Cindy Fee Explained

Cynthia "Cindy" Fee
Birth Date:6 December 1954
Birth Place:Detroit, Michigan
Occupation:recording artist
Period:1970–present
Notable Works:"Thank You for Being a Friend", from the NBC sitcom The Golden Girls

Cynthia L. "Cindy" Fee (born December 6, 1954) is an American singer and recording artist. She is best known for performing "Thank You for Being a Friend",[1] [2] [3] the opening theme song for the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning sitcom[4] [5] The Golden Girls.

Early life

Cynthia L. "Cindy" Fee was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Raytown, Missouri, where she was active in music and theater at Raytown High School.

Career

Fee started performing professionally at sixteen, working Kansas City-area restaurants, clubs, local theaters, and amusement parks. In 1973, Fee became a founding member, along with Eric Bikales, of the Kansas City band Hotfoot[6] and also sang with the jazz group the Means/Devan Trio.[7]

Golden Girls theme song — "Thank You For Being a Friend"

Fee recorded a cover of Andrew Gold's song "Thank You for Being a Friend" for the credits of The Golden Girls.[8] During the show's first run and in syndication, the song became well known. In honor of Betty White's 90th birthday, President Barack Obama released a video of him listening to the theme song.[9] After White's death in 2021,[10] the sitcom and theme song were streamed 384 million times in one week alone.[11] After going viral in 2022,[12] the Golden Con convention, a fan convention, returned to Chicago in 2023 featuring Fee as a headline performer.[13]

Other recordings

Fee also recorded chart-topping records with some of the best-selling music artists of all time.[14] Her discography includes a duet with Kenny Rogers, "I Don't Want to Know Why", from the platinum-selling album, What About Me?[15] Fee is also a credited background singer on the Kenny Rogers's album,[16] which peaked at #34 in the US,[17] and Rogers's Share Your Love, which peaked at #6 in the US.[18] She has also performed as a background singer for Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, and Lionel Richie.[19] Fee also released her own albums Dancin in My Sleep[20] and Young at Heart,[21] [22] the latter with noted rockabilly guitarist Eddie Angel,[23] a founding member of Los Straitjackets.

Jingles and television commercials

Fee is also a prolific jingle and TV commercial singer. Fee's commercial jingle credits include: "Get on Your Pontiac and Ride", for Hoover, "Nobody Does It Like You"[24] [25] and "What the Big Boys Eat",[26] from a Wheaties cereal campaign. Fee's voice was also featured in commercials for Chevy Trucks, McDonald's, Miller Beer, Chick-fil-A, Home Depot, Goodyear, Hot Pockets, Barbie, John Deere, NASCAR, Ford, Toyota, Purina, Avon, and American Airlines. Fee's Wheaties and Hoover commercials were awarded Clio awards.[27] [28]

Personal life

She is married to Robert Landis and has two adult children, Ethan and Rory Landis. Fee frequently performs a genre she calls "country soul", a combination of Motown and country, and has appeared live at venues including in Nashville, Chicago, Los Angeles, as well as in Europe. She is frequently recognized at events and conventions and interviewed about her career.[29]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Garber . Megan . 2015-09-14 . A Brief History of 'Thank You for Being a Friend' . 2024-01-19 . The Atlantic . en.
  2. Web site: Arkush . Michael . 1988-11-20 . Familiar Voice With New Slogan . 2024-01-16 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  3. Web site: 2022-01-10 . Betty White celebration, set for Jan. 15 in Oak Park, to feature singer of 'Golden Girls' theme song . 2024-01-04 . Chicago Tribune.
  4. Web site: THE GOLDEN GIRLS . 2024-01-17 . Television Academy . en.
  5. Web site: Golden Girls, The . 2024-01-17 . Golden Globes . en-US.
  6. Web site: Kansas City and other Midwestern Bands from the '50s, '60s & early '70s . 2024-01-17 . www.oldkc.com.
  7. News: Ritter . Jess . 1975-09-26 . Going Out . 2024-03-09 . The Kansas City Times . 32.
  8. News: Piepenburg . Erik . 2022-05-04 . Golden-Con Threw a Party, Invited Every 'Golden Girls' Fan It Knew . 2024-03-09 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  9. Web site: President Obama wishes Betty White a happy birthday. January 17, 2012. POLITICO . 2024-01-19.
  10. News: Carlson . Michael . 2022-01-02 . Betty White obituary . 2024-01-19 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  11. Web site: Dick . Jeremy . 2022-02-05 . The Golden Girls Cracks Nielsen's Highest-Rated Shows List After Betty White's Death . 2024-01-17 . MovieWeb . en.
  12. Web site: Finlon . Katie . 2023-03-21 . 'Golden Girls' Fan Convention Returns To Chicago After Going Viral In 2022 . 2024-01-18 . Block Club Chicago . en-US.
  13. Web site: Golden Guests . 2024-01-18 . GOLDEN CON: THANK YOU FOR BEING A FAN . en-US.
  14. Web site: 2014-07-14 . Kenny Rogers touches down in Cranbrook this week - Cranbrook Daily Townsman . 2024-01-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714145334/http://www.dailytownsman.com/breaking_news/262386041.html . 2014-07-14 .
  15. Web site: 1984 Kenny Rogers – What About Me? Sessiondays . 2024-01-04 . en-US.
  16. Web site: Kenny Rogers - Christmas | Releases | Discogs. .
  17. Web site: 2017-10-21 . Christmas . 2024-01-18 . Music Charts Archive . en.
  18. Web site: 2016-04-30 . Kenny Rogers . 2024-01-18 . Music Charts Archive . en.
  19. Web site: Meet the Class of 2022 - Raytown C-2 School District . 2024-01-19 . www.raytownschools.org . en-US.
  20. Web site: Dancin In My Sleep. April 22, 2010. open.spotify.com.
  21. Web site: Cindy Fee and Eddie Angel on Apple Music. Apple Music - Web Player.
  22. Web site: Eddie Angel "Young at Heart" CD . 2024-01-04 . Hi-Tide Recordings & Nu-Tone . en.
  23. Web site: Eddie Angel. www.eddieangel.com.
  24. Web site: 1993 Hoover "Nobody does it like you" TV Commercial. www.youtube.com.
  25. Web site: Rose . Devin . 2012-06-05 . Former jingle singer from Oak Park has changed her tune . 2024-01-04 . Oak Park . en-US.
  26. Web site: Elsmo . Melissa . 2022-01-12 . Connecting to Betty with a single song . 2024-01-04 . Oak Park . en-US.
  27. Web site: Collection: Clio Awards 2020/2021 Gold Winners • Ads of the World™ | Part of The Clio Network. Ads of the World™.
  28. Web site: 1985-06-20 . JINGLE WRITER MAKES FINE-TUNED PITCH . 2024-01-19 . Chicago Tribune.
  29. Web site: Cindy Fee, Voice Of The Golden Girls Them Song. www.youtube.com.

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