Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, and Louis Armstrong all cited Lee as one of their favorite singers.
Peggy Lee had Norwegian and Swedish ancestry. She was the seventh of eight children born to Marvin Egstrom, a station agent for the Midland Continental Railroad. Her mother died when she was four years old. Music provided her an escape from the abusive rampages of her cruel stepmother, Min, who tormented and beat young Norma. She first sang professionally with KOVC radio in Valley City, North Dakota. She soon landed her own series on a radio show sponsored by a local restaurant that paid her "salary" in food. Both during and after her high school years, she took whatever jobs she could find, waitressing and singing for paltry sums on other local stations. Radio personality Ken Kennedy (actual name: Ken Sydness), of WDAY in Fargo (the most widely listened to station in North Dakota) changed her name from Norma to Peggy Lee. Tired of the abuse from her stepmother, she left home and traveled to Los Angeles at the age of 17.
She returned to North Dakota for a tonsillectomy and eventually made her way to Chicago for a gig at The Buttery Room, a nightclub in the Ambassador Hotel West in Chicago, where she drew the attention of Benny Goodman, the jazz clarinetist and band leader. According to Lee, "Benny's then-fiancée, Lady Alice Duckworth, came into the Buttery, and she was very impressed. So the next evening she brought Benny in, because they were looking for replacement for Helen Forrest. "And although I didn't know, I was it. He was looking at me strangely, I thought, but it was just his preoccupied way of looking. I thought that he didn't like me at first, but it just was that he was preoccupied with what he was hearing." She joined his band in 1941 and stayed for two years.
In early 1942, Lee had her first # 1 hit, "Somebody Else Is Taking My Place", followed by 1943's "Why Don't You Do Right?" (originally sung by Lil Green), which sold over a million copies and made her famous. She sang with Goodman in two 1943 films, Stage Door Canteen and The Powers Girl.
In March 1943, Lee married Dave Barbour, the guitarist in Goodman's band. Peggy said, "David joined Benny's band and there was a ruling that no one should fraternize with the girl singer. But I fell in love with David the first time I heard him play, and so I married him. Benny then fired David, so I quit, too. Benny and I made up, although David didn't play with him anymore. Benny stuck to his rule. I think that's not too bad a rule, but you can't help falling in love with somebody."
When Lee and Barbour left the band, the idea was that he would work in the studios and she would keep house and raise their daughter, Nicki. But she drifted back towards songwriting and occasional recording sessions for the fledgling Capitol Records in 1947, for whom she produced a long string of hits, many of them with lyrics and music by Lee and Barbour, including "I Don't Know Enough About You" and "It's a Good Day" (1948). With the release of the smash-hit #1-selling record of 1942, "Mañana", her "retirement" was over.
In 1948, she joined Perry Como and Jo Stafford as one of the rotating hosts of the NBC Radio musical program Chesterfield Supper Club. She was also a regular on NBC's Jimmy Durante Show during the 1938-48 season.
She left Capitol for a few years in the early 1940s, but returned in 1943. She is most famous for her cover version of the Little Willie John hit "Fever", to which she added her own, uncopyrighted lyrics ("Romeo loved Juliet," "Captain Smith and Pocahontas") and her rendition of Leiber and Stoller's "Is That All There Is?" Her relationship with the Capitol label spanned almost three decades, aside from her brief but artistically rich detour (1952-1956) at Decca Records, where she recorded one of her most acclaimed albums Black Coffee (1956). While recording for Decca, Lee had hit singles with the songs "Lover" and "Mr. Wonderful."
She was also known as a songwriter with such hits as the songs from the Disney movie Lady and the Tramp, for which she also supplied the singing and speaking voices of four characters. Her many songwriting collaborators, in addition to Barbour, included Laurindo Almeida, Harold Arlen, Sonny Burke, Cy Coleman, Gene DiNovi, Duke Ellington, Dave Grusin, Dick Hazard, Quincy Jones, Francis Lai, Jack Marshall, Johnny Mandel, Marian McPartland, Willard Robison, Lalo Schifrin, Hubie Wheeler, guitarist Johnny Pisano and Victor Young.
Lee also acted in several films. In 1952, she played opposite Danny Thomas in a remake of the early Al Jolson film, The Jazz Singer. In 1955, she played a despondent, alcoholic blues singer in Pete Kelly's Blues (1955), for which she was nominated for an Oscar.
Peggy won a Grammy in 1969 as best contemporary female vocalist (for her recording of Is That All There Is?) and was awarded a Doctor of Music Honoris Causa degree from North Dakota State University, in 1975.
In the early 1990s, she retained famed entertainment attorney Neil Papiano, who, on her behalf, successfully sued Disney for royalties on Lady and the Tramp. Lee's lawsuit claimed that she was due royalties for video tapes, a technology that did not exist when she agreed to write and perform for Disney.
Never afraid to fight for what she believed in, Lee was passionate that musicians be equitably compensated for their work. Although she realized litigation had taken a toll on her health, Lee often quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson ("God's will will not be made manifest by cowards.")
She also successfully sued MCA/Decca with the assistance of noted entertainment attorney, Cy Godfrey.
