Les Paul (Lester William Polsfuss, June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009) and Mary Ford (Iris Colleen Summers, July 7, 1924 – September 30, 1977) were introduced to each other by Gene Autry in 1946 and married in 1949.
They first appeared in the pop charts in 1950. Between the years 1950 and 1954, Les Paul and Mary Ford had 16 top-ten hits. They had five top-ten hits within nine months. "Tennessee Waltz", "Mockin' Bird Hill", "How High the Moon" (#1 for nine weeks), "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise" and "Whispering". From August 1952 to March 1953 they had five more top-ten hits; "My Baby's Coming Home", "Lady of Spain", "Bye Bye Blues", "I'm Sitting on Top of the World" and "Vaya Con Dios" (#1 for 11 weeks). Their 1954 version of "I'm a Fool to Care" went to #6, and was featured in a memorable Southern Comfort commercial in 2013 that got over 1 million views on YouTube.
In 2009, they were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Les Paul and Mary Ford are famous for creating a makeshift recording studio in their garage. In their garage studio, they used multitrack recording to record many of their hits including ‘Lover’, ‘Nola’, ‘Brazil’ and ‘Whispering' with only the two of them.
YouTube has a large selection of clips from their syndicated TV show "Les Paul & Mary Ford At Home" (1954-'55).
Les Paul and Mary Ford divorced acrimoniously in December 1964, which also ended the collaboration between the two.
The duo have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Les Paul had hosted a 15-minute radio program, The Les Paul Show, on NBC in 1950, featuring his trio (himself, Ford, and rhythm player Eddie Stapleton) and his electronics, recorded from their home and with gentle humour between Paul and Ford bridging musical selections, some of which had already been successful on records, some of which anticipated the couple's recordings, and many of which presented dazzling re-interpretations of such jazz and pop selections as "In the Mood," "Little Rock Getaway," "Brazil," and "Tiger Rag." Several recordings of these shows survive among old-time radio collectors today.
The show also appeared on television a few years later with the same format, but excluding the trio and retitled The Les Paul & Mary Ford Show (aka Les Paul & Mary Ford At Home) with "Vaya Con Dios" as a theme song. Sponsored by Warner Lambert's Listerine, it was widely syndicated during 1954–55 and was only five minutes long (one or two songs) on film and therefore used as a brief interlude or fill-in on programming schedules. Since Les created the entire show himself, including audio and video, he maintained the original recordings and was in the process of restoring them to up-to-date quality at the time of his death.
Whither Thou Goest
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wherever thou lodgest, I will lodge.
Thy people shall be my people, my love.
Whither thou goest, I will go.
For as in that story long ago,
The same sweet love story now is so.
Thy people shall be my people, my love.
Whither thou goest I will go.
The lyrics to "Whither Thou Goest" by Les Paul and Mary Ford speak to a deep love and commitment to another person. The song is based on the Biblical story of Ruth, who tells her mother-in-law Naomi, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God" (Ruth 1:16). The song's lyrics express a similar devotion, promising to follow and remain with the loved one wherever they may go, adopting their people as one's own. The lyrics emphasize the strength and depth of the love between the two individuals, which is unwavering and enduring.
The song's sweet melody and sentimental lyrics have made it a popular choice for weddings and other ceremonies celebrating love and commitment. It speaks to the desire to stay close to the one you love and to make a life together, no matter where that may lead. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including Johnny Cash and June Carter, and remains a beloved classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Whither thou goest, I will go.
No matter where life takes you, I promise to always be by your side.
Wherever thou lodgest, I will lodge.
I will make my home wherever you are, and I will always be there for you.
Thy people shall be my people, my love.
I will love the people you love, and I will make them my own.
Whither thou goest, I will go.
I will follow you no matter where you go, and we will face life together.
For as in that story long ago,
Just like the story we have heard before,
The same sweet love story now is so.
Our love story is just as sweet and enduring as the ones we have heard about in the past.
Thy people shall be my people, my love.
I will always embrace the people you love and I will treat them like my own family.
Whither thou goest, I will go.
I will always be right by your side, through thick and thin.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GUY SINGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jennifur sun
grew up on this song sooo pretty
sylvie NAVARRO
Ma mère est née en 1954 :) d'où la découverte de cette musique via internet :)
jennifur sun
curious is that the Browns singing behind Mary one of them sure sounds like them
The78Prof
No, that's all multi-tracked Mary. The Browns would not have been moonlighting anonymously for a competing record label.