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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Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (I Love You)
Pop - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 5/02/2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
3 Sailors And A Girl (Original Soundtrack)
Film Soundtracks - Released by Foyer on 1/01/2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sweet Song of Love
Jo Stafford, Johnny Mercer, Gordon Macrae
Vocal Jazz - Released by Reminisce Music on 2/09/2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Met A Girl (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, October 11, 1959)
Pop - Released by SOFA - AV Catalog DD on 8/01/2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cowboy's Lament
Country - Released by Past Classics on 18/11/2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
High on a Windy Hill - The Great Hit Sounds of Gordon MacRae
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Jasmine Records on 11/01/2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Operetta Favourites
Soundtracks - Released by Stage Door on 18/03/2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
America The Beautiful (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, July 6, 1969)
Lounge - Released by SOFA - AV Catalog DD on 4/07/2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sings for You
Soundtracks - Released by Stage Door on 23/01/2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Seasons Of Love
Pop - Released by Blue Pie Records USA on 1/11/1961
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stranger In Paradise (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, November 15, 1953)
Pop - Released by SOFA - AV Catalog DD on 8/01/2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Essential Duets
Vocal Jazz - Released by Vintage Masters Inc. on 1/09/2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Old Rugged Cross (Collected Songs of Faith)
Pop - Released by PMI Limited on 7/06/2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best Of
Vocal Jazz - Released by Master Classics Records on 13/07/2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best of Christmas
Christmas Music - Released by Classic Music International on 24/08/2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs for an Evening at Home / Our Love Story
Jazz - Released by Stage Door on 20/01/2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Is Gordon MacRae
Jazz - Released by Stage Door on 22/08/2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Why Break the Heart That Loves You / Jim Bowie (Mono Version)
Pop - Released by BNF Collection on 1/01/1956
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -