Fran Warren
Born Frances Wolfe, Fran Warren grew up in love with swing music. As a child of the late '20s, however, she was almost -- but not quite -- too late to become a part of the big-band era as a vocalist. Her interest in singing went back to her days entertaining at school assemblies in the Bronx, New York. She had the voice, however, and the inspiration to grab a piece of the tail end of the big-band era, racking up one major hit and a legion of fans, even as she branched into theater to keep working at the level her ability commanded. As a pre-teen, Frances Wolfe spent a lot of time listening to the radio. She grew to know the music and styles of Billie Holiday, Jo Stafford, and Helen Forrest, among many other singers of the '30s and '40s. When World War II came along, she would pass the time in the blackout alerts, stuck in darkness with whoever happened to be around, imitating the work of peoples' favorite singers.
She was singing in local jazz outfits in her mid-teens, auditioned for Duke Ellington at age 16, and got her first professional break at 18, when she joined a new orchestra being formed by bandleader Art Mooney -- she was making $65 a week, a more-than-decent amount of money for a single woman in 1945, and was broadcasting on the radio three nights each week. She was very much in her element, if not the perfect band -- Mooney's orchestra was patterned after Glenn Miller's classic band, and she preferred swing (i.e., jazz) to sweet (i.e., pop) music. She also idolized Billie Holiday, and longed to work with a band like Duke Ellington's.
It was Billy Eckstine, after inviting her to sing with his band, who gave her the stage name Fran Warren, under which she subsequently became a star. Warren got her wish when saxman Charlie Barnet heard one of her broadcasts with Mooney's band and offered her a spot in his group, replacing Kay Starr. Warren loved her 18 months with Barnet's orchestra, but found their pace killing -- she was fired by choice, and moved on to a spot singing with Claude Thornhill's orchestra. The pivotal moment in her career came when their first record together, "A Sunday Kind of Love," became a huge hit and her signature tune. She made an impression on Thornhill as well, who later gave her a $5,000 bonus for the single.
Warren moved into a solo career, recording first with RCA Victor and then MGM. She also made her theatrical debut in the mid-'50s, in the cast of the musical The Pajama Game. She later played the title role in Mame, and toured with the Harry James Orchestra in the mid-'60s. She remained a successful vocalist for 50 years, and continued to perform into the late '90s. Fran Warren died at home in Brookfield, Connecticut on her 87th birthday, March 4, 2013.
© Bruce Eder /TiVo
Discography
20 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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It's Anybody's Heart
Vocale muziek (wereldlijk en religieus) - Released by Flare Records on 25 jun. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hey There! Here's Fran Warren
Vocale jazz - Released by Music Manager on 31 aug. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Something's Coming
Vocale jazz - Released by Warwick Records on 21 mei 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Golden Oldies
Vocale muziek (wereldlijk en religieus) - Released by Music Manager on 17 jun. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best Of
Vocale jazz - Released by Master Classics Records on 1 aug. 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Girls
Polly Bergen, Fran Warren, Lynn Roberts
Vocale jazz - Released by RKO Records on 30 dec. 1958
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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June Christy and Fran Warren: The Swinging Chicks!
Moderne jazz - Released by Poppydisc on 21 okt. 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Come Rain Or Come Shine
Vocale muziek (wereldlijk en religieus) - Released by Margate Copyright on 7 jan. 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Something's coming
Jazz - Released by Fresh Sound Records on 2 sep. 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Essential Masters
Vocale jazz - Released by Master Classics Records on 1 aug. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Said My Pajamas (And Put On My Prayers) (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 03)
Jazz - Released by Music Manager on 19 dec. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hey There! Here's Fran Warren
Vocale muziek (wereldlijk en religieus) - Released by Flare Records on 27 okt. 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I See Your Face Before Me
Pop - Released by Warwick Records on 15 apr. 1965
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Greatest Hits Collection
Vocale jazz - Released by Music Manager on 16 apr. 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Big Band Singers
Vocale muziek (wereldlijk en religieus) - Released by PnR on 1 jan. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Something's Coming
Lounge - Released by Milestones Records on 21 mei 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hey There: Here's Fran Warren
Pop - Released by PnR on 1 jan. 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo