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Peggy Lee
(1920-2002)

One of the greatest and most infuential American vocalists of the 20th Century, Peggy Lee was beloved by Jazz and Pop musicians and fans, alike. Born Norma Dolores Egstrom in Jamestown, North Dakota, on May 26, 1920, she first began to attract notice as a singer with the Benny Goodman Orchestra in 1941, scoring hits with the bluesy "Why Don't You Do Right" and "Blues In The Night." She later became one of the big stars on the newly established Capitol label, recording and co-writing hits (with her husband and bandleader, Dave Barbour) like "Mañana"and "It's a Good Day." Other standards associated with Lee include "Black Coffee," "Lover," "Fever," "I'm a Woman," and "Is That All There Is." Lee was the recipient of an Academy Award nomination for her role in the jazz film, Pete Kelly's Blues; she was honored with the ASCAP Pied Piper Award in 1990; and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001. Lee's effortless and silky vocals, her deceptively simple phrasing and her wit and glamor made her a true musical icon.