Photos of Peggy's albums

Ivan....

Any information on Peggy's appearance in the early 1970s on Pearl Bailey's weekly ABC series? I recall her singing two selections from the "Where Did They Go" album.

Fondest regards
Steve

Hallo Ivan!

I don't see any photos at your page here. Maybe you have removed them from your page? Don't change the file format! Use only jpeg format here.

Best summer wishes from Jarl

The recent opening of the Peggy Lee Museum in Wimbledon, North Dakota inspired me to re-work a biographical page that I had put together some years ago, and which I then included in the discography as a supplementary section. The page attempts to give just the basic facts about Peggy's life and career before she hit the big time with Benny Goodman. Check it out, not so much for the written text (since we fans are already well acquainted with most of these biographical details), but for the photos, some of which qualify as curiosities:

[www.peggyleediscography.com]


The main differences between the old page and this new page are

a) the addition of photos -- lots of them. The previous version of the page had text only.

b) a rewritten text, with a heavy amount of factual additions. Before, it was just a cursory view. Now, it is an attempt at setting straight the 1920-1934 biographical record. (The various sources that cover Peggy's early years show a lot of minor variations. I compared and tried to give priority to certain sources over others.)

By the way, and on a different topic: the discography's photos are set up so that they are aligned in rows of 3 or 4 images. If you see, for instance, three photos in a row and then you seen 1 additional photo below the other 3, hanging all by itself, your computer is not showing the photos in the way that I meant to display them. That's no big deal, of course; it's just an aesthetic matter. But, should you care about seeing the photos as intended, you might need to set up your browser (e. g., Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.) so that it covers your computer's full screen. You might also need to downsize your browser's font.

Ivan

Just amazing, Ivan. Will you ever stop giving us such wonderful information? These old photos are truly fascinating and bring the text to life.

I wonder if there are any photos held by others that you could use. Obviously Jarl has "millions" (!) but there may be some others which would be interesting.

Thanks very much indeed.

Bob Wallace.

Iv

I had intended to skim through your re-working prior to taking it in at my leisure but the re-written text and the fascinating photographs so grabbed me that I just had to sit down and absorb it all in one sitting. A most impressive piece of work which I will return to from time to time. You cover most of the angles and inform us when there might be a little doubt about someone's memory.

What would we do without you!

Tony

Hello Iv,

Yesterday evening I enjoyed reading your latest contributions. I'm really impressed and admire the work you have done.

Thanks,

Theo.

Bob, Tony, Theo,

I'm very grateful for your enthusiastic comments, and for your words of encouragement. They certainly inspire me to keep "plugging along!" Quite happy that the long text is being read, too.

On the topic of images that could be added to this biographical page, the one photo that I really, really wanted but had no success in finding was the Nortonville house in which Peggy lived in the late 1920s. It is still standing, but I have never seen it.

Ivan

Ivan,

I echo the statement "what would we do without you?" You keep this site alive with such dedicated, interesting and brilliant commentary. It's part of my daily routine to check into this site every day. I've always been sorry to hear that you never saw Miss Lee in person. What a loss to her and to you but until you confessed, I would have never thought that you had never been present. You continue to cover every avenue of her life. Thank you so much.

Regards,
michael W.

Kudos for all the first rate work you do, Ivan. Your work keeps me tuning in at least twice daily.

Did I read correctly that you never met Miss Lee? That's a shocker to me!

All best,
George K.

Ivan, I love the biographical timeline you've expanded. A bit off topic - the picture of the building that housed The Jade Lounge really fascinates me - what is that thing on the roof? I haven't found anything out about it yet but I did find a website that documents the history of the location - Hollywood Blvd. and Cherokee, northwest corner. The Geisha House is indeed on the site of The Jade Lounge. Here's the link, it's a site dedicated to the 80s group The Go-Gos. Apparently that intersection was "ground zero for the Hollywood punk music scene." Scroll down the page a bit and you'll find it:

Hollywood and Cherokee history

The details on the Bradley's 5 and 10 visible across the street are very interesting:

"In the late '30 this site housed a bar/restaurant called Bradley's Five and Ten Cent of Los Angeles Inc. Owned by John Phillips and Robert Brooks (lessee). However, in the mid-'40's, Bradley's 5 and 10 c was accused of being a gathering place for degenerates. It was also accused of allowing unaccompanied women. During WW2 the Bradley's was off limits to servicemen. It closed down in 1948."

I thought it was a dime store.

Not sure what the story is about the addresses not matching up. I also came across something that said John Ford and Hoot Gibson roomed together at the Virginia in 1913, a two story, pink stucco building at 6629 1/2 Hollwood Blvd. - located in a 1930s pulp novel as being at Hollywood and Cherokee. Could be the same building.

Sorry for my off-topic ranting but I hope you all take it in the helpful manner intended. I used to work as a research librarian and sometimes I can't help myself.

Thanks yet again for the many kind responses. (As for my not having ever met Peggy Lee in person, let's keep it a secret!)

Eric, I had to chuckle as I read about the transgressions committed in the facilities of Bradley's ... Especially that most reprehensible of offenses, the alarming sight of "unaccompanied women." We surely have come a long way! (Incidentally, the Jade was also among the local places that was declared off-limits to servicemen, at least for a while. I've read the owner's letter of protest, asking for reconsideration, which might have been granted.)

Something else brought up by Eric: "the thing on the roof" (no, not a monster from a B movie). That boxy structure arose my curiosity, too. I do not know what it is. If anyone does, please speak up.

For everybody's benefit, let me temporarily paste here the relevant pictures, full size. (Eric, these larger-size pics should allow you to see that the Virginia was still there, above the Jade.)




While awaiting for the correct answer, we might as well offer some speculative ideas. Here are mine:

1. Could it be that "the thing on the roof" was used to place ads? It is shaped like a big TV; the front could be a screen. As for the inside of the box, it could have housed light bulbs, or some type of electrical wiring, to make the ads luminiscent.

2. Could this be a receptable for some very big lights, which would have been turned on during special occasions, such as a parade? I'm thinking about very bright lights, of the type that tend to be found in stadiums.

3. Could this box be part of a power plant system, connecting to the wires or cables of the streetcars? Granted, the cables do not seem to be touching the box, and hence this possibility strikes me as less likely. Then again, even in the 1940s, this boxy thing could have been an obsolete relic of the streetcars' past.

4. The nearby presence of the United Airlines offers further food for thought.

That's more than enough speculation on my part. I very much hope that we'll have a solution to the mystery soon enough.

While we are talking about the Jade and its surroundings, let me also paste here the full-size pic of the bar. (Better yet: for an even larger picture, go to [www.flickr.com] and click on the version of the pic found there):



Ivan

Can someone tell me how to copy photos into the Bulletin Board?

I open a photo, copy it but get a disabled "Paste" selection whe I try to put it in a message. I am sure it's easy - but advice, please.

Bob Wallace.

Ivan,

You should write the definitive biography on Peggy Lee. Wonderful information! I just got back from my holidays so I am a little late to respond on your new page, but It's fantastic. Thanks.

Richard.

Quote:

Bob Wallace
Can someone tell me how to copy photos into the Bulletin Board?

I open a photo, copy it but get a disabled "Paste" selection whe I try to put it in a message. I am sure it's easy - but advice, please.

Bob,

You can't paste an image directly into a post. What you can do is paste the location (URL) of an image that is already online.

At the top of the message window is a row of little formatting icons, starting on the left with B, I, U, etc. Fifth from the right is little square that's supposed to look like a picture of the sun over the mountains: that's the "Insert image URL" command. But, before you click that button, you should copy the URL for the image you want to put in your message. (I stress "before" because the Cancel button in the insert image dialog doesn't work properly.) Then, click the insert image button, paste the URL (e.g., http:// followed by www.peggylee.com/graphics/ovalpicture.gif) and click "OK. "

Et voilà:

Thank you Peter, and I will have a go with some family guidance!

The photos in question are in my computer under "My Pictures". In ignorance, can I ask will they have a URL?

I will have a go with one of my son's help! Thanks, again

Peut-être, bientôt!

Bob Wallace.

Quote:

Bob Wallace
The photos in question are in my computer under "My Pictures". In ignorance, can I ask will they have a URL?

They will not, unless you're sharing your "My Pictures" folder with the entire world over the Internet. (I'm pretty sure you're not doing that!) To have a URL, the file must be uploaded to, or otherwise stored on, an Internet site accessible to the public. Your son can probably help you with that, but if you're still stuck, let me know and I'll help you out.

Nothing earth-shaking -- just a FYI.

This past December I spent a few weeks going over an old discographical page dedicated to Peggy's Capitol albums. The general outcome: many additional pictures and lots of rewritten text. If you have not previously seen the page, click on the following link:

Peggy Lee's Original Capitol Albums

My revision of that page is the reason why I've been asking questions about EMI releases in this bulletin board.

Main changes and additions:

1. The page went "British-American." Previously, the focus was entirely on the original USA album covers, with a few non-American covers thrown in for good measure. Now, most of the British EMI LP covers are shown, too.

2. More covers from other countries as well.

3. In addition to the front cover, the back cover of every original USA album is now viewable, too.

4. After ignoring the matter for years, I decided that both mono and stereo versions should be shown.

5. Rewritten text. (The page under discussion, dedicated to pictures of Capitol albums, was the very first of the discography's pictorial pages that I completed. I finished it back in December 2010. At that time, I put most of my effort into the pictures, doing only a cursory reading of the accompanying text that I had written. Then I moved on to other pages, neglecting to do a more thorough reading. Two years later, I've finally gone back to carry out this somewhat tedious but necessary task. Now the page reads much better ... But, if previous experiences are any indication, a third rewriting will be necessary before the page becomes fully typo-free and legible.)

Upcoming discographical projects:

a) Completion of the page dedicated to Peggy's Broadway/theatrical performances. I've been postponing it forever, despite the fact that it is basically finished -- except for the finalizing tasks of re-reading or "polishing" the text and such.

b) A page dedicated to pictures of Peggy-related sheet music

c) Some boring and time-consuming technical matters

Ivan

Ivan, you do such a wonderful thing with Peggy's discography. It's fantastic to go through every now and then. It's very complete. We all said it before, but it must be a hell of a job, so thanks Ivan. I'm looking forward to the day you have finished the TV appearances part.

Richard.

FYI only...

Two new pages have been added to the discography:

[www.peggyleediscography.com]

[www.peggyleediscography.com]

The first page covers Peggy's ventures into the world of theater, including not only the Broadway musical Peg but also some productions about which even fans such as us are likely to have been unaware. The latter (the arcane stuff) was what I most enjoyed researching and putting together! Pictures are included.

(Incidentally, as I'm looking at this page right now, I'm noticing that I forgot to fix something: I will be changing the title of this page from "Broadway Performances" to the more accurate moniker "Theatrical Performances." )

Entirely dedicated to the musical Peg, the second page contains text only (no pictures), and it is very long. Out of the entire discography, this miscellaneous page has turned out to be the hardest one to put together. I doubt that too many people will be reading the text, but if you do, and if you find any comments that strike you as unfair (or inaccurate), please let me know. Also, if you had any involvement in the musical itself, or if you were around to witness some of the goings-on, I hope you'll share some details that could enrich or improve the text. The ultimate goal is to have as accurate and balanced an account as possible -- a goal for which collective input can be of great assistance.

Having said all that, I'm so relieved to have completed these Broadway pages, because now I'm closer to the material that most intrigues me: Peggy's radio, TV, rehearsal, and concert material. I'll be fully immersing myself in all that stuff in a few weeks, after I finish with the only other two discographical tasks left: a page dedicated to Peggy's sheet music, and a somewhat tedious process of fixing various technical aspects of the discography's database.

Richard, I too am eager to work on the TV material... Paradoxically, that's one reason why I haven't gotten to it yet. I live by that adage of "saving the best (or, in this case, the most interesting) for last." I do think that I will finally get to the TV stuff this year.

Ivan