Blossom Dearie
| Blossom Dearie | |
|---|---|
Dearie in the 1950s
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Margrethe Blossom Dearie |
| Born |
April 28, 1924 East Durham, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 7, 2009 (aged 84) Greenwich Village, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1952–2006 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
Margrethe Blossom Dearie (April 28, 1924 – February 7, 2009) was an American jazz singer and pianist. She is recognized and remembered for her light and girlish voice. One of the last supper club/cabaret performers, she performed regular engagements in London and New York City over many years. She collaborated with many musicians, including Johnny Mercer, Al Haywood, Miles Davis,Jack Segal, Johnny Mandel, Duncan Lamont, Mariah Blackwolf, Sandra Harris, Walter Birchett, Dave Frishberg, Len Saltzberg, Michael Conner, and Jim Council.
Dearie was born on April 28, 1924, in East Durham, New York, to a father of Scots Irish (Ulster) descent and a mother of Norwegian descent. She reportedly received the unusual name Blossom because of "a neighbor who delivered peach blossoms to her house the day she was born", although she once recalled it was her brothers who brought the flowers to the house.
As a child she studied classical piano but switched to jazz in her teens when she joined a high school band.
After high school, Dearie moved to New York City to pursue a music career. Dropping her first name, she began to sing in groups such as the Blue Flames (with the Woody Herman Orchestra) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey's band) before starting her solo career.
Dearie moved to Paris in 1952. She formed a vocal group, the Blue Stars (1952–1955), which included Michel Legrand's sister, Christiane Legrand, and Bob Dorough. In 1954 the group had a hit in France with a French-language version of "Lullaby of Birdland", arranged by Michel Legrand. The Blue Stars would later evolve into The Swingle Singers. On her first solo album, released two years later, she played the piano but did not sing.
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