Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies, allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range and perform in a more intimate manner. It is derived from the old verb "to croon" (meaning "to speak or sing softly").[1] This suggestion of intimacy was supposedly wildly attractive to women, especially younger ones such as teenage girls, known at the time as "bobby soxers". The crooning style developed out of singers who performed with big bands, and reached its height in the 1940s to late 60s.
Crooning is epitomised by jazzvocalists like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, although Sinatra once said that he did not consider himself or Crosby to be "crooners".[2] Other performers, such as Russ Columbo, also rejected the term.[3]
This dominant popular vocal style coincided with the advent of radio broadcasting and electrical recording. Before the advent of the microphone, popular singers like Al Jolson had to project to the rear seats of a theater, as did opera singers, which made for a very loud vocal style. The microphone made possible the more personal style.[4]Al Bowlly, Gene Austin, Art Gillham and, by some historical accounts, Vaughn De Leath[5][6] are often credited as inventors of the crooning style, but Rudy Vallée achieved more widespread popularity,[4] beginning in 1928; he could be heard by anyone with a phonograph or a radio.
In his popular radio program, which began with his floating greeting, "Heigh ho, everybody," beamed in from a New York City night club, he stood like a statue, surrounded by clean-cut collegiate band musicians and cradling a saxophone in his arms.
His first film, The Vagabond Lover, was promoted with the line, "Men Hate Him! Women Love Him!"[4] while his success brought press warnings of the "Vallee Peril": this "punk from Maine" with the "dripping voice" required mounted police to "beat back crowds of screaming and swooning females" at his vaudeville shows.[7]
By the early 1930s, the term "crooner" had taken on a pejorative connotation.[4] Cardinal William O'Connell of Boston and the New York Singing Teachers Association (NYSTA) both publicly denounced the vocal form, O'Connell calling it "base", "degenerate", "defiling" and un-American, with the NYSTA adding "corrupt".[4] Even The New York Times predicted that crooning would be just a passing fad. The newspaper wrote, "They sing like that because they can't help it. Their style is begging to go out of fashion…. Crooners will soon go the way of tandem bicycles, mah jongg and midget golf."[4] Voice range shifted from tenor (Vallée) to baritone (Russ Columbo, Bing Crosby).[4] Still, a 1931 record by Dick Robertson, "Crosby, Columbo & Vallee", called upon men to fight "these public enemies" brought into homes via radio.[4]
Due to the country songs popularized by Bing Crosby, the crooning style of singing became an enduring part of country music.[8] Crosby achieved a million seller with his 1940 rendition of the song "San Antonio Rose", originally recorded by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. In 1942, Perry Como had a smash hit with "Deep in the Heart of Texas"; Crosby, who had an enormous influence on Como, covered this song and took it to the number 3 position in the US chart that same year. Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves and Ray Price are especially well known for their country crooner standards.[9][10][11]
^"Croon | Etymology, origin and meaning of croon by etymonline".
^CBS Special "Sinatra The Legend" recording of It Was A Very Good Year (1965)
^"Russ Columbo Doesn't Croon". Milwaukee Journal. 1 November 1931. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
^ abcdefghiWhitcomb, Ian. "The Coming of the Crooners". Survey of American Popular Music. Sam Houston State University. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
^Father of Radio: The Autobiography of Lee de Forest, 1950, page 351.
^Irving Settel, A Pictorial History of Radio, p. 58, Grosset & Dunlap (1967).
^Pitts, Michael; Hoffman, Frank (2002). The Rise of the Crooners: Gene Austin, Russ Columbo, Bing Crosby, Nick Lucas, Johnny Marvin, and Rudy Vallee. Studies and Documentation in the History of Popular Entertainment, No. 2. Lanham, Md.: The Scarecrow Press. p. 32. ISBN0-8108-4081-2. OCLC 46976469.
^Bing Crosby, "I'm an Old Cowhand," original mono recordings from 1933-1944, ASV Mono, Living Era, 1995.
^Flippo, Chet (8 May 2008). "NASHVILLE SKYLINE: Remembering Eddy Arnold". Country Music Television. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
^Dauphin, Chuck (1 August 2014). "billboard.com: A Tribute to Country Crooner Jim Reeves on the 50th Anniversary of His Death". Billboard. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
^Wilonsky, Robert (16 December 2013). "dallasnews.com: Influential country crooner Ray Price dies at 87". Retrieved 6 September 2014.
Further reading
Gary Giddins, Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams: The Early Years, 1903–1940. Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 2001.
Allison McCracken, Real Men Don't Sing: Crooning in American Culture. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2015.
January 23, 2023
crooner, film, film, croon, redirects, here, rower, bernardus, croon, term, used, describe, primarily, male, singers, performed, using, smooth, style, made, possible, better, microphones, which, picked, quieter, sounds, wider, range, frequencies, allowing, sin. For the film see Crooner film Croon redirects here For the rower see Bernardus Croon Crooner is a term used to describe primarily male singers who performed using a smooth style made possible by better microphones which picked up quieter sounds and a wider range of frequencies allowing the singer to access a more dynamic range and perform in a more intimate manner It is derived from the old verb to croon meaning to speak or sing softly 1 This suggestion of intimacy was supposedly wildly attractive to women especially younger ones such as teenage girls known at the time as bobby soxers The crooning style developed out of singers who performed with big bands and reached its height in the 1940s to late 60s Frank Sinatra in 1947 Crooning is epitomised by jazz vocalists like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra although Sinatra once said that he did not consider himself or Crosby to be crooners 2 Other performers such as Russ Columbo also rejected the term 3 Contents 1 History 2 Country crooners 3 See also 4 ReferencesHistory Edit Perry Como October 1946 Gene Austin Learn to Croon source source Bing Crosby demonstrates how to croon in this 1933 recording Problems playing this file See media help This dominant popular vocal style coincided with the advent of radio broadcasting and electrical recording Before the advent of the microphone popular singers like Al Jolson had to project to the rear seats of a theater as did opera singers which made for a very loud vocal style The microphone made possible the more personal style 4 Al Bowlly Gene Austin Art Gillham and by some historical accounts Vaughn De Leath 5 6 are often credited as inventors of the crooning style but Rudy Vallee achieved more widespread popularity 4 beginning in 1928 he could be heard by anyone with a phonograph or a radio In his popular radio program which began with his floating greeting Heigh ho everybody beamed in from a New York City night club he stood like a statue surrounded by clean cut collegiate band musicians and cradling a saxophone in his arms Ian Whitcomb 4 His first film The Vagabond Lover was promoted with the line Men Hate Him Women Love Him 4 while his success brought press warnings of the Vallee Peril this punk from Maine with the dripping voice required mounted police to beat back crowds of screaming and swooning females at his vaudeville shows 7 By the early 1930s the term crooner had taken on a pejorative connotation 4 Cardinal William O Connell of Boston and the New York Singing Teachers Association NYSTA both publicly denounced the vocal form O Connell calling it base degenerate defiling and un American with the NYSTA adding corrupt 4 Even The New York Times predicted that crooning would be just a passing fad The newspaper wrote They sing like that because they can t help it Their style is begging to go out of fashion Crooners will soon go the way of tandem bicycles mah jongg and midget golf 4 Voice range shifted from tenor Vallee to baritone Russ Columbo Bing Crosby 4 Still a 1931 record by Dick Robertson Crosby Columbo amp Vallee called upon men to fight these public enemies brought into homes via radio 4 Some female singers such as Vaughn De Leath Annette Hanshaw Mildred Bailey at the beginning of her career Harriet Lee and Helen Rowland have been cited in the category of crooners Country crooners EditDue to the country songs popularized by Bing Crosby the crooning style of singing became an enduring part of country music 8 Crosby achieved a million seller with his 1940 rendition of the song San Antonio Rose originally recorded by Bob Wills amp His Texas Playboys In 1942 Perry Como had a smash hit with Deep in the Heart of Texas Crosby who had an enormous influence on Como covered this song and took it to the number 3 position in the US chart that same year Eddy Arnold Jim Reeves and Ray Price are especially well known for their country crooner standards 9 10 11 Dean Martin is associated with the country music he recorded in the period when he was working for Reprise Records whilst his fellow Italian American crooner Como recorded several albums with country producer Chet Atkins in Nashville Regular non country crooners also scored hits with pop versions of country songs Tony Bennett had a Billboard number 1 hit in 1951 with his rendition of Hank Williams Cold Cold Heart Como had a number 1 hit in 1953 with his version of Don t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes a chart topping country hit for its author Slim Willet and a number 4 country hit for Ray Price Guy Mitchell scored a number 1 in 1959 with Heartaches by the Number a country hit for Ray Price and Britain s Engelbert Humperdinck achieved a 1967 UK number 1 hit with Release Me another song already made famous by Price in 1954 In 1970 Price had a number 1 US country hit and a number 11 Hot 100 hit with the song For the Good Times written by Kris Kristofferson subsequently Como s rendition reached number 7 in 1973 on the UK Singles Chart See also EditList of croonersReferences EditNotes Croon Etymology origin and meaning of croon by etymonline CBS Special Sinatra The Legend recording of It Was A Very Good Year 1965 Russ Columbo Doesn t Croon Milwaukee Journal 1 November 1931 Retrieved 24 June 2010 a b c d e f g h i Whitcomb Ian The Coming of the Crooners Survey of American Popular Music Sam Houston State University Retrieved 24 June 2010 Father of Radio The Autobiography of Lee de Forest 1950 page 351 Irving Settel A Pictorial History of Radio p 58 Grosset amp Dunlap 1967 Pitts Michael Hoffman Frank 2002 The Rise of the Crooners Gene Austin Russ Columbo Bing Crosby Nick Lucas Johnny Marvin and Rudy Vallee Studies and Documentation in the History of Popular Entertainment No 2 Lanham Md The Scarecrow Press p 32 ISBN 0 8108 4081 2 OCLC 46976469 Bing Crosby I m an Old Cowhand original mono recordings from 1933 1944 ASV Mono Living Era 1995 Flippo Chet 8 May 2008 NASHVILLE SKYLINE Remembering Eddy Arnold Country Music Television Retrieved 5 September 2014 Dauphin Chuck 1 August 2014 billboard com A Tribute to Country Crooner Jim Reeves on the 50th Anniversary of His Death Billboard Retrieved 6 September 2014 Wilonsky Robert 16 December 2013 dallasnews com Influential country crooner Ray Price dies at 87 Retrieved 6 September 2014 Further reading Gary Giddins Bing Crosby A Pocketful of Dreams The Early Years 1903 1940 Boston Little Brown and Co 2001 Allison McCracken Real Men Don t Sing Crooning in American Culture Durham NC Duke University Press 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Crooner amp oldid 1105291915, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