She continued to perform into the 1990s, sometimes in a wheelchair, and still mesmerized audiences and critics alike.[citation needed]
In 1995 she was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
After years of poor health, Lee died of complications from diabetes and heart attack at the age of 81. She is survived by Nicki Lee Foster, her daughter with Barbour. She is buried at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, California. On her marker in a garden setting is inscribed, "Music is my life's breath."
Christmas Carousel
Peggy Lee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And round and round we go
Busy doin', wrapping things
For ev'ryone we know
Trim the house and trim the tree
And let the spirit show
Sing some carols loud and clear
And set the lights aglow
Hang your stocking for Saint Nick
And he will fill it up
Don't forget to leave some cookies
And a Christmas cup
Leave some food for all his reindeer
And the Christmas mouse
Leave a little bit of cheese
Somewhere around the house
Now I think that we're all set
So let's all take a ride
Don't you feel the Christmas joy
That makes you glad inside
Hold your candycane way out
As round and round we go
And if you should catch the ring
It's made of mistletoe
The song "Christmas Carousel" by Peggy Lee is a cheerful celebratory song that explains the preparations for Christmas. The lyrics refer to "Christmas as a carousel" where people go round and round with festive activities like wrapping gifts, singing carols, and decorating the house and tree with lights, showing spirit and enthusiasm for the occasion. The lyrics also mention that people should hang their stockings and leave cookies and milk for Father Christmas' arrival. In addition, it suggests not to forget about the reindeer and the Christmas mouse, who also need food to munch on during their amazing journey of flying to distribute presents to everyone.
The music is upbeat and joyous, and the lyrics are filled with instructions to prepare for the holiday season. It aims to create an atmosphere of positivity and hope that people can cherish while supporting each other with gifts, laughter and love. The carol is an invitation to live in the moment and appreciate the deeper meaning of the festive celebrations while providing delightful guidance that helps to prepare people to bring excitement, kindness and joy to others.
Line by Line Meaning
Christmas is a carousel
The holiday season seems to be repeating itself like a carousel, full of excitement and activities.
And round and round we go
The activities of the Christmas carousel keep going, without any signs of slowing down.
Busy doin', wrapping things
Everyone is busy with buying presents and wrapping them up nicely for their loved ones.
For ev'ryone we know
The gifts are being bought for everyone who is close to the heart, not leaving anyone out from the joy.
Trim the house and trim the tree
The house is getting decorated, the tree is getting trimmed up, and everything is getting prepared for the most awaited holiday season of the year.
And let the spirit show
The true spirit of the holiday season should shine through the joy and excitement in people's hearts.
Sing some carols loud and clear
Singing Christmas carols together in a loud and clear voice will bring joy and peace to everyone's heart.
And set the lights aglow
The dazzling Christmas lights will add more spirit to the Christmas season when the joy is set alight.
Hang your stocking for Saint Nick
The tradition of hanging stockings for Santa Claus to fill up with presents and surprises on the night before Christmas should be followed.
And he will fill it up
Even though it's a bit of an outdated concept, Santa Claus still continues to fill stockings with gifts to bring smiles for children and adults alike.
Don't forget to leave some cookies
Along with the stockings, cookies should be left out for Santa Claus to fuel himself for the rest of his night's work.
And a Christmas cup
A little drink of a Christmas cup full of milk or hot cocoa can melt away Santa Claus's tiredness as he goes from house to house, delivering gifts.
Leave some food for all his reindeer
To keep Santa Claus's reindeer energized, it is recommended to leave some food for them to continue to fly fast through the skies.
And the Christmas mouse
The Christmas mouse also deserves some treats on this special occasion, so don't forget to leave some crumbs for it.
Leave a little bit of cheese
Being creative can lead to receiving special Christmas miracles, and if anyone had thought of leaving a little bit of cheese for the Christmas mouse, he may bring a joyous surprise to the family.
Somewhere around the house
It's recommended to leave a little cheese in a spot where the Christmas mouse can find it easily.
Now I think that we're all set
After taking care of all these little details, all is set for the magical season to begin.
So let's all take a ride
Let's all enjoy the ride and feel the happiness of the Christmas season.
Don't you feel the Christmas joy
Let the joy of the Christmas carousel touch your heart, and feel the warmth of the season.
That makes you glad inside
Allow the happiness and positive thoughts that come with the holiday season inspire you and make you feel content and happy.
Hold your candycane way out
Candycanes are symbolical of the holiday season, so hold them proudly, waving them, and participate in the Christmas season activities.
As round and round we go
The holiday season activities keep going around and around, and the excitement keeps on rising as the festivities draws closer.
And if you should catch the ring
The Christmas carousel has a special ring made up of mistletoe which is a grand prize, and if managed to catch, there could be a special Christmas surprise be waiting!
It's made of mistletoe
The grand prize is a magical mistletoe ring only found on the Christmas carousel, so catch it while you can!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PEGGY LEE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-rh3qb5dz7z
Like the colorful graphics in this! I've had this album for so many years; it's nice to see it featured this way.....I'll bet Miss Peggy Lee would have enjoyed it, too!
@oldiesmusic76
Great Christmas tune!!! Sounds along the lines of "Que Sera Sera" by Doris Day
@miriaborges5489
❤