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
Artistas semelhantes
-
Songs for an Evening at Home / Our Love Story
Jazz - Lançado por Stage Door em 20/01/2011
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
This Is Gordon MacRae
Jazz - Lançado por Stage Door em 22/08/2010
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Memory Songs
Pop - Lançado por Stage Door em 01/01/1955
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Whispering Hope
Pop - Lançado por Cayo Records em 01/11/2013
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Why Break the Heart That Loves You / Jim Bowie (Mono Version)
Pop - Lançado por BNF Collection em 01/01/1956
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
My Darling, My Darling (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 01)
Folk - Lançado por Music Manager em 19/12/2018
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Motion Picture Soundstage
Pop - Lançado por Music Manager em 01/12/1957
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face (Billboard Hot 100 - No 96)
Pop - Lançado por Music Manager em 05/11/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Secret (Billboard Hot 100 - No 18)
Pop - Lançado por Music Manager em 05/11/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Best Things in Life Are Free
Pop - Lançado por Music Manager em 09/08/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
"A" You're Adorable (The Alphabet Song) (Billboard Hot 100 - No. 04)
Folk - Lançado por Music Manager em 19/12/2018
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Merry Widow
World - Lançado por TP4 Music em 06/01/2023
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Christmas in Oklahoma: Music from the Film "I Can't Say No"
Gordon Macrae, Shirley Jones, MGM Orchestra
Film Soundtracks - Lançado por Sharp Edge Records em 11/11/2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Loving You Long Ago
Gospel - Lançado por Reminisce Music em 02/09/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Student Prince
World - Lançado por TP4 Music em 06/01/2023
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cowboy's Lament
Country - Lançado por RedDirt em 01/01/2000
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
On Moonlight Bay/Tea For Two/Stranger In Paradise (Medley/Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, July 27, 1958)
Pop - Lançado por SOFA - AV Catalog DD em 19/11/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Very Best of
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Lançado por Classic Music International em 13/07/2010
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Desert Song
World - Lançado por TP4 Music em 06/01/2023
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo