Toni Harper
Toni Harper's childhood was made of the magic any aspiring adult artist would kill for: a platinum record, a performance at Carnegie Hall, evenings spent sharing a stage with such performers as Cab Calloway, and invitations to appear on television with Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Milton Berle, and Ed Sullivan. And all of the magic unfolded before she'd turned 12 years old.
The jazz vocalist, who now goes by the name Toni Dunlap, got her big break in 1945 when she went up against a couple hundred other kids at an audition held by choreographer Nick Castle. Harper, who had been a dance student of Maceo Anderson, passed muster as far as her dancing, but when she sang "Waitin' for the Train to Come In," she had the audition sewn up on the spot. Castle cast her in his production of Christmas Follies, which was staged at Los Angeles' Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Harper drew enthusiastic reviews and went on to earn a platinum record when she was eight years old with "Candy Store Blues."
Harper paired with Herb Jeffries for "You're Too Tall 'n' I'm Too Small," the number for which she later paired live with Calloway at Los Angeles' Million Dollar Theatre. Television beckoned the young singer and she was a guest on numerous programs, among them Sullivan's weekly variety show. When she wasn't appearing on television, she was singing at numerous New York hot spots that included the Apollo, the Strand, and the Paramount. At the age of 11, Harper topped it all off by singing at Carnegie Hall.
Like many child stars, Harper's career slowed down as she began to mature. As a teenager, she was too old for the childhood image that had given her a great start, but too young to effectively take on a more adult image. She attended high school in Los Angeles, involving herself in such extracurricular activities as drama, choir, and the glee club. She continued to take professional singing jobs during the school's summer break. Having completed high school in the mid-'50s, and still hampered by her youth, she sang for the teenaged record-buying public. For a young woman of her age, "One Hamburger to Go" was more acceptable in the public eye than any of the more sophisticated songs that she would record in later years, such as "Love for Sale."
The vocalist got her chance to sing the more adult songs when she recorded for Verve. In addition to "Love for Sale," Harper recorded such songs as "I Could Write a Book" and "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered." Backing Harper on her self-titled first recording for Verve were pianist Oscar Peterson, drummer Alvin Stoller, guitarist Herb Ellis, and bassist Ray Brown. The vocalist later signed with RCA Victor, recording for the label for about four years and ending in 1963. Harper quit the business in 1966 after devoting more than 20 years to her singing career.
© Linda Seida /TiVo
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Diskografie
20 Album, -en • Geordnet nach Bestseller
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Miss In-Between
Rock - Erschienen bei Jasmine Records am 10.11.2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Vocal & Jazz Essentials
Jazzgesang - Erschienen bei Stardust Records am 01.07.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Jazz Singer
Jazzgesang - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 14.07.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Toni Harper with The Oscar Peterson Quartet
Jazz - Erschienen bei Fresh Sound Records am 02.07.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lady Lonely / Night Mood
Jazz - Erschienen bei Fresh Sound Records am 14.06.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Toni with The Oscar Peterson Trio
Jazz - Erschienen bei SKYLARK RECORDS am 10.11.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lady Lonely (with Orchestra Conducted by Marty Paich)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Moon Beams Records am 22.01.1960
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Toni (Remastered)
Toni Harper, The Oscar Peterson Quartet
Jazz - Erschienen bei RevOla am 10.08.2009
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Heavenly Love (Mono Version)
Jazz - Erschienen bei BNF Collection am 01.01.1961
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Remastered Hits (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei jjjedizionimusicali am 15.11.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Remember
Jazzgesang - Erschienen bei Music Manager am 22.05.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Toni Harper: Essential 10
Jazzgesang - Erschienen bei Tsk Music am 20.06.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Little Girl Blue - Toni Harper
Jazz - Erschienen bei ISIS am 01.03.2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In The Still Of The Night / Paradise (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Hit Singles Records am 15.07.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
My Ship / 'Round Midnight (All Tracks Remastered)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Hit Singles Records am 10.10.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lady Lonely (1959) [Original Jazz Sound] (Toni Harper)
Jazz - Erschienen bei Original Jazz Sound am 01.01.1959
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo