Maureen McGovern facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maureen McGovern
Ad for the album The Morning After (1973)
Background information
Birth name	Maureen Therese McGovern
Born	(1949-07-27) July 27, 1949 (age 75) Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
Genres	Broadway, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, actress
Years active	1967–2022 (as performer)
Labels	20th Century Fox, Columbia, RCA Victor, Sterling

Maureen Therese McGovern (born July 27, 1949) is an American singer and actress. She is famous for singing movie songs like "The Morning After" from the 1972 film The Poseidon Adventure. She also sang "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno (1974). Another big hit was "Different Worlds", the theme song for the TV show Angie.

Maureen McGovern has also performed in many Broadway musicals. These include The Pirates of Penzance, Nine, and Little Women.

About Maureen McGovern

Her Early Life

Maureen McGovern was born in Youngstown, Ohio, in the United States. Her parents were James Terrence McGovern and Mary Rita. She has Irish family roots.

As a child, Maureen loved listening to her father's singing group practice at home. Her family said she started singing when she was only three years old. She would even sing herself to sleep with songs she heard on the radio. By age eight, she knew she wanted to be a professional singer. Some of her favorite singers who inspired her were Barbra Streisand and Joni Mitchell.

Starting Her Music Career

After finishing high school in 1967, Maureen worked as a secretary. She also sang part-time with a local folk band called Sweet Rain. In 1972, her singing caught the attention of Russ Regan. He was the head of 20th Century Records.

Regan was looking for someone to sing "The Morning After". This song was the main theme from the movie The Poseidon Adventure. He hired Maureen to record the song without even meeting her first! This led to her signing a contract with 20th Century Records.

The song "The Morning After" became a huge hit in 1973. It reached number one on the music charts. It also won an Oscar for Best Original Song. Over a million copies of the song were sold. Because of its success, Maureen was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1974 for 'Best New Artist'.

In 1974, she recorded two more movie songs. One was "We May Never Love Like This Again" from the film The Towering Inferno. She even appeared briefly in the movie, singing the song. This song also won an Oscar. The other song was "Wherever Love Takes Me" from the movie Gold. It was nominated for an Oscar too.

In 1976, she recorded her own version of "The Continental". This song was the very first song to win an Oscar for Best Original Song back in 1934. Maureen's version became a hit in the UK, reaching number 16 on the charts.

Overcoming Challenges

After 1976, Maureen's contract with 20th Century Records ended. Her music career slowed down, and she faced financial difficulties. She later explained that high fees from her manager and paying her band full-time caused these problems.

To start fresh, she moved to Marina del Rey and took a secretarial job. She even used a different name, Glenda Schwartz. However, people still wanted her to perform concerts around the world. Her career began to improve when she was asked to record "Can You Read My Mind". This was the love theme from the 1978 movie Superman. It became a minor hit.

Later, Maureen recorded "Different Worlds". This was the theme song for the TV show Angie. In 1979, this song became her second Top 40 hit. It also reached number one on the Adult Contemporary chart. In 1980, Maureen had a fun cameo as Sister Angelina, a singing nun, in the comedy movie Airplane!.

Broadway and More Music

In the early 1980s, Maureen decided to try acting on Broadway. In 1981, she made her Broadway debut in The Pirates of Penzance. She took over the role of Mabel from singer Linda Ronstadt. She also performed in musicals like The Sound of Music and South Pacific. In 2005, she played the role of Marmee in Little Women The Musical.

Maureen slowly returned to music in the mid-1980s. She sang songs for movie soundtracks and appeared on various music albums. She also started touring again and performing in concerts and nightclubs. From 1987 to 1989, she released three albums: Another Woman in Love, State of the Heart, and Naughty Baby. Naughty Baby included a rare early song by George Gershwin.

Later Career and Retirement

From the 1990s into the 2000s, Maureen continued her work in musical theatre. She performed in concerts and recorded more albums. She also made guest appearances on television. Some of her albums from this time include Baby I'm Yours (1992) and Out of This World (1996). She was nominated for two more Grammy awards for her albums The Music Never Ends (1997) and The Pleasure of His Company (1998). Maureen also voiced the character of Rachel in the animated film Joseph: King of Dreams.

In 2005, Maureen returned to Broadway as Marmee in Little Women. Although the Broadway show closed quickly, she went on a successful national tour with the musical.

She continued to perform concerts with symphony orchestras across the country. Her album A Long and Winding Road (2008) featured songs by famous singer-songwriters like Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell.

Maureen has also worked with the Muscular Dystrophy Association. She appeared regularly on The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon until 2014. In 2010, she created a one-woman musical about her life called Carry It On.

In 2021, Maureen McGovern was diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy. This is a form of Alzheimer's disease. She shared her diagnosis publicly in 2022. She announced that she would no longer perform in concerts. However, she plans to keep working on music projects for children. She also wants to help people learn about musical therapy. As of 2022, she lives in a retirement community in Columbus, Ohio.

Maureen McGovern's Music

Studio Albums

• 1973: The Morning After
• 1974: Nice to Be Around
• 1975: Academy Award Performance: And the Envelope, Please
• 1979: Maureen McGovern
• 1987: Another Woman in Love
• 1988: State of the Heart
• 1990: Christmas With Maureen McGovern
• 1992: Baby I'm Yours
• 1996: Out of This World (reissued in 2003 with two bonus tracks)
• 1997: The Music Never Ends (reissued in 2003 with three bonus tracks)
• 1998: The Pleasure of His Company
• 2003: Works of Heart
• 2008: A Long and Winding Road
• 2016: You Raise Me Up: A Spiritual Journey

Live Albums

• 1989: Naughty Baby

Compilation Albums

• 1990: Greatest Hits
• 2005: 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Maureen McGovern

Guest Appearances

• 1985: Placido Domingo: Save Your Nights For Me
• 1986: Greatest Hits Of The 1900's - Maureen sings "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide
• 1987: Of Thee I Sing - Maureen sings the roles of Mary Turner
• 1991: David Shire – At The Movies - Maureen sings four movie songs by David Shire
• 1993: Amen! A Gospel Celebration - Maureen sings "Amazing Grace" and "From a Distance"
• 1995: A Prairie Home Christmas
• 2001: The Fantasticks In Jazz - Maureen sings "Soon It's Gonna Rain"
• 2005: Little Women: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Singles

See also

In Spanish: Maureen McGovern para niños