Country

:

Canada

Birth

:

1963 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress. She was born Norma Deloris Egstrom on May 26, 1920, in Jamestown, North Dakota. Her parents were Marvin Olof Egstrom and Selma Amelia Anderson, both of Swedish descent. Peggy Lee grew up in a poor family, and her father died when she was only four years old. Her mother remarried, and Peggy Lee took her stepfather's surname, becoming Norma Deloris Egstrom Lee. Peggy Lee showed an early interest in music and began singing in church choirs and school plays. She dropped out of high school at the age of 17 and moved to Fargo, North Dakota, where she began singing on a local radio station. She adopted the stage name Peggy Lee, inspired by the song "Fever" by Little Willie John, which she heard on the radio. In 1941, Peggy Lee moved to Los Angeles, California, where she joined Benny Goodman's band as a vocalist. She quickly became one of the band's most popular singers, and her sultry voice and sophisticated style made her a favorite with audiences. She recorded several hits with Goodman, including "Why Don't You Do Right?" and "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)." In 1943, Peggy Lee left Goodman's band to pursue a solo career. She signed with Capitol Records and began recording her own songs. Her first hit as a solo artist was "Waitin' for the Train to Come In," which reached number four on the Billboard charts in 1945. She followed this with a string of successful recordings, including "Golden Earrings," "Lover," and "Mañana." Peggy Lee's music was a blend of jazz, pop, and blues, and her distinctive voice and phrasing made her one of the most influential singers of her time. She was known for her ability to convey emotion through her singing, and her songs often dealt with themes of love, loss, and longing. In addition to her music career, Peggy Lee also appeared in several films and television shows. She made her film debut in 1953 in the movie "The Jazz Singer," and went on to appear in several other films, including "Pete Kelly's Blues" and "The Lady and the Tramp." She also appeared on numerous television shows, including "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Muppet Show." Throughout her career, Peggy Lee received numerous awards and honors for her contributions to music. She was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning one for Best Contemporary Vocal Performance for her album "Is That All There Is?" in 1969. She was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1999 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 1995. Peggy Lee continued to perform and record music throughout her life, and her influence can still be heard in the music of many contemporary artists. She died on January 21, 2002, at the age of 81, leaving behind a legacy as one of the greatest singers of her time.

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