I used to work with a guy named Cyril. I didn't realize that at first because he was introduced to me by his nickname, Cy, which I heard as Si, the common shortening of Simon. And even though Cyril is pretty ordinary in the UK, that's not the case in the US. I think he's … Continue reading The Tale Of Two Cyrils
I've written plenty of articles in the past that I started by stating that the featured artist was not a household name, but today might be the least householdy name of them all. Bandleader Ernie Heckscher found plenty of success over his half-century career, but it was mostly as the leader of orchestras playing in … Continue reading Maestro Of The Hotel Ballroom
Today's featured song on the GMC Special Feature known as Fantastic Foursome is another with a strong connection to Fred Astaire. For a guy who always comes to mind first and foremost as a dancer, he had quite an impact in many other ways during his long career. In this case, he not only introduced … Continue reading Fantastic Foursome – Astaire Redux
Way back in 2007 I put together a post titled The Quintessential Italian Crooner, in which I wrote about some of the better-known Italian/American smoothies. But even though I didn't intend that post to be all-inclusive and have written about quite a few more since then, it's still surprising how many others remain. One who … Continue reading Frankie Randall Had A Helping Hand From Sinatra
It seems to me that I often open by writing about how a name might be unfamiliar to modern music fans, and I'm guessing today's spotlighted singer will baffle most. And yet, Yma Sumac was a pretty big deal in her day. A flamboyant performer whose voice covered more than four octaves, she was a … Continue reading One Of A Kind – Yma Sumac
Although most would now remember Eddie Albert as the actor who played the city-bred farmer on TV's Green Acres in the late 1960s, some of us will also recall that he had a long career that stretched from big movie roles in the 1940s and 1950s to countless TV appearances well into the 1990s. But … Continue reading Eddie Albert Was A Singer?
One of the most fascinating stories from the early jazz age would have to that of Leslie 'Hutch' Hutchinson, who left behind a budding career in the US in fear of the Ku Klux Klan, only to become a star in Europe. In fact, during the 1920s and 1930s he was one of the biggest cabaret … Continue reading Hutch Hutchinson – High Society’s Favorite Gigolo
In terms of singing ability, one of the best of the actresses who sang was Deanna Durbin, who was classically trained and could handle just about everything from opera to pop tunes. Although she had a relatively short career, the Canadian-born performer left her mark in Hollywood with a number of strong performances. (Even though … Continue reading Deanna Durbin’s Dust-Up With Judy
Another Gershwin classic is in the spotlight today, joining three others we've featured in the past -- but for a different Special Feature. All of the previous tunes appeared on our Fantastic Foursome feature. (You can see them here: "I've Got a Crush on You" - "Summertime" - "'S Wonderful") However, today's offering is showing … Continue reading Anatomy Of A Song – Revisiting The Gershwins
Mostly remembered as an Oscar-winning actress (and former wife of Ronald Reagan) Jane Wyman was also a pretty good singer. Although she was never a major recording star, she was talented enough to work as a songbird -- a big band singer -- early in her career, and she found a lot of musical spots … Continue reading Jane Wyman – The Singer
Geezer Music Club 