Born Marian Maud Runnells (she later changed the spelling of Marian to Marion) in Natchez, Mississippi, she began her career in Atlanta working clubs, and then in Chicago, where singer Peggy Lee heard her on an audition tape and suggested she should be signed up by Capitol Records, releasing three albums for them in the early and mid-1960s. During this early part of her career, she became Marian Montgomery, having previously gone by the nickname of Pepe. In 1963, she released the original version of the song "That's Life", made famous after its 1966 release by Frank Sinatra.
In 1965, she came to Britain to play a season with John Dankworth, and met and married English pianist and musical director Laurie Holloway, thus beginning a long and productive association in which they both became well known to British jazz, cabaret and television audiences.[2] She numbered amongst her admirers Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra and British chat show host Michael Parkinson, on whose show she became resident singer in the 1970s. In 1976, she sang in a comedy musical sketch with Morecambe & Wise.[3] She also famously collaborated with composer and conductor Richard Rodney Bennett for a series of concerts and albums in the 1980s and early 1990s.[4]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, her recording of the song "Maybe the Morning" (contained on her 1972 album Marion in the Morning) was used by Radio Luxembourg each evening to close the station, and again as the final song to be heard on the station when it closed in 1992.[citation needed] Her final studio recording was That Lady from Natchez, released in 1999. She continued to perform until just before her death, including a sell-out three week season at London's "Pizza on the Park" in April 2002.
DeathEdit
She died in Bray, Berkshire, England, aged 67, in July 2002 after a 10-year battle with lung cancer, which she always blamed on passive smoking from working in nightclubs, though she herself had never smoked.
DiscographyEdit
LPsEdit
Marion Swings for Winners and Losers, Capitol (1962)
Let there be Marion Montgomery, Capitol (1963)
Lovin' is Livin', Capitol (1965)
What's New?, Decca (1966)
Anything Goes - 1969 London Cast Recording, Decca UK (1969)
Marion in the Morning, Polydor 2383159 (1972)
Surprise Surprise (with Richard Rodney Bennett), Cube HIFLY 24 (1977)
Town and Country (with Richard Rodney Bennett), Cube HIFLY 28 (1978)
On Stage, Cube HIFLY 29 (1982)
Puttin' on the Ritz (with Richard Rodney Bennett), Cube HIFLY 40, (1984)
I Gotta Right to Sing (live at Ronnie Scott's), Jazz House Records, 003 1988 (1988)[2]
^"Morecambe & Wise Episode Guide". Morecambeandwise.com. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
^"Marion Montgomery". The Telegraph. 2002-07-25. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
External linksEdit
BBC obituary
Jazz Review Pictorial - Marion in performance
October 19, 2023
marion, montgomery, american, poet, novelist, 1925, poet, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, news. For the American poet and novelist b 1925 see Marion Montgomery poet This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Marion Montgomery news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2018 Learn how and when to remove this template message Marion Montgomery November 17 1934 July 22 2002 1 was an American jazz singer who lived for the majority of her life in the United Kingdom Contents 1 Biography 2 Death 3 Discography 3 1 LPs 3 2 CDs 4 References 5 External linksBiography EditBorn Marian Maud Runnells she later changed the spelling of Marian to Marion in Natchez Mississippi she began her career in Atlanta working clubs and then in Chicago where singer Peggy Lee heard her on an audition tape and suggested she should be signed up by Capitol Records releasing three albums for them in the early and mid 1960s During this early part of her career she became Marian Montgomery having previously gone by the nickname of Pepe In 1963 she released the original version of the song That s Life made famous after its 1966 release by Frank Sinatra In 1965 she came to Britain to play a season with John Dankworth and met and married English pianist and musical director Laurie Holloway thus beginning a long and productive association in which they both became well known to British jazz cabaret and television audiences 2 She numbered amongst her admirers Nat King Cole Frank Sinatra and British chat show host Michael Parkinson on whose show she became resident singer in the 1970s In 1976 she sang in a comedy musical sketch with Morecambe amp Wise 3 She also famously collaborated with composer and conductor Richard Rodney Bennett for a series of concerts and albums in the 1980s and early 1990s 4 In the late 1960s and early 1970s her recording of the song Maybe the Morning contained on her 1972 album Marion in the Morning was used by Radio Luxembourg each evening to close the station and again as the final song to be heard on the station when it closed in 1992 citation needed Her final studio recording was That Lady from Natchez released in 1999 She continued to perform until just before her death including a sell out three week season at London s Pizza on the Park in April 2002 Death EditShe died in Bray Berkshire England aged 67 in July 2002 after a 10 year battle with lung cancer which she always blamed on passive smoking from working in nightclubs though she herself had never smoked Discography EditLPs Edit Marion Swings for Winners and Losers Capitol 1962 Let there be Marion Montgomery Capitol 1963 Lovin is Livin Capitol 1965 What s New Decca 1966 Anything Goes 1969 London Cast Recording Decca UK 1969 Marion in the Morning Polydor 2383159 1972 Surprise Surprise with Richard Rodney Bennett Cube HIFLY 24 1977 Town and Country with Richard Rodney Bennett Cube HIFLY 28 1978 On Stage Cube HIFLY 29 1982 Puttin on the Ritz with Richard Rodney Bennett Cube HIFLY 40 1984 I Gotta Right to Sing live at Ronnie Scott s Jazz House Records 003 1988 1988 2 CDs Edit Sometimes in the Night See for Miles 1989 2 Nice and Easy live Ronnie Scott s Jazz 1990 2 Mellow See for Miles 1993 I Gotta Right to Sing live Ronnie Scott s Jazz 1993 reissue Makin Whoopie with Mart Rodger Manchester Jazz Bowstone Records 1993 For the Love of Mercer Vol 1 Elgin 1996 For the Love of Mercer Vol 2 Elgin 1996 That Lady from Natchez Audiophile 1999 Ballads and Blues Elgin 2001 What s New Universal 2002 CD reissue Skylark UCJ 2004 Marion Montgomery EMI 2005 two disc CD reissue of Let There be MM and Lovin is Livin References Edit John Fordham Obituary Marion Montgomery Minimalist jazz singer who excelled in clubs and cabaret The Guardian July 23 2002 a b c d Colin Larkin ed 1997 The Virgin Encyclopedia of Sixties Music First ed Virgin Books pp 317 8 ISBN 0 7535 0149 X Morecambe amp Wise Episode Guide Morecambeandwise com Retrieved 1 January 2017 Marion Montgomery The Telegraph 2002 07 25 Retrieved 2021 08 28 External links EditBBC obituary Jazz Review Pictorial Marion in performance Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Marion Montgomery amp oldid 1128816474, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
