Chris Connor
| Chris Connor | |
|---|---|
Connor in 1957.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mary Jean Loutsenhizer |
| Born | November 8, 1927 Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
| Died | August 29, 2009 (aged 81) Toms River, New Jersey, United States |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
Chris Connor (November 8, 1927 – August 29, 2009) was an American jazz singer.
She was born as Mary Jean Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, Missouri, to Clyde Loutsenhizer (1882-1949) and Mabel E. Shirley (1896-1941). She became proficient on the clarinet, having studied for eight years throughout junior high and high school.
Following the death of her mother Mabel in 1941, her father, at the age of 59, was unable to properly care for her. She moved in with her married older sister, who took over the responsibility of raising her. She first sang publicly in 1945, at the Jefferson City Junior College's graduation. She performed the song "Amor" and it was well received. After the positive response she received from the audience, she decided to pursue a singing career full-time.
Initially, she stayed within the parameters of the Kansas City area, working during the day as a stenographer and singing on weekends. Her first professional job was with the University of Missouri college band playing various functions in the Columbia area. She moved between local bands from 1946–47; and, in 1948, she moved to New York City with the intention of having a glamorous career.
Unable to find a singing job, she became an office stenographer. She spent the next seven weeks trying to secure any kind of singing job. Those weeks were quite difficult for Connor, as she was kicked out of the hotel where she was staying (for failure to pay her bill), and the hotel kept all of her belongings (including her winter coat). She met a man acquainted with orchestra leader Claude Thornhill's road manager, Joe Green. Thornhill was seeking a new singer to round out his vocal group, the Snowflakes.
She successfully auditioned and joined Thornhill's group, touring around the United States and recording harmonies in the studio. Of her time spent with the Snowflakes, there is only evidence of her vocal contribution on two recorded songs: "There's a Small Hotel" and "I Don't Know Why", both performed in 1949. She continued to tour with the Thornhill band sporadically until March 1952, when she joined Jerry Wald's big band and recorded five songs: "You're the Cream in My Coffee", "Cherokee", "Pennies from Heaven", "Raisins and Almonds", and "Terremoto". She also reunited with Claude Thornhill in October 1952 for a radio broadcast from the Statler Hotel in New York City. She sang four songs: "Wish You Were Here", Come Rain or Come Shine", "Sorta Kinda", and "Who Are We to Say".
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