Gordon Macrae
With his handsome boy-next-door looks, deep baritone, and glorious smile, Gordon MacRae found success as a recording artist, film actor, and television and radio personality. He recorded for Capitol Records for more than two decades, and starred in two of the most popular musicals of the 1950s, the movie versions of Richard Rodgers' and Oscar Hammerstein's Oklahoma! and Carousel, both of which had appeared previously on Broadway.
Beginning in 1947, MacRae's releases for Capitol were quite successful. Through 1954 he scored numerous hits, among them "Rambling Rose," "So in Love," "It's Magic," "I Still Get Jealous," "Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue," and "At the Candlelight Café." Following an absence of four years from the charts, "The Secret" brought about his return.
MacRae's chart success was not limited to solo efforts. He also collaborated with Jo Stafford, who previously sang for Tommy Dorsey's outfit. MacRae and Stafford hit the top of U.S. charts with "My Darling, My Darling." The duo also released the singles "A -- You're Adorable," "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart," "Whispering Hope," "Bluebird of Happiness," "Dearie," and "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo." MacRae also put out an album in collaboration with his first wife, Sheila MacRae, an actress and singer.
The performer's full name at birth was Albert Gordon MacRae. Born in New Jersey, he grew up in Syracuse, NY. During his high school years he was a member of the drama club. In addition to singing, he also could hold his own on the saxophone, clarinet, and piano. During his late teens, a contest win took him to New York, where he performed for several weeks during the World's Fair. The engagement gave him the opportunity to sing with professionals such as Les Brown and Harry James. The following year, Horace Heidt hired MacRae as a vocalist for his band. The singer stayed with Heidt's outfit for a couple of years before enlisting in the armed forces, where he received training in navigation.
After his war service, MacRae debuted on Broadway, taking over for Tommy Arbuckle in Junior Miss. In 1946 he moved on to Three to Make Ready, Ray Bolger's Broadway revue. The production brought him to the attention of Capitol and led to his contract with the company. During the late '40s MacRae landed a starring role in the music-based program The Railroad Hour, where he remained through 1954 despite a change of networks. During this period Warner Brothers snapped him up for its motion pictures, giving MacRae a seven-year deal and launching him in The Big Punch. A number of movie roles followed, casting him opposite such actresses as Doris Day, June Haver, Shirley Jones, Jane Powell, and Kathryn Grayson.
MacRae bowed out of the movies in the mid-'50s and concentrated on television work and live concerts. He hosted his own program, The Gordon MacRae Show, and frequently turned up on such popular television shows as The Colgate Comedy Hour. He began struggling with alcoholism by the end of the 1950s, but by the 1970s he claimed to have wrested control over the addiction. In 1982 MacRae was struck down by a stroke, but he endured until 1986, when he died of pneumonia. He also suffered from cancer. MacRae and his first wife divorced in 1967. The marriage produced four children, among them actresses Meredith MacRae and Heather MacRae. He wed Liz Schrafft in 1967, and the couple raised one child.
© Linda Seida /TiVo
Artistes similaires
-
The Old Rugged Cross
Gospel - Paru chez EMI Gold le 1 janv. 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Motion Picture Soundstage
Pop - Paru chez CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) le 20 mars 1957
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Music Of Sigmund Romberg
Classique - Paru chez UNKNOWN le 1 janv. 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oklahoma! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Mono Version)
Divers - Paru chez BNF Collection le 1 janv. 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
South Pacific
Peggy Lee, Margaret Whiting, Gordon Macrae
Lounge - Paru chez CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) le 1 mai 1949
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kiss Me, Kate
Lounge - Paru chez CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) le 1 mars 1949
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Of Gordon MacRae
Pop - Paru chez CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) le 30 nov. 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Capitol Years (Best Of)
Pop - Paru chez Capitol Records le 1 janv. 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Voice of Cinema (Remastered)
Pop - Paru chez Master Tape Records le 31 janv. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kismet
Gordon Macrae, Dorothy Kirsten, Roger Wagner Chorale
Pop - Paru chez EMI Music Special Markets le 1 janv. 1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Gordon Macrae Christmas
Ambiance - Paru chez Classic Music International le 21 sept. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Things In Life Are Free (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Bandes originales de films - Paru chez CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) le 21 oct. 1956
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gordon Macrae in Concert / Hallowed Be Thy Name
Bandes originales - Paru chez Stage Door le 20 janv. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Early Years 1947-1955
Lounge - Paru chez CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) le 1 janv. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The Very Best Of
Pop - Paru chez Master Classics Records le 1 janv. 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gordon MacRae
Bandes originales de films - Paru chez Vintage Music le 21 janv. 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
It's Magic (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 09)
Alternatif et Indé - Paru chez Music Manager le 19 déc. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
New Moon
Gordon Macrae, Lucille Norman, Paul Weston And His Orchestra
Bandes originales de films - Paru chez Music Manager le 6 janv. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cowboy's Lament
Musique vocale (profane et sacrée) - Paru chez Music Manager le 18 nov. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo