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Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)

"Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)" (often called simply "Lover Man") is a 1941 popular song written by Jimmy Davis, Roger ("Ram") Ramirez, and James Sherman. It is particularly associated with Billie Holiday, for whom it was written, and her version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1989.[1]

This article is about the song sung by Billie Holiday. For the Jimi Hendrix song, see Lover Man (Jimi Hendrix song). For other uses, see Lover Man (disambiguation).

"Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)"

1945 (1945)

October 4, 1944 and November 8, 1944

Holiday's version reached No. 5 on the R&B chart and No. 16 on pop in 1945.[2] In July 1946, Charlie Parker recorded a rendition of "Lover Man" while he was intoxicated. Dial Records producer Ross Russell had to hold him up to the microphone during the recording.[3][4] Sonny Stitt played the song many times on alto saxophone in a virtuoso way, in the original key of D flat. Most jazz musicians play the song nevertheless in F. Barbra Streisand recorded a version for her album Simply Streisand in 1967, her version peaked #29 at Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.[5]

recorded the song for the Guild label in 1945 with backing by an instrumental ensemble that included trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and saxophonist Charlie Parker. Other singers that have covered the song have included June Christy, Rosemary Clooney, Chris Connor, Shirley Horn, Lena Horne, Etta James, Patti LaBelle, Julie London, Carmen McRae, Maria Muldaur, Della Reese, Linda Ronstadt, Diana Ross, The Communards, Kay Starr, Janet Blair and Dinah Washington. After dominating the 1992 Billboard Music Awards with 4 nominations, Whitney Houston sang a medley starting with Lover Man.

Sarah Vaughan

"Lover Man..." at jazzstandards.com