Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Teresa Brewer was born Theresa Veronica Breuer on May 7, 1931 in Toledo, Ohio and at the age of two her mother took her to audition for a radio program, “Uncle August’s Kiddie Show” on Toledo’s WSPD, performing for cookies and cupcakes. Although she never took singing lessons, she took tap dancing lessons and from age five to twelve, she sang and danced on the “Major Bowes Amateur Hour,” then a popular touring radio show.

At the age of 12, Theresa returned to Toledo, ceased touring, went back to school and continued to perform on local radio. By 1948 at 16 she won a local competition, went to New York, won a number of talent shows and played New York nightclubs including the Latin Quarter.

Discovered by agent, Richie Lisella she signed with London Records and in 1949 recorded her first session that sold over a million copies and “Music! Music! Music!” became her signature song.

In 1951 she switched labels, going to Coral Records and had a string of hits. Since she never learned to read music, she had demos sent to her to learn the melodies of the songs she would record. During those years she continued to play nightclubs in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas and elsewhere. In the mid-50s, she did a number of covers of rhythm and blues and country songs, and co-wrote “I Love Mickey” for Yankees center fielder Mickey Mantle, appeared in the musical “Those Redheads From Seattle” stealing the show fro veterans Rhonda Fleming, Agnes Moorehead and Guy Mitchell.

By 1962 she switched to Philips Records, recorded many singles and albums over a five-year period, also re-recorded her earlier material with new arrangements and instrumentation. In 1977 Teresa guest starred on The Muppet Show and Sha Na Na.

Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s she re-emerged as a jazz singer paying tribute to Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and Irving Berlin. She recorded with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Earl “Fatha” Hines and Bobby Hackett.She recorded nearly 600 song titles, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Singer Teresa Brewer passed away on October 17, 2007 in New Rochelle, New York of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a rare degenerative brain disease at 76.

Dose A Day-Blues Away

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