Lee Morse
A torch song singer renowned for her versatility, Lee Morse's troubles with alcohol prevented her from attaining the fame her talents promised. Born Lena Taylor in 1897, Morse grew up in a musical family in Kooskia, Idaho. After marrying and having a son, she left her family for the vaudeville circuit of the west coat around 1920, signing with producer Will King. A year later, she began working in musical revues with Kolb & Dill. In 1922, Morse joined the Pantages circuit, and played to rave reviews. Many wondered how the petite singer could produce such a deep sound, and one Variety writer supposed her low range came from trying to match her brothers' voices throughout her youth. Morse began recording with Pathe-Perfect in 1924, laying down several of her own compositions, such as "Telling Eyes," "Those Daisy Days" and "An Old Fashioned Romance." Lee Morse & Her Blue Grass Boys included trumpeter Manny Klein, Eddie Lang on guitar, and two brothers who played clarinet and trombone named Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey.
Switching to Columbia in 1927, Morse continued working the stage and won a role in Zeigfield's Simple Simon that could have cemented her legacy. But a bender left Morse unable to perform the first show, and Ruth Etting stepped in to take her place. The show's signature song, "Ten Cents a Dance," helped launch Etting to fame, while Morse's Broadway career quickly ended. She still managed to film musical shorts throughout the '30s, including A Million Me's, Lee Morse in the Music Racket, and Song Service. As stage gigs became scarce during the depression, Morse settled for club acts, and even opened a club with pianist Rob Downey in Texas, which ran until it burned down in 1939. Then Morse's marriage to Downey disintegrated, leaving her even more dependant on alcohol. She moved to Rochester, New York, and in 1946 married Ray Farese, who landed her a radio show and club dates. The singer attempted a comeback with the song "Don't Even Change a Picture on the Wall" in 1951. She died at 57 in 1954.
© Ron DePasquale /TiVo
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Discography
19 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Anthology: The Deluxe Collection (Remastered)
Jazz - Released by Master Tape Records on 3 okt. 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lee Morse: A Musical Portrait
Pop - Released by Take Two Records on 4 mrt. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Echoes of a Songbird
Jazz - Released by Jasmine Records on 18 sep. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Presenting Lee Morse
Blues - Released by Universal Digital Enterprises on 3 jun. 1924
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
An Old-Fashioned Romance (Recordings of 1925)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 30 apr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight (Recordings of 1925-1926)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 30 apr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Must Have That Man! (Recordings of 1928)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 7 mei 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mail Man Blues (Recordings of 1924-1925)
Blues - Released by JazzAge on 30 apr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Careless Love (Recordings of 1931-1938)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 7 mei 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Letters in the Sand (Recordings of 1930-1931)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 7 mei 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
He's Still My Baby (Recordings of 1926)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 30 apr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Where the Wild, Wild Flowers Grow (Recordings of 1926-1927)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 7 mei 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Shadows On The Wall (Recordings of 1925)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 30 apr. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ain't He Sweet (Recordings of 1927)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 7 mei 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Little White Lies (Recordings of 1930)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 7 mei 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Moanin' Low (Recordings of 1928-1929)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 7 mei 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lee Morse - Music History
Jazz - Released by Vintage Jukebox on 28 jun. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blues, Ballads and Broadway
Jazz - Released by Music Manager on 7 feb. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lee Morse 1950 - If You Only Knew (Recordings of 1950)
Jazz - Released by JazzAge on 7 mei 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo