Eugenie Baird Explained

Eugenie Baird
Birth Date:19 November 1923
Birth Place:Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Death Place:Brewster, New York, U.S.
Occupation:Singer
Associated Acts:Paul Whiteman

Eugenie Baird (November 19, 1923 – June 12, 1988) was an American big-band, jazz, and radio singer.[1] [2]

Career

Baird was from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Eugene Baird, whose obituary described him as a construction foreman,[3] but another source said that she came "from a theatrical family."[4] She sang in choral groups in grammar school.[5]

Radio

Baird's early experiences in radio included a thrice-weekly program of her own on KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She gained that spot via audition as a high school student.[6] [5]

For a year, Baird was Bing Crosby's singing partner on Kraft Music Hall on NBC.[7] She hosted the radio program Eugenie Baird Sings on ABC in 1946 and she "was selected from more than 50 girls to sing the top tunes of all time."[8] on Paul Whiteman's Forever Tops weekly program (also on ABC) that same year[9] For the job, she moved from New York to Hollywood. The show debuted on January 21, 1946[10] and continued into 1947.[1] She sang on The Jack Smith Show on NBC[11] on The Alec Templeton Show (1947–1948), and Don McNeill's Breakfast Club.[12]

Beginning February 12, 1949, she became the "featured female singer" on Sing It Again. Also in 1949, she was one of a group of female vocalists who participated in a 13-disk series of electrical transcriptions that featured Eddy Duchin promoting the United States Navy Reserve.[13]

Baird signed with Lang–Worth in 1950 and was part of the Remember When series of transcriptions.[14] In 1954, she sang with Earl Wrightson on Musicland U.S.A. on CBS.

Big bands

In a 1944 review, jazz writer George T. Simon described Baird as "the prettiest girl I've ever seen in front of a band, and, in addition, the possessor of one of the prettiest voices I've ever heard in back of a microphone."[15] Baird "got her start...with Maurice Spitalny and Benny Burton"[16] and sang with Jan Savitt before joining Tony Pastor for 1942-1943.[1] In 1943 she became the vocalist for the Casa Loma Orchestra

Vaudeville and night clubs

In 1947, Baird was the featured vocalist with Henny Youngman's vaudeville show, "making her N.Y. vaude[ville] debut."[17] She also appeared with Ray Eberle at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in August and September 1947.[18] In September 1948, she was the headliner at the Copa nightclub in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[6]

Stage and film

Baird had the ingenue role[19] in the Broadway production Angel in the Wings (1947–1948).[20]

With Pee Wee Hunt and The Pied Pipers, she was in a Universal Studios short subject, Smoke Rings, that featured the Casa Loma Orchestra. Released on July 28, 1943, the film included the songs "Can't Get Stuff in Your Cuff", "That's My Affair", and "Little Man with the Hammer".[21]

Jingles and commercial recordings

In 1950, Baird was active in making radio jingles that an article in Billboard magazine described as "songs which entertain."[22] She and others worked for George R. Nelson to record jingles and (in the case of the Pepsi-Cola Company) records that the company could "distribute for home use" on phonographs.[22]

In October 1981, Baird sang at a jazz festival in New York City. An article in The New York Times reported that Baird, "who sang with Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra and who has been inactive for a number of years, will be making a return appearance."[23]

Discography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Rayno, Don. Paul Whiteman: Pioneer in American Music . 25 September 2019. 2003. Rowman & Littlefield. 978-0-8108-8204-1. 415–.
  2. Book: DeLong . Thomas A. . Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960 . 1996 . McFarland & Company . 978-0-7864-2834-2 . 19.
  3. News: Father of Singer Dead . The Plain Speaker . January 19, 1951 . Pennsylvania, Hazleton . 31. Newspapers.com . November 9, 2015.
  4. News: Radio Roundup from KEI . 13 August 2019 . Radio Life . December 17, 1944 . 9.
  5. News: KECA mike memos . 13 August 2019 . Radio Life . March 31, 1946 . 10.
  6. News: Eugenie Baird Comes to Copa. 9 November 2015 . Pittsburgh Post Gazette . September 20, 1948. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. 16.
  7. News: They Sing While Templeton Plays . Naugatuck Daily News. July 19, 1947. Connecticut, Naugatuck. 1.
  8. News: Vale . Virginia . Star Dust . The Hopewell Herald. September 25, 1946. New Jersey, Hopewell . 3 . Newspapers.com . November 8, 2015.
  9. Book: Terrace . Vincent . Radio programs, 1924–1984 . 7 December 2009 . McFarland . Jefferson, N.C. . 978-0-7864-4513-4 . 510–511.
  10. News: Eugenie Baird Pacted For New Whiteman Show . 10 November 2015. Variety . January 16, 1946 . 30.
  11. News: Jose. Radio Reviews: Jack Smith . 10 November 2015 . Variety . June 11, 1947 . 38.
  12. Book: Sies . Luther F. . Encyclopedia of American radio, 1920-1960 . 2008 . McFarland . Jefferson, N.C. . 978-0-7864-5149-4 . 17, 90 . 2nd.
  13. News: Inside Stuff-Radio. 10 November 2015 . Variety . January 26, 1949. 43.
  14. News: Magical Fifth . 10 November 2015 . Broadcasting. April 24, 1950 . 52.
  15. Book: Simon . George T. . The Big Bands . 1981 . Schirmer . New York . 978-0028724300 . 122 . 4th.
  16. News: Cohen. Stanley, Pitt. 10 November 2015. Variety. October 8, 1941. 46.
  17. News: House Reviews: State, N.Y. . 10 November 2015. Variety. August 20, 1947. 49.
  18. News: Atlantic City Readies for Swan Song; Race Meet Under '46, Nitery Biz Dived . 10 November 2015. Variety. August 27, 1947 . 46.
  19. News: Herman. Pinky. Television -- Radio. 9 November 2015. Motion Picture Daily. July 8, 1952. 4.
  20. Web site: Eugenie Baird . Playbill Vault. 9 November 2015.
  21. News: Smoke Rings (Univ.). 10 November 2015. Motion Picture Herald. August 7, 1943. 1472.
  22. News: Pepsi-Cola . 10 November 2015 . Billboard . February 13, 1950 . 74.
  23. News: Palmer. Robert. Jazz Swings Through Night at St. Peter's Marathon. 9 November 2015. The New York Times. October 9, 1981.
  24. News: Idol. W. Chase Jr.. Records. The High Point Enterprise. October 19, 1941. North Carolina, High Point. 7. Newspapers.com . November 9, 2015.
  25. News: Idol. W. Chase Jr.. Records. The High Point Enterprise. September 14, 1941. North Carolina, High Point. 12. Newspapers.com . November 9, 2015.
  26. News: Music Popularity Chart. 10 November 2015. Billboard. September 1, 1945. 23.
  27. News: Big Design April Issue. 10 November 2015 . Billboard. April 25, 1960. 14.

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