Betty Johnson

Betty Johnson

Betty Johnson (born March 16, 1929 [http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/1845/johnson.htm Biography of Betty Johnson by Mike Streissguth] ] )(other sources [ [http://www.brainyhistory.com/events/1931/march_16_1931_90053.html note on Brainy History] ] give 1931) is a traditional pop and cabaret singer.

Johnson was born in Guilford County, North Carolina. Her professional debut was in a family group, The Johnson Family Singers, including her parents and three brothers [ [http://www.betty-johnson.com/biography.html Biographical page on her homesite] ] , singing a repertoire primarily of religious material. The family won a singing contest in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was signed to a contract on a major radio station, WBT, in that city. The family sang on broadcasts from 1938 to 1951, and Betty did some solo work on the station as well beginning in 1943 [http://newarkwww.rutgers.edu/IJS/porter/j_list.html#JohnsonB Article from Encyclopedia of Jazz] on Betty Johnson] . By 1948, she had her own 15-minute radio program

As a teenager, she was signed by Columbia Records and made some recordings, none of which were important.

From 1949 to 1954 she was married to Dick Redding, having one son from that marriage, Harold Richard Redding (born 1952), known as "Dicky."

In 1951, Percy Faith, who had known her from her Columbia recordings, tried to convince Mitch Miller (A&R director at Columbia) to sign her, but Miller, who included Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney among the artists he had signed, saw no need to sign her.

She did a children's album with country singer Eddy Arnold produced by Simon and Schuster, who subsequently signed her to their own recording label, Bell Records in 1954. In the same year she signed with Csida-Grean, a management company which had handled Eddy Arnold's career. Charles Grean of that company produced many of her subsequent recordings. In 1955, she signed with RCA Victor Records, which sent her to Chicago, Illinois.

In Chicago, she worked with Arnold again in a television series, backed by a group who had worked with her family on the Grand Old Opry, The Jordanaires. That group later became well known as a backing group for Elvis Presley. While in Chicago, she also did some work on Don McNeill's "Breakfast Club" beginning in 1955, which led to a contract with a small record company, Bally Records. After one not-so-notable recording for Bally, she clicked with her biggest hit, "I Dreamed" in 1956. She continued to appear on "The Breakfast Club" until 1957. Also in 1957 she married Grean, though this marriage would only last until 1961, but the professional relationship continued even after the marriage broke up.

She then was hired by Jack Paar for his television show, "Tonight." This led to a record contract with Atlantic Records in 1957, for which she had her next big hit, "Little Blue Man." She continued on "Tonight" until 1962 when Paar was replaced by Johnny Carson, while also making appearances on a number of other television shows.

In 1964 she married Arthur Gray, an investment banker in New York City. She had two daughters, Elisabeth (born 1966) and Lydia (born 1968), from this marriage. From then until 1993 she mostly stayed out of show business [ [http://www.betty-johnson.com/biography2.html Another biographical page] ] , going to college (attending some classes at Dartmouth College beginning in 1977, but ultimately getting her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Hampshire in 1981). In 1984 and 1985 she appeared as Essie Miller in the Goodspeed Opera Houses revival of TAKE ME ALONG! In 1993 she returned to show business, appearing at the Algonquin Hotel in New York and subsequently starting her own record label, Bliss Tavern Music, for which she continues to make recordings. [ [http://www.betty-johnson.com/ Betty Johnson home page] ]

Biggest hit records

*"1492" (1957)
*"I Dreamed" (1956)
*"Little Blue Man" (1958)
*"Little White Lies" (1957)
*"You Can't Get to Heaven" (1959)
*"The Song You Heard When You Fell in Love" (1957) (Top 40, Canada)
*"I Want Eddie Fisher for Christmas" (1954)
*"Dream" (1958)
*"Slipping Around" (1960)

External references


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Betty Neumar — Infobox Criminal subject name = Betty Neumar image size = 200px image caption =Augusta Police Department mugshot date of birth = November 1931 place of birth = Ironton, Ohio date of death = place of death = charge = solicitation of murder penalty …   Wikipedia

  • Betty Ford — Photographie officielle de Betty Ford, à la Maison Blanche en 1974. Mandats …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Betty Ford — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford Primera Dama de los …   Wikipedia Español

  • Betty Corday — with husband Ted Corday in the 1940s Betty Corday (née Elizabeth Shay, March 21, 1912 November 17, 1987) was a broadway dramatic actress and long time American television producer. She co created and executive produced the long running NBC drama… …   Wikipedia

  • Betty Ford — (1974) Betty Ford (geborene Elizabeth Ann Bloomer; * 8. April 1918 in Chicago, Illinois; † 8. Juli 2011 in Rancho Mirage, Kalifornien …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Betty Ann Stuart — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Stuart. Betty Ann Stuart …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Betty McCollum — Betty Louise McCollum (* 12. Juli 1954 in Minneapolis, Minnesota ist eine US amerikanische Politikerin. Seit 2001 vertritt sie den Bundesstaat Minnesota im US Repräsentantenhaus. Werdegang Betty McCollum besuchte das College of St. Catherine …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Betty Sue Flowers — is the director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum and a Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin.Flowers graduated from the University of Texas and the University of London. She is the author of a number of texts,… …   Wikipedia

  • Betty Grable — La célèbre photo qui rendit populaire Betty Grable auprès des soldats américains durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale Données clés …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Betty Sutton — Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio s 13th district Incumbent Assumed office Ja …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”