Margaret Whiting
Margaret Eleanor Whiting (July 22, 1924 – January 10, 2011) was an American popular music and country music singer who gained popularity in the 1940s and 1950s.[1]
This article is about the American singer. For the English actress, see Margaret Whiting (actress).
Margaret Whiting
Margaret Eleanor Whiting
July 22, 1924
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
January 10, 2011 (aged 86)
Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Singer
1942–2010
Biography[edit]
Youth[edit]
Whiting was born in Detroit.[2] Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1929, when she was five years old. Her father, Richard, was a composer of popular songs, including the classics "Hooray for Hollywood", "Ain't We Got Fun?", and "On the Good Ship Lollipop".[3] Her sister, Barbara Whiting, was an actress (Junior Miss, Beware, My Lovely) and singer.
An aunt, Margaret Young, was a singer and popular recording artist in the 1920s. Whiting's singing ability was noticed at an early age and at seven she sang for singer-lyricist Johnny Mercer, with whom her father had collaborated on some popular songs, including "Too Marvelous for Words". In 1942, Mercer co-founded Capitol Records and signed Margaret to one of Capitol's first recording contracts.[4][1]
Recording career[edit]
Whiting's first recordings were as featured singer with various orchestras.[2] In 1944, her version of "Moonlight in Vermont", with Billy Butterfield's Orchestra, sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[5]
Other recordings included "That Old Black Magic", with Freddie Slack and His Orchestra (1942) and "It Might as Well Be Spring", with Paul Weston and His Orchestra (1945).
In 1945, Whiting began to record under her own name. "A Tree in the Meadow" was a number 1 hit in the summer of 1948 and her duet with country music star Jimmy Wakely, "Slippin' Around", was another number one hit in 1949 selling 1.75 million copies and she was titled "Queen of the Jukeboxes".[6] Other recordings include: