Jane Morgan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Morgan
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An August 1969 photo of Morgan, which was signed for television host Mike Douglas
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| Born |
Florence Catherine Currier
May 3, 1924 Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Education | Juilliard School of Music |
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| Years active | 1943–2009 |
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| Children | 4 (1 step-son) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Traditional pop |
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Jane Morgan (born Florence Catherine Currier; May 3, 1924) is an American singer and recording artist. She became famous for singing traditional pop music. Jane first found success in France and the UK before becoming well-known in the United States. She earned six gold records for her popular songs! Jane often performed in nightclubs and on Broadway. She also appeared many times on American television, both singing and acting.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Growing Up in Florida
Jane Morgan was born Florence Catherine Currier in Newton, Massachusetts, on May 3, 1924. She was one of five children. Her parents, Olga and Bertram Currier, were both musicians. When Jane was four years old, her family moved to Daytona Beach, Florida.
Starting Music Lessons
At age five, Jane started taking singing lessons. She also continued her piano lessons. During the summers, she acted in plays at the Kennebunkport Playhouse in Kennebunkport, Maine. Her brother had started this theater. In school, Jane loved to sing and competed against other students across Florida.
Studying at Juilliard
After finishing high school, Jane was accepted into the Juilliard School of Music in New York. She wanted to become an opera singer. She studied opera during the day and performed whenever she could to help pay for her schooling.
Early Career and French Fame
Singing in New York
To help pay for her studies, Jane sang popular songs in nightclubs and small restaurants. She also performed at private parties. Eventually, she got a job singing at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan. She earned $25 a week, working six nights a week.
Becoming Jane Morgan
In 1944, while still at Juilliard, a bandleader named Art Mooney heard her sing. He hired her and changed her name to Jane Morgan. He took the first name from one of his singers and the last name from another.
Success in Paris
In 1948, a French music leader named Bernard Hilda chose Jane to go with him to Paris. Hilda needed a young singer for a new nightclub he was opening near the Eiffel Tower. Jane started performing regularly at the Club des Champs-Elysées. She sang American songs for mostly French audiences.
Jane's mother had taught her French and Italian. So, Jane quickly became very good at French. She performed her shows perfectly in French, singing classic songs by famous artists. Jane became very popular in Paris. She was known throughout France, often performing with Hilda and his gypsy violin. Many French songwriters wrote songs that became hits for Jane. Soon, Jane and Hilda started a new weekly TV show, and she began recording music in 1949.
Return to North America and London
In 1952, Jane Morgan went to Montreal, Canada. She performed as a solo artist, singing in both French and English. She then returned to New York, performing in fancy nightclubs and having her own radio show on NBC. In 1954, she went back to Europe to perform in London at the Savoy Theatre and London Palladium.
Becoming Famous in America
Signing with Kapp Records
Jane Morgan left her agent and started singing at Lou Walters' Latin Quarter in New York. She performed there for a year. During this time, Dave Kapp noticed her. He had just started a new record label called Kapp Records. Kapp signed Jane to a recording contract.
First American Hits
To show that she was not just a French singer, Kapp had Jane record "Baseball, Baseball." Her first album was called The American Girl from Paris. She recorded more albums and soon sang with pianist Roger Williams. They recorded "Two Different Worlds," which became her first big song played on US radio.
In 1957, Kapp asked Jane to sing "Fascination" with a group called The Troubadors. This song was very old but had been used in a movie. Her recording was released in late 1957 and stayed on the music charts for 29 weeks!
In 1958, Jane released "The Day the Rains Came." She sang it in English on one side and French on the other. This song became number one in the UK Singles Chart in early 1959.
Middle Years and Broadway
Performing on Stage
Jane Morgan performed in many musicals on stage and Broadway. Some of the famous shows she was in include Can-Can, The King and I, Kiss Me, Kate, and Hello, Dolly. She loved being on Broadway, saying it was "one of the most exciting things" in her life.
Family Life
In 1959, Jane's agent passed away. Her new manager, Jerry Weintraub, helped her get many important performances in the US. Jane divorced her first husband, Larry Stith, in 1964. She then married Jerry Weintraub in 1965. They adopted three daughters: Julie, Jamie, and Jody. Jane also had a stepson, Michael, from Jerry's first marriage. Jane and Jerry separated later but never officially divorced. Jerry passed away in 2015.
Later Years and Retirement
After her time on Broadway, Jane recorded two final albums for RCA Records. Her last album, Jane Morgan in Nashville, had two songs that became hits on the country music charts. One of these was "A Girl Named Johnny Cash," which was an answer to Johnny Cash's famous song, "A Boy Named Sue." She even performed this song on Cash's TV show in 1971.
Jane retired from performing in 1973. However, she has appeared sometimes at special events. She also worked as a production assistant for her husband, Jerry Weintraub, on movies like Ocean's Eleven.
On December 10, 2009, she sang at the UNICEF Ball, which honored her husband. Jane, also known as Jane Weintraub, lives in Malibu, California, Palm Springs, California, and Kennebunkport, Maine. She has owned Blueberry Hill Farm in Kennebunkport since 1958.
In February 2022, her collection of unique performance gowns from the 1950s to the 1980s was shown to the public for the first time at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk, Maine. Jane Morgan celebrated her 100th birthday on May 3, 2024!
Notable Performances and Television
Performing for Presidents
Jane Morgan performed for many important people. She sang for French President Charles de Gaulle. She also performed for five U.S. Presidents: John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush.
Tours and TV Shows
Jane toured with famous entertainers like Jack Benny and John Raitt. She also appeared at the Grand Ole Opry, a famous country music show.
Jane made her first U.S. television appearance on Celebrity Time in 1951. She was on many popular shows, including The Jack Benny Program, The Mike Douglas Show, and more than fifty times on The Ed Sullivan Show. She also starred in three of her own TV specials and acted in some TV dramas.
In 2021, Jane's song "If Only I Could Live My Life Again" was featured in the TV show The Morning Show. On May 6, 2011, Jane Morgan received her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!
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- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
