomas Mann. Its perfect for Lee's treatment.

With that sophisticated style and warm singing, writing lyrics, composing, and acting, it's easy to see why Lee was always introduced to audiences as "Miss Peggy Lee." And it's no wonder that such an "in charge" personality could become the model for one of the most beloved characters in television history. That the character is none other than a Muppet may surprise you. It is a story of caricature, humor, reverence, and unexpected fame. Read about it here in this brief Smithsonian Magazine interview.

My personal favorite from her repertoire as you would expect comes from the Great American Songbook. It's The Folks Who Live On The Hill, composed in 1937 by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Her performance, conducted by Frank Sinatra, was recorded in 1957 for the album, The Man I Love.

Lee was born on May 26, 1920 in Jamestown, North Dakota. Her recordings still sell well  two decades after her death and can be heard regularly on jazz and popular music stations and channels around the world.


That's all there is!









Sources

Photos and Illustrations:
public domain publicity still from the film, Stage Door Canteen

Text:

Peggy Lee, Wikipedia.org