Blossom Dearie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Blossom Dearie
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Dearie in 1957
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Margrethe Blossom Dearie |
| Born | April 28, 1924 East Durham, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 7, 2009 (aged 84) New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1952–2006 |
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Margrethe Blossom Dearie (born April 28, 1924 – died February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She was known for her light and almost childlike voice. Blossom Dearie performed often in London and New York City. She worked with many famous musicians, including Johnny Mercer and Miles Davis.
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Early Life and Her Special Name
Margrethe Blossom Dearie was born on April 28, 1924, in East Durham, New York. Her father was of Scots Irish background, and her mother was Norwegian.
She got the name Blossom because a neighbor supposedly brought peach blossoms to her house on the day she was born. Blossom herself once said her brothers brought the flowers.
Blossom Dearie's Music Career
Starting Out in Music
After finishing high school, Blossom Dearie moved to Manhattan. She wanted to become a musician. She dropped her first name, Margrethe, and began singing in groups. Some of these groups were the Blue Flames and the Blue Reys. Later, she started her solo career.
In 1952, Blossom moved to Paris, France. There, she formed a singing group called the Blue Stars. This group included Michel Legrand's sister, Christiane, and Bob Dorough. In 1954, the Blue Stars had a big hit in France. It was a French version of the song "Lullaby of Birdland". The Blue Stars group later became the Swingle Singers. Two years later, Blossom released her first solo album. On this album, she played the piano but did not sing.
Becoming a Solo Star
Blossom Dearie returned from France in 1957. She then made her first six American albums as a solo singer and pianist. These were for Verve Records. She often performed with a small group of musicians. Dave Garroway, who hosted The Today Show, was a big fan. He featured her on his show many times, which helped more people discover her music. In 1962, Blossom Dearie even recorded a popular radio commercial for Hires Root Beer.
In 1964, she recorded the album May I Come In? This album was different because she sang with a full orchestra. During this time, she often performed at New York City supper clubs. In 1966, she performed for the first time at Ronnie Scott's famous jazz club in London. She recorded four albums in the United Kingdom. One of them was a live recording of her 1966 show at Ronnie Scott's.
Later Years and Schoolhouse Rock!
In 1970, Blossom Dearie released the album That's Just the Way I Want to Be. In 1974, she did something very important: she started her own record label called Daffodil Records. This allowed her to control how her music was recorded and shared. It was also one of the first independent labels started by a woman.
Blossom Dearie appeared on television throughout her career. She even did voice work for the children's educational series Schoolhouse Rock!. Her friend Bob Dorough, a jazz singer and composer, wrote some of her songs for the show. You can hear her voice on songs like "Mother Necessity", "Figure Eight", and "Unpack Your Adjectives". She was even nominated for a Grammy Award in 1973 for her work on Multiplication Rock.
The songwriter Johnny Mercer was a close friend of Blossom's. He gave her one of his last songs for her 1976 album, My New Celebrity is You.
Blossom's Music in Movies and TV
Blossom Dearie's unique voice and songs have been used in many movies and TV shows. Some of these include Kissing Jessica Stein, The Squid and the Whale, The Artist, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She also recorded songs with other singers, like Lyle Lovett. She continued to perform in clubs until 2006. She was a guest on many TV shows, including Tonight Starring Jack Paar and The Merv Griffin Show.
How Blossom Played Music
Blossom Dearie was known as a "musician's musician." She started learning piano when she was five years old. At first, she played classical music. When she was about ten, she started focusing on jazz. She listened to jazz greats like Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Duke Ellington. This helped her develop her own piano style.
Blossom had a special way of learning songs. First, she would learn the song on the piano until she could play it perfectly. Then, she would work on the lyrics. She believed that playing the piano and singing were connected. She once said, "For me it's all just one and the same thing. I don't like to do either one separately." Her skill as both a pianist and singer meant she knew how to play the piano in a way that perfectly supported her singing. She felt that many piano players played too much for a singer.
Her piano skills were not as famous as her singing, but they were highly respected by other musicians. The pianist Dave Frishberg once said that the famous jazz pianist Bill Evans admired Blossom Dearie's piano playing.
Her Unique Singing Voice
Blossom Dearie's singing voice was very distinctive. It was described as a "childish treble" or a "light and airy" sound. This unique style made her stand out.
Some vocal coaches at the time thought her voice was not produced correctly. They told her to "sing from her diaphragm" to make her voice more powerful. But Blossom didn't worry about it. In a 2003 interview, she said, "I have never been a singer who could stand up and sing like a theatrical singer. I sit down, and I've always used a microphone. I have a kind of microphone technique." The famous jazz musician Miles Davis reportedly called her "the only white woman who had soul."
Personal Life and Later Years
Blossom Dearie lived in Paris, France, in the early 1950s. There, she met and married Bobby Jaspar in 1954. He was a Belgian flutist and saxophonist. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1957. She never married again.
Blossom Dearie passed away on February 7, 2009, in her apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City. She had been ill for a long time. She was cremated, and her ashes were placed at National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia.
Daffodil Records
| Daffodil Records | |
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| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Blossom Dearie |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | East Durham, New York |
Daffodil Records is a record label that Blossom Dearie started in 1973. It was one of the first independent record labels founded by a woman. Blossom Dearie was the only artist who released music on her label.
Discography (Albums)
Here are some of the albums Blossom Dearie released:
- Blossom Dearie Plays April in Paris (1955–1956)
- Blossom Dearie (1957)
- Give Him the Ooh-La-La (1958)
- Once Upon a Summertime (1958)
- My Gentleman Friend (1959)
- Blossom Dearie Sings Comden and Green (1959)
- Soubrette Sings Broadway Hit Songs (1960)
- Blossom Dearie Sings Rootin' Songs (1963)
- May I Come In? (1964)
- Blossom Time at Ronnie Scott's (1966)
- Sweet Blossom Dearie (1967)
- Soon It's Gonna Rain (1967)
- That's Just the Way I Want to Be (1970)
- Blossom Dearie Sings (1973)
- From the Meticulous to the Sublime (1975)
- My New Celebrity Is You (1976)
- Winchester in Apple Blossom Time (1977)
- Needlepoint Magic (1979)
- Positively (1983)
- Simply (1983)
- Et Tu, Bruce (1984)
- Chez Wahlberg: Part One (1985)
- Songs of Chelsea (1987)
- Tweedledum & Tweedledee (Two People Who Resemble Each Other, in this Case Musically) (1991)
- Christmas Spice So Very Nice (1991)
- Me and Phil: Blossom Dearie Live in Australia (1994)
- Blossom Dearie: Jazz Masters 51 (1996)
- Blossom's Planet (2000)
- Live in London Volume 1 (2002)
- Live in London Volume 2 (2004)
Images for kids
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Blossom Dearie in 1957
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The logo for Daffodil Records, Blossom Dearie's own record label.
See also
In Spanish: Blossom Dearie para niños
