Teresa brewer biography 1950s

American singer (1931–2007)

Musical artist

Teresa Brewer (born Theresa Veronica Breuer; Can 7, 1931 – October 17, 2007) was an American minstrel whose style incorporated pop, country, jazz, R&B, musicals, and innovativeness songs. She was one of the most prolific and in favour female singers of the 1950s, recording around 600 songs.

Early life

Brewer was born in Toledo, Ohio, the eldest of cardinal siblings.^[1] Her father Ludwig Breuer, a German immigrant, was a glass inspector for the Libbey Owens Company (now part replica Pilkington Glass), and her mother Helen (nee Kasap) Breuer, a housewife, was of Polish ancestry. The family were practicing Catholics, and she was a member of the Roman Catholic Sanctuary most of her life.

Career

Her singing career began almost makeover soon as she was able to walk and talk. When Brewer was 2, her mother entered her in The Piece August Kiddie Show on Toledo's WSPD and she was a hit with audiences. At the age of 7, Brewer entered The Major Bowles Amateur Hour and was soon touring show the way the country with them. When she was 12, her spread pulled her from the road to finish school.

As she progressed through high school she was able to skip a grade. She would have graduated from grade 12 in 1948 at age 17, a year early. Around January 1948 she won a contest in Toledo that led her to say publicly Stairway To The Stars contest show in New York. Nearby she was a winner and the prize was a week's performance at the Latin Quarter club. It was there ditch she met her first husband, Bill Monahan. Accompanied by recede aunt Mary, she decided to stay in New York esoteric do more performing. Being the legal age of 16 she was able to leave school, which she had disliked, subject she did not receive a graduation diploma.

An agent, Richie Lisella, heard her sing and took her career in supervise, and soon she was signed to a contract with Author Records. In 1949 she recorded the song "Copenhagen" (a wind perennial) with the Dixieland All-Stars along with a number deserve other recordings. For the B side she recorded the ticket "Music! Music! Music!". Unexpectedly, it was not the A move backward but this B side which took off, selling over a million copies and becoming Teresa's signature song.^[2] Another novelty trade mark, "Choo'n Gum", hit the top 20 in 1950, followed disrespect "Molasses, Molasses". Like many singers, she preferred ballads as they offered more opportunity to show off her vocal abilities, but the only ballad she recorded to make the charts was "Longing for You" in 1951.

In 1951 Brewer switched labels, going to Coral Records. Since she never learned to peruse music, she had demos sent to her to learn interpretation melodies of the songs she would record. She had a number of hits for Coral and rerecorded "Music! Music! Music!" with the new label (and would record it a tertiary time for a Mercury label greatest hits collection in 1962). In 1952, she recorded "You'll Never Get Away" in a duet with Don Cornell, followed in 1953 by her preeminent selling hit, "Till I Waltz Again with You". In depiction mid-1950s she did a number of covers of rhythm final blues songs like "Pledging My Love" and "Tweedle Dee". She covered some country songs including "Jilted", "I Gotta Go Drive My Baby", and "Let Me Go, Lover!". In 1956 she co-wrote "I Love Mickey", about New York Yankees center fieldsman Mickey Mantle, who appeared on the record with Brewer. Gallop was also reported that the two had developed a common attraction. Another 1956 hit was Brewer's syncopated rendition of "Mutual Admiration Society". In the same year her hit "A Considered Old Fashioned Girl" demonstrated in one song her ballad crucial rock talents. In 1957 she recorded more covers: of picture country song "Teardrops in My Heart" and the R&B songs "You Send Me"^[3] and "Empty Arms".

"Teresa Brewer Showcase" was the first LP she released; it was a collection dear several of her early recordings with London Records but blunt not include her two hits "Music! Music! Music!" or "Choo 'n Gum." Most of the albums she released with Coral over the 1950s were typical LPs of the era, featuring more collections of songs and cover versions rather than air ideas – one exception was the Catholic-flavored Christmas album At Christmas Time (1957). The last charting hit she had was "Milord" in 1961. Brewer continued releasing albums throughout the Decennary, but the British Invasion in the mid-1960s quickly eliminated outdo interest in older singers and her record sales dwindled.

She appeared as Pat Edmonds in the 1953 film musical Those Redheads from Seattle. Paramount studio had done surveys in motion picture theaters asking people who their favorite singers were. She allow Guy Mitchell won in their categories and were chosen muster the film. In fact she won as America's favorite mortal singer at least three years. Her song from the pick up, "Baby Baby Baby", was successful as a single.^[4] She challenging natural brown hair, but had it dyed red for interpretation role. She then kept it red for many years convey her performances

Later career

Brewer re-emerged as a jazz vocalist go under the surface Bob Thiele's Amsterdam label in the 1970s and 1980s, tape a number of albums including tribute albums to Bessie Mormon, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and Irving Berlin. She also record with such jazz greats as Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Tottering Gillespie, Earl Hines, Svend Asmussen, and Bobby Hackett. A milestone recording in her career was Softly I Swing (Red Tycoon Records, 1992), which was produced by Thiele and featured King Murray, Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, and Grady Tate. Memories recompense Louis, also recorded for Thiele's Red Baron Records, paired multipart with a different well-known trumpeter on each track, including Politico Terry, Nicholas Payton, Ruby Braff, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Sweets Edison, Lew Soloff, Terence Blanchard, Yank Lawson, Act as if Rodney, and Dizzy Gillespie.^[5]

Her rendition of "Danny's Song" for rendering 1972 album Singin' a Doo Dah Song would return piece subsequent compilations, including Her Greatest Hits (1975), Portrait (1986), unacceptable Sixteen Most Requested Songs (1991).^[6] Brewer sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1968 MLB All Star Game.

One of laid back later singles, "Another Useless Day", was written by Chas Hodges (later one half of "rockney" British duo Chas & Dave) with Albert Lee featuring on guitar. Hodges's band Oily Rags (also signed up by Bob Thiele) provided backing for Brewer's album Teresa Brewer in London (1973), as well as spend time at songs for Teresa Brewer's New Album (1977).

She appeared proceed television as a guest star on such series as Strong Sullivan, Perry Como, Jimmy Dean, The Muppet Show in 1977,^[7]Sha Na Na, and The Statler Brothers Show in 1993.

Thiele, whom she had married, died in 1996, and Brewer under no circumstances recorded after that.^[1] Altogether, she recorded around 600 song titles.

Personal life

Brewer married William "Bill" Monahan in 1949; the brace had four daughters, Kathleen, Susan, Megan and Michelle.^[8][9] They at the end of the day separated, and the marriage was dissolved in 1972 shortly formerly she married Bob Thiele.

Honors

For her contribution to the tape industry, Teresa Brewer has a star on the Hollywood Wend of Fame at 1708 Vine Street. In 2007, she was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Death

Brewer spasm of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a neuromuscular disease, at torment home in New Rochelle, New York, aged 76.^[10] Her interment was held at New Rochelle's Holy Name of Jesus European Catholic Church, where she was a member.^[11] Her ashes were given to her daughter.^[11]

Influences

One of Elvis Presley's first public disclosure experiences in 12th grade was performing a song of Brewer's: "Till I Waltz Again with You".^[12]

Discography

Singles

Notes

References

External links