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Edythe Wright

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Edythe Wright
Background information
Born(1916-08-16)August 16, 1916
DiedOctober 27, 1965(1965-10-27) (aged 49)
Point Pleasant, New Jersey
GenresJazz, swing
OccupationSinger
Years active1935–1943

Edythe Wright (August 16, 1916[1] – October 27, 1965) was an American singer who performed from 1935 to 1939 with the band led by Tommy Dorsey.[2]

Early life

Wright grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey.[3]

Early career

Wright debuted on radio in March 1935, singing with Paul Whiteman's Rhythm Trio. That performance led to her becoming the singer in the Sunset Room of the Robert Treat Hotel in Newark, New Jersey. By the end of that month, she was also singing "7 to 10 presentations a week" on WOR radio.[3] She sang with Frank Crum's orchestra in the Sunset Room and later performed with Lennie Hayton's orchestra.[4] In May 1935, while singing with Crum's orchestra, she made six recordings for Brunswick Records.[5]

Wright's early exposure on network radio came via appearances with the orchestras of Frank Dailey and Joe Haymes.[6] She won the job with Dailey out of 500 women who auditioned, enabling her to be heard six nights a week on CBS.[7] Her network debut came on August 31, 1935, when she sang with Dailey's orchestra from the Meadowbrook Ballroom in Cedar Grove, New Jersey.[8]

Big Band era

Wright became the first female singer with Dorsey's band after he left the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra to start his own group.[9] Her career spanned from September 1935 through August 1939.[10]: 107 

Wright's acquaintance with an executive at Brown & Williamson tobacco company helped to secure a radio program for the Dorsey band.[10] She was a fixture on radio (Jack Pearl Show).[11]

Post-Dorsey era

After Wright left Dorsey's group, she had a solo singing act. In September 1940, she was joined by Ruth Lowe, forming a new act that debuted in Boston, Massachusetts.[12] In 1943, she starred on Victory Caravan, a variety show on radio station WIP in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[13]

Personal life

She married John T. Smith.[14] They had a son, Patrick.[14]

Death

Wright died at the Point Pleasant Hospital on October 27, 1965.[4]

References

  1. ^ "What Do You Want to Know?". Radio Mirror. 10 (1): 58. May 1938. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Solid! Edythe Wright". Parabrisas. 1996–2005. Archived from the original on 2009-05-03.
  3. ^ a b Baltin, Will (March 24, 1935). "Edythe Wright, Local Girl, Radio's Newest Sensation". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Jersey, New Brunswick. p. 27. Retrieved October 6, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ a b "Edythe Wright Dead; Singer With Dorsey". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Jersey, New Brunswick. October 27, 1965. p. 5. Retrieved October 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "New Laurels: Edythe Wright Makes 6 Brunswick Records in One Week". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Jersey, New Brunswick. May 12, 1935. p. 26. Retrieved October 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ Baltin, Will (May 10, 1936). "Edythe Wright Soon to Be America's Leading Feminine Singer, Says Tommy Dorsey". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Jersey, New Brunswick. p. 12. Retrieved October 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ "Edythe Wright With CBS Radio Orchestra". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Jersey, New Brunswick. August 12, 1935. p. 3. Retrieved October 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ "Park Girl Will Make Air Debut Saturday". The Central New Jersey Home News. New Jersey, New Brunswick. August 29, 1935. p. 13. Retrieved October 8, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  9. ^ Friedwald, Will (2010). A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 634. ISBN 9780307379894. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  10. ^ a b Levinson, Peter J. (2009). Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way, A Biography. Da Capo Press. p. 85. ISBN 9780786734948. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Edythe Wright". Des Moines Tribune. Iowa, Des Moines. May 7, 1937. p. 30. Retrieved October 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ "Ruth Lowe, Edythe Wright Form Act" (PDF). Billboard. September 28, 1940. p. 9. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  13. ^ Orodenker, Maurie (March 20, 1943). "Program Reviews: 'Victory Caravan'" (PDF). Billboard. p. 8. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Edythe Wright Says Dorsey Was 'Sentimental Gentleman'". Asbury Park Press. New Jersey, Asbury Park. June 24, 1962. p. 36. Retrieved October 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  • U.S. Census 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930
  • Rose Shiffman, "The Edythe Wright Story" AfterBeat Summer 1972
  • Peter Levinson, Tommy Dorsey: Livin' in a Great Big Way
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