Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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PREVIN, Dory

(b Dorothy Veronica Langdon, 22 October 1925, Woodbridge NJ; d 14 February 2012, Southfield MA) A lyricist who became a singer/songwriter in an uncompromising feminist/confessional mode. She sang and danced in night clubs as a child; he father had been badly injured in WWI and was mentally ill, but was also a frustrated musician who pushed her toward music. She left home at 16 to study acting but toured in chorus lines; her original songs led to work at MGM, then United Artists, and she wrote TV music. In the 1950s she made an album as Dory Langdon called The Leprechauns Are Upon Me. She married André Previn: they made an album Dory And André Previn '57 on DRG with Kenny Burrell, and collaborated on film work. She was nominated for Oscars for film songs 'The Faraway Part Of Town' (with Previn, for Pepe '60, sung by Judy Garland), 'Come Saturday Morning' (with Fred Karlin) for The Sterile Cuckoo '69, sung by the Sandpipers behind the credits and on a top 20 hit (also by Liza Minnelli); also 'A Second Chance' from Seesaw. She also wrote (with Previn) 'You're Gonna Hear From Me', sung by Jackie Ward in the soundtrack of Inside Daisy Clover '65, also recorded by Andy Williams; songs for Valley Of The Dolls '67 including 'It's Impossible', 'I'll Plant My Own Tree', and a title theme (no. 2 hit '68 by Dionne Warwick); also title song for Last Tango In Paris '73 with Gato Barbieri, others.

Meanwhile the marriage failed and she was hospitalized c.1965, and came back as performer of tough, cathartic material, rewarding for those who can take it: albums Mythical Kings And Iguanas, Reflections In A Mud Puddle, Mary C. Brown '72 (full title of stage musical: Mary C. Brown And The Hollywood Sign), On My Way To Where (also the title of a collection of lyrics and poems; included her 'Beware Of Young Girls', a reference to Mia Farrow), Live At Carnegie Hall '73 on UA; Dory Previn '74, Children Of Coincidence '77 on WB; One A.M. Phone Calls '77 on UA again. She also wrote shows The Flight Of The Gooney Bird, screenplay/music for TV movie Third Girl From The Left.