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
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The Old Rugged Cross
Gospel - Released by EMI Gold on 1 Jan 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Motion Picture Soundstage
Pop - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 20 Mar 1957
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Music Of Sigmund Romberg
Classical - Released by UNKNOWN on 1 Jan 1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Oklahoma! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Released by BNF Collection on 1 Jan 1957
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
South Pacific
Peggy Lee, Margaret Whiting, Gordon Macrae
Lounge - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 1 May 1949
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kiss Me, Kate
Lounge - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 1 Mar 1949
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Of Gordon MacRae
Pop - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 30 Nov 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Capitol Years (Best Of)
Pop - Released by Capitol Records on 1 Jan 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Voice of Cinema (Remastered)
Pop - Released by Master Tape Records on 31 Jan 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kismet
Gordon Macrae, Dorothy Kirsten, Roger Wagner Chorale
Pop - Released by EMI Music Special Markets on 1 Jan 1964
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Gordon Macrae Christmas
Ambient/New Age - Released by Classic Music International on 21 Sep 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Things In Life Are Free (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film Soundtracks - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 21 Oct 1956
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gordon Macrae in Concert / Hallowed Be Thy Name
Soundtracks - Released by Stage Door on 20 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Early Years 1947-1955
Lounge - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 1 Jan 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Memory Songs
Jazz - Released by CM BLUE NOTE (A92) on 1 Apr 1955
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best Of
Pop - Released by Master Classics Records on 1 Jan 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Gordon MacRae
Film Soundtracks - Released by Vintage Music on 21 Jan 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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It's Magic (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 09)
Alternative & Indie - Released by Music Manager on 19 Dec 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
New Moon
Gordon Macrae, Lucille Norman, Paul Weston And His Orchestra
Film Soundtracks - Released by Music Manager on 6 Jan 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cowboy's Lament
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Music Manager on 18 Nov 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo