People who worked with Peggy in nightclubs

Dear All,

I was on the QM2 last week and gave a lecture on Miss Peggy Lee which went down very well - not a dry eye in the house at the end - afterwards a lovely lady came up to me and said that she had worked with Peggy in the Chez Paris nightclub in Canada in the mid-late 1950's! Terry said that Peggy was lovely looking, beautifully dressed and just stood and sang without any affectation - she also said that she hung out with her musicians all the time. I was so thrilled to hear this - Terry had been a chorus girl in the same club. It would be wonderful if any other people out there who had similar working experiences with Peggy could let us know - when, where and how Peggy was. I think it is a fascinating subject (all things Peggy are) and it would be great to hear from co-workers who were not stars or celebrities but normal, working people.

By the way, although I do not contribute that much to this website I think it is really fantastic and IVAN is a wonderful man.

Best wishes to all Peggy fans and keep the flame burning.

George McG

You will have seen my comments about George and the QE2 in answer to his note about my thread, Desert Island Discs. Sorry, I was too quick off the mark!

Bob Wallace.

I saw your comment, Bob, and I also saw the comment to which your refer -- the comment that was made about George in another list-serv. I was very happy to read it. Before doing so, I had no doubt that George's lectures (about Peggy, Irving Berlin, Rita, and "the Fox Blondes" ) had been a success, but it's nice to have corroboration from someone who was actually there. Better yet, the guy who posted is a pianist who was once closely acquainted with Judy Garland, who (as far as I know) has next to no interest in Peggy's music, and who tends to be very sober, very spartan with his praise and observations. So, if he didn't express any disappointment whatsoever with the lectures, it means to me that they were indeed a success!

May there be many more to come in the near future, George.

Ivan

Dear Ivan and Bob,

Thanks for your kind comments re the lectures -- John is indeed a pianist and was associated with Judy Garland, indeed he has written a book about it call "Heartbreaker".

The lectures I give are from the heart and in particular the Peggy one which is a constant labour of love -- I keep changing it with better and more diverse material to show what a truly talented lady Peggy was. On both occasions I get a lump in my throat at the end and this infects the audience but also makes them realise what an emotional singer Peggy was. I really do hope she would approve of the overall content and the effect it weaves on the audience as she was such a spell weaver herself.

Cannot believe that we are quickly approaching the 10th anniversary of her death!

Best wishes to all Peggy lovers.

George

Hello,

It seems like the perfect day to register on this forum. Today, March 5th is the late Lou Levy's birthday. Lou was with Miss Lee for than 17 yrs. They had wonderful musical times. I also was fortunate enough to travel on the road with both of them... for a very long time... They were the best, what a great experence.

So many memories, they all make me smile. Missing them both, all the time.

Hello Kathy,

It's good to see that you've registered on this forum. Welcome! I very much look forward to reading about some of your experiences, working with Peggy, and her musicians, over the years.

With Best Wishes,
Gareth.

I would love to hear specific stories from those of you who actually knew her. I am developing a theatre piece on her, becoming what is called a "Chautauqua scholar.". We don't have to communicate here. You could email me at jazzdiva2@gmail.com and we will take it from there. Any remembrances -- what show wore, how she smelled, her extinguish preferences. No detail is too small. Please help me develop this piece in whatever whys you can. Much appreciated!

I saw Peggy rehearse in the mid 1980's and she still did rehearse even for a one night stand! She sang "I Love Being Here With You" and kept stopping and starting so the 5 pieces were properly sound balanced against her vocal - she also hand wrote out her lighting queues for the lighting chap and asked all the technicians for their names. She really was a pro and although initially she was annoyed that music and costumes had been delayed from the airport once she started working she focussed on the work in hand. When I met her both during and after the rehearsal she was charming - in her dressing room she lay on a chaise langue in a sable coat and she really looked like a glamorous star - photos were not kind to her at this time but she really looked beautiful in reality and had a wonderful aura about her. There was a great vulnerability as well as toughness to her and at times she came across as very open and almost naive - this was a real creative being who had taken the knocks but was still very positive - easily the most intimate performer I ever saw and I saw her 8 times between 1977 and 1995. She was a great lady and could do more with silence and pauses than anyone else I have ever seen.

Hope this helps in some way.

George