Constance Foore "Connee" Boswe… Read Full Bio ↴From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Constance Foore "Connee" Boswell (December 3, 1907 - October 11, 1976) was an American female vocalist born in Kansas City, Missouri but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With her sisters, Martha and Helvetia "Vet" Boswell, she performed in the 1930s as The Boswell Sisters and became a highly influential singing group during this period via recordings and radio. Connee herself is widely considered one of the greatest jazz female vocalists and was a major influence on Ella Fitzgerald who said, "My mother brought home one of her records, and I fell in love with it....I tried so hard to sound just like her."[1]
In 1936, Connee's sisters retired and Connee continued on as a solo artist (having also recorded solos during her years with the group).
The Boswells came to be well known locally while still in their early teens, making appearances in New Orleans theaters and radio. They made their first recordings for Victor Records in 1925, which included "Cryin' Blues" where Connee is featured singing in the style of her early influence, the African American singer Mamie Smith. The Boswell Sisters became stage professionals that year when they were tapped to fill in for an act at New Orleans' Orpheum Theatre. They received an invitation to come to Chicago and perform in 1928 and honed their act on the Western Vaudeville Circuit. When their tour ended they traveled to San Francisco. The hotel that had been recommended had a less than savory reputation, and the man at the desk suggested that these three young ladies might be better off in another hotel. That man, Harry Leedy, would later become their manager on a handshake and become a permanent part of Connee's life.
The Boswell Sisters travelled to Los Angeles where they performed on local radio and "side-miked" for the soundies, including the 1930 production "Under Montana Skies." did not attain national attention, however, until they moved to New York City in 1930 and started making national radio broadcasts. After a few recordings with Okeh Records, they made numerous recordings for Brunswick Records from 1931-1935. In 1935, the sisters had a #1 hit with "The Object of My Affection", the biggest of twenty top 20 records they would enjoy.
In 1936, the group signed to Decca Records and after just three releases called it quits (the last recording was February 12, 1936). Connee Boswell continued to have a successful solo career as a singer for Decca.
All through her career with The Boswell Sisters, and well into the 1940s, her name was spelt "Connie". She later changed the spelling to Connee, reputedly because it made it easier to sign autographs.
Connee Boswell was also an arranger (the legendary Boswell Sisters harmony arrangements are hers) and a composer.
Connee sang from a wheelchair - or seated position - during her entire career, due to either a childhood bout with polio or a childhood accident (sources differ). The general public was not aware of her condition although Boswell herself did not keep this secret. During World War II, she tried to get involved with the U.S.O. tours but was not given permission to travel overseas. The "powers that be" apparently thought it might not be a morale-booster to have a "cripple" perform for the troops.
Connee Boswell was a favorite duet partner of Bing Crosby and they frequently sang together on radio as well as recording several hit records as a duo in the 1930s and 1940's. Boswell, Crosby, and Eddie Cantor recorded a version of Alexander's Ragtime Band that was a #1 hit in 1938.In 1939, Crosby and Boswell had three hit duet records that each climbed into the top 12 on Billboard; "An Apple For The Teacher" climbed all the way to #2.
Connee Boswell also had several dozen solo hits, including "Moonlight Moon" in 1942. Boswell's career slackened in the 1950s but she still recorded occasionally and would be featured on a number of television broadcasts including a regular stint on the 1959 series "Pete Kelly's Blues".
Connee Boswell died at age 68 in 1976. A number of her recordings are now available on CD, both as a soloist and part of the Boswell Sisters.
All Alone
Connee Boswell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You seem to haunt me night and day
I never realised till you had gone
How much I cared about you
I can't live without you
All alone, I'm so all alone
There is no one else but you
Waiting for a ring, a ting-a-ling
I'm all alone every evening
All alone, feeling blue
Wondering where you are
And how you are
And if you are all alone too
I'm all alone every evening
All alone, feelin' blue
Wondering where you are
And how you are
And if you are all alone too
The first verse of Connee Boswell's song "All Alone" describes the lingering feeling of someone's absence. The melody, just like the memory of the person, lingers on and haunts her day and night. The second line indicates that she only realizes the depth of her feelings for this person when they had left. The phrase "I can't live without you" shows the severity of her emotional state. The chorus describes her current situation of being all alone, waiting for a phone call or a message from the person, but no one is there. She is feeling blue and wondering where the person is, how they are doing, and if they are alone too. The repetition of the phrase "all alone" emphasizes the loneliness and emptiness that she's experiencing.
The second verse repeats the same emotions of feeling alone, blue, and wondering. The subtle change is the addition of the phrase "by the telephone, waiting for a ring, a ting-a-ling," which showcases her constant hope of the person reconnecting. The song is an emotional portrayal of the pain of separation and the intense longing for the person who is gone. The repetition of phrases in each verse emphasizes the feeling of being stuck in an emotional rut.
Line by Line Meaning
Just like a melody that lingers on
Your presence in my life is consistent and continues to exist just like a melody that keeps playing in my head.
You seem to haunt me night and day
You are constantly on my mind, and it feels like you are haunting me.
I never realized till you had gone
I did not fully appreciate your presence in my life until you left.
How much I cared about you
I had a deep caring and love for you that I was not fully aware of.
I can't live without you
You are crucial to my being, and I cannot imagine life without you.
All alone, I'm so all alone
I am lonely and isolated without you.
There is no one else but you
You are the only one I want and need in my life.
All alone, by the telephone
I am waiting by the phone for you to call.
Waiting for a ring, a ting-a-ling
I am hoping to hear the sound of the phone ringing, anticipating that it may be you.
I'm all alone every evening
Every night I am left lonely and by myself.
All alone, feeling blue
I am sad and downcast without you.
Wondering where you are
I am questioning your whereabouts and where you could be.
And how you are
I am contemplating your well-being and how you are emotionally and physically.
And if you are all alone too
I am wondering if you are similarly experiencing loneliness and isolation as I am.
Writer(s): Irving Berlin
Contributed by Addison H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Favian Reyhanif
perhaps, i'm the only millenials who love this song
reeselucius
@rdlett1pp yup 2001 here...
rdlett1pp yup
This song goes hard bro, sincerely.
94 baby right here.