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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZWHITING, Margaret(b 22 July 1924, Detroit MI; d 10 January 2011, Englewood NJ) Superior pop singer. Daughter of songwriter Richard Whiting (b 12 November 1891, Peoria IL; d 10 February 1938, Beverly Hills CA), who wrote 'Till We Meet Again', 'Sleepytime Gal', 'Miss Brown To You', 'She's Funny That Way', many others; worked with Johnny Mercer, Gus Kahn, etc. She sang on the radio '41 with Mercer, had hits with the bands of Freddie Slack ('That Old Black Magic'), Billy Butterfield ('Moonlight In Vermont'), Paul Weston ('It Might As Well Be Spring'); her own string of more than 40 chart hits '46-54 on Capitol ended with a remake of 'Moonlight'. The biggest included 'Now Is The Hour', 'A Tree In The Meadow', 'Far Away Places', all no. 1 or 2 '48; then she teamed with Jimmy Wakely for a smash hit with Floyd Tilman's song 'Slippin' Around', no. 1 '49; the other side 'Wedding Bells Will Soon Be Ringing' was also top 30 and the duo had other duet hits (see his entry). She toured '72-4 with the Cavalcade of Bands, including Freddy Martin, Bob Crosby, Frankie Carle. On Audiophile CDs: Too Marvelous For Words, Come A Little Closer, The Lady's In Love With You (the last two arranged by Hubert Arnold, the first two also with Loonis McGlohon). |