Patti Page – 1927-2013
Written by admin on January 2, 2013 – 9:12 pm -American pop and country singer Patti Page died on New Year’s Day at a nursing home in Encinitas, California, according to publicist Schatzi Hagemanathas.
Born Clara Ann Fowler on November 8, 1927, she adopted the name Patti Page in the mid-1940s when singing on a show sponsored by Page Milk Co. on the radio station KTUL. In 1946, her radio appearances brought her to the attention of band leader Jack Rael, who abandoned his career to manage her. Within a year she was signed to Mercury Records with whom she would become the best selling female artist of the 1950s in the US.
Page’s breakthrough single was “Confess,” which reached number 12 on the pop chart. Her first of four number ones was “All My Love (Bolero)” in 1950, which was followed-up later in the year by her signature song “Tennessee Waltz.” The song topped the pop, country and R&B charts and was adopted as one of two official songs by the state of Tennessee. Despite these accolades, “Tennessee Waltz” was originally relegated to the B-side of her Christmas single “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus,” which Mercury felt was the more commercial track.
“Tennessee Waltz” – Patti Page
The popularity of Page’s recordings and her warm personality made her a natural for television and she hosted series for NBS, CBS and ABC throughout the 1950s. Film roles followed, beginning with “Elmer Gantry” in 1960.
The 1950s was Page’s most successful period, but she would continue to record and tour extensively for the rest of her life, picking up some impressive honours on the way, including the Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music in 1980, stars on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Country Music Walk of Fame, and a Grammy for traditional pop vocal performance for “Live at Carnegie Hall – The 50th Anniversary Concert” in 1999. Page will receive a posthumous lifetime achievement Grammy on February 10.
Page stopped touring last year due to ill health and said in a letter to fans:
| “Although I feel I still have the voice God gave me, physical impairments are preventing me from using that voice as I had for so many years. It is only He who knows what the future holds.” |
Country singer George Jones, with whom Page recorded the song “You Never Looked That Good When You Were Mine,” told the Associated Press:
| “I just loved singing with Patti and she hit notes I never dreamed of. We cut some songs together and it was a great time. She’ll be missed by lots of folks and everybody needs to know how great she was. Patti was a wonderful singer with a real special voice.” |
Page is survived by her son, Daniel O’Curran, daughter Kathleen Ginn and sister Peggy Layton.
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Posted in Obituaries |
