Lee Wiley (October 9, 1908 – December 11, 1975) was an American jazz singer… Read Full Bio ↴Lee Wiley (October 9, 1908 – December 11, 1975) was an American jazz singer, popular in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
Wiley was born in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. While still in her early teens, she left home to pursue a singing career with the Leo Reisman band. Her career was temporarily interrupted by a fall while horseback riding. Wiley suffered temporary blindness, but recovered, and at the age of 19 was back with Reisman again, with whom she recorded three songs: "Take It From Me," "Time On My Hands," and her own composition, "Got The South In My Soul." She sang with Paul Whiteman and later, the Casa Loma Orchestra. A collaboration with composer Victor Young resulted in several songs for which Wiley wrote the lyrics, including "Got The South in My Soul" and "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere," the latter an R&B hit in the 1950s.
In 1939, Wiley recorded eight Gershwin songs on 78s with a small group for Liberty Music Shops. The set sold well and was followed by 78s dedicated to the music of Cole Porter (1940) and Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart (1940 and 1954), Harold Arlen (1943), and 10" LPs dedicated to the music of Vincent Youmans and Irving Berlin (1951). The players on these recordings included Bunny Berigan, Bud Freeman, Max Kaminsky, Fats Waller, Billy Butterfield, Bobby Hackett, Eddie Condon, Stan Freeman, Cy Walter, and the bandleader Jess Stacy, to whom Wiley was married for a number of years. These influential albums launched the concept of a "songbook" (often featuring lesser-known songs), which was later widely imitated by other singers.
Wiley's career made a resurgence in 1950 with the much admired ten-inch album Night in Manhattan. In 1954, she opened the very first Newport Jazz Festival accompanied by Bobby Hackett. Later in the decade she recorded two of her finest albums, West of the Moon (1956) and A Touch of the Blues (1957). In the 1960s, Wiley retired, although she acted in a 1963 television film, Something About Lee Wiley, which told her life story. The film stimulated interest in the singer. Her last public appearance was a concert in Carnegie Hall in 1972 as part of the New York Jazz Festival, where she was enthusiastically received.
Wiley was born in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. While still in her early teens, she left home to pursue a singing career with the Leo Reisman band. Her career was temporarily interrupted by a fall while horseback riding. Wiley suffered temporary blindness, but recovered, and at the age of 19 was back with Reisman again, with whom she recorded three songs: "Take It From Me," "Time On My Hands," and her own composition, "Got The South In My Soul." She sang with Paul Whiteman and later, the Casa Loma Orchestra. A collaboration with composer Victor Young resulted in several songs for which Wiley wrote the lyrics, including "Got The South in My Soul" and "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere," the latter an R&B hit in the 1950s.
In 1939, Wiley recorded eight Gershwin songs on 78s with a small group for Liberty Music Shops. The set sold well and was followed by 78s dedicated to the music of Cole Porter (1940) and Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart (1940 and 1954), Harold Arlen (1943), and 10" LPs dedicated to the music of Vincent Youmans and Irving Berlin (1951). The players on these recordings included Bunny Berigan, Bud Freeman, Max Kaminsky, Fats Waller, Billy Butterfield, Bobby Hackett, Eddie Condon, Stan Freeman, Cy Walter, and the bandleader Jess Stacy, to whom Wiley was married for a number of years. These influential albums launched the concept of a "songbook" (often featuring lesser-known songs), which was later widely imitated by other singers.
Wiley's career made a resurgence in 1950 with the much admired ten-inch album Night in Manhattan. In 1954, she opened the very first Newport Jazz Festival accompanied by Bobby Hackett. Later in the decade she recorded two of her finest albums, West of the Moon (1956) and A Touch of the Blues (1957). In the 1960s, Wiley retired, although she acted in a 1963 television film, Something About Lee Wiley, which told her life story. The film stimulated interest in the singer. Her last public appearance was a concert in Carnegie Hall in 1972 as part of the New York Jazz Festival, where she was enthusiastically received.
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As Time Goes By
Lee Wiley Lyrics
A Hundred Years From Today Life is such a great adventure Learn to live it as…
Baby Wont You Please Come Home I've got the blues, I feel so lonely I'd give…
Between the Devil And the Deep Blue Sea I don't want you, but I'd hate to lose you You've…
Body and Soul See that train coming round the bend, Carrying the one that…
But Not For Me They're writing songs of love, but not for me A lucky…
Deed I Do Do I want you? Oh my! Do I! Honey, deed…
don t blame me Ever since the lucky night I found you I've hung around…
Easy Come Easy Go Easy come, easy go, that's the way, If love must have…
Easy to Love I know too well that I'm just wasting precious time In…
Find Me a Primitive Man Now, before this modern idea had burst About the women and…
Fools Fall In Love Why do I allow my heart to make decisions for…
Glad to Be Unhappy Fools rush in, so here I am Awfully glad to be…
Got the South in My Soul When the dark night starts fallin' And the moon starts to…
Hands Across the Table Dinner is ended, the music is grand, Softly the lanterns gle…
How Deep Is the Ocean How much do I love you? I'll tell you no lie How…
Keepin Out of Mischief Now Don't even go to a movie show If you're not by…
Lets Fly Away Let's fly away And find a land that's warm and tropic, Whe…
Manhattan Summer journeys To Niagara And to other places Aggravate all…
Motherless Child Sometimes I feel like a motherless child Sometimes I feel li…
My Funny Valentine Behold the way our fine feathered friend His virtue doth pa…
On the Sunny Side of the Street Grab your coat and get your hat Leave your worries on…
Rise and Shine Rise 'n' shine, Stand up and take it! Rise 'n' shine, Life's…
Someone to Watch Over Me There's a saying old says that love is blind Still were…
Stars Fell on Alabama Moonlight and magnolia, starlight in your hair All the world…
Stormy Weather Don't know why There's no sun up in the sky Stormy weather S…
Street of Dreams Midnight, you heavy laden, it's midnight Come on and trade i…
Summertime Summertime and the livin' is easy Fish are jumpin' and the…
The Man I Love When the mellow moon begins to beam Every night I dream…
Time on My Hands When the day fades away into twilight The moon is my…
You Do Something to Me You do something to me Something that…