Life, March 29, 1948

Busy Singer

author unknown

Six years ago in a New York theater, the sultry singing voice of Peggy Lee proved so irresistible to an impressionable male listener that he clambered over the orchestra pit and chased her all around the stage. This never happened again, but since January the same voice has helped sell more than a million copies of Miss Lee’s most popular recording, "Mañana." This is a double source of pride to Miss Lee because with her husband, guitarist Dave Barbour, she also wrote the tune.

Now 27 years old, Miss Lee is one of the busiest popular singers in the U.S. Besides collaborating with Barbour on other hit tunes like "It’s a Good Day" and the score for an animated puppet film, she appears with her husband in nightclubs and theaters and is featured on Jimmy Durante’s radio show. Between times Miss Lee sees as much as she possibly can of her 4-year-old daughter Nicki. When she cannot, Nicki plays herself to sleep with one of her mother’s records.

Captions accompanying photos:

• Singer Peggy Lee leans on a stack of records of her hit tune "Mañana." This record alone should bring in $75,000 in royalties in 1948.

•With Jimmy Durante on his radio show, Peggy Lee sings a torchy ballad. Remarks Jimmy, "If I’m going to sleep, here is the girl I’ll dream about.

• With husband in Ciro’s nightclub in Los Angeles, Peggy sings "Trouble Is a Man." One woman went to the club nightly for three weeks to cry over the song.

• Puppets are characters in the movie Tom Thumb, for which Peggy and her husband are composing all the music and lyrics. Peggy also sings in the film.

• Peggy putters with primroses in the garden on Hollywood Hills home while her husband works on a song. Collie is an adopted stray named Banjo.

• Peggy coaches her 4-year-old daughter Nicki, playing in a family ping-pong match. The child inspired a song written by her father called "Forever Nicki."

• Nicki’s goodnight kiss lands on mother’s nose. She is usually sung to sleep with Miss Lee’s favorite lullaby, a tune called "Soliloquy" from Carousel.

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