Except for four hit-making years for Decca in the middle of the '50s, Peggy Lee spent the balance of her career with Capitol. And though her many LPs were among the best recorded at the label, most still lay unreleased by the late '90s…
A prolific singer, remembered as one of the greatest pop song stylists alongside Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan. Peggy Lee's alluring tone, distinctive delivery, breadth of material, and ability to write many of her own songs made her one of the most captivating artists of the vocal era, from her breakthrough on the Benny Goodman hit "Why Don't You Do Right" to her many solo successes, singles including "Mañana," "Lover" and "Fever" that showed her bewitching vocal power, a balance between sultry swing and impeccable musicianship.
In 1988, Peggy Lee was persuaded to leave her casual retirement by the promise of recording some recently unearthed Harold Arlen songs. Her voice was far less attractive and vivacious than it had been even in the '70s, and health problems forced her to record everything from a wheelchair; what's more, when she heard the results, she refused to let the record be released for another three years. Nevertheless, Love Held Lightly is an important album, not just because it saves a few Arlen compositions from the brink of disaster, but also because Lee's unpretty voice serves this material well…
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and performer…