Jackie DeShannon

A version of "When You Walk in the Room" by Pam Tillis in 1994 topped the country charts. Morton Downey died in Palm Beach, Florida of a stroke. The songs "Breakaway" recorded by Tracey Ullman in 1983 and "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" recorded by Annie Lennox and Al Green in 1988 also became huge hits. Morton Downey was the father of television personality Morton Downey, Jr. It earned DeShannon the 1982 Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Downey was also a songwriter: his most successful numbers including "All I Need is Someone Like You", "California Skies", "In the Valley of the Roses", and "Now You're in My Arms", "Sweeten Up Your Smile", "That's How I Spell Ireland", "There's Nothing New", and "Wabash Moon". In 1975 with Donna Weiss, she composed "Queen of the Rodeo" and "Bette Davis Eyes" for her album New Arrangement. The song "Bette Davis Eyes" later became a worldwide Number 1 single for singer Kim Carnes in 1981. Starting in 1949, Morton Downey began appearing on television, and in the 1950s hosted the television show Star of the Family.

While DeShannon hasn't produced any further Top Ten singles of her own, her songs have been covered by other artists who have in turn converted them into hits. In the 1930s he recorded for ARC and Decca Records, the in the 1940s made records for Columbia. In 1973 she was invited by Van Morrison to sing on his Hard Nose the Highway album. He was voted the USA's "Radio Singer of the Year" in 1932. Switching to Atlantic Records in 1970 and moving to Los Angeles, DeShannon recorded the critically acclaimed albums Jackie and Your Baby Is a Lady but they failed to produce the same commercial successes of previous releases. In 1930 he began making national radio broadcasts. The single "Love Will Find a Way" off the same album was also a moderate hit. He also started making appearances in motion pictures in 1929.

DeShannon continued writing and recording but it wasn't until 1968 when she scored her next biggest smash single and album, both entitled Put a Little Love in Your Heart. He toured London, Paris, Berlin, New York City, and Hollywood. She appeared in the 1967 film C'mon Let's Live a Little with Bobby Vee, as a folk singer. In 1926 he had a hit in the show Palm Beach Nights. In late 1965, DeShannon recorded Bacharach and David's "What the World Needs Now Is Love" and it provided her first Number 1 hit and regular appearances on television shows and club tours. In 1925 he began 4 years of recording for Brunswick Records. Moving to New York, DeShannon co-wrote with Randy Newman producing such songs as "She Don't Understand Him" and "Did He Call Today Mama" as well as writing "You Have No Choice" for Delaney Bramblett. Leviathan Orchestra.

When Jimmy Page recorded his first solo single for Fontana Records, DeShannon sang vocals on "Keep Moving", the B-side of "She Just Satisfies". He first recorded in 1923 for Edison Records under the pseudonym Morton James; the following year he recorded for Victor with the S.S. DeShannon also appeared on the television show Ready Steady Go!. For a time in the 1920s, Tenor Downey sang with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. Both Page and DeShannon also wrote material for singer Marianne Faithfull including her Top Ten UK and US hit "Come and Stay with Me". Downey was nicknamed the Irish Nightingale. Staying briefly in England in 1965, DeShannon formed a songwriting partnership with Jimmy Page, which resulted in hit singles "Dream Boy" and "Don't Turn Your Back on Me". Morton Downey was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, the child of Irish immigrant parents.

Her music at this stage was heavily influenced by the American West Coast sounds and folk music. Morton Downey (14 November 1901-October 25, 1985) was a singer popular in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s. DeShannon also wrote "Don' Doubt Yourself Babe" for The Byrds debut album. DeShannon's biggest break came in February, 1964 when she supported The Beatles on their first US tour, and formed a touring band with guitarist Ry Cooder. She also co-starred and sang with Bobby Vinton in the teen surf movie Surf Party.

DeShannon dated Elvis Presley and formed friendships with The Everly Brothers and Ricky Nelson. During these years it was her songwriting and public profile, rather than her singing, which kept her contracted to Liberty Records. She recorded many other singles that encompassed teen pop, country ballads, rockabilly, gospel and Ray Charles style soul that didn't fare as well on the charts. English group The Searchers later covered both songs in 1963 for success on the UK charts.

In 1962, DeShannon signed with Liberty Records and recorded "Needles and Pins" and "When You Walk in the Room", with both resulting in major American hits. The partnership produced hits such as "Dum Dum" and "He's the Great Imposter" for Brenda Lee and The Fleetwoods respectively. DeShannon was then commissioned to write the soundtrack for the 1961 film Splendor in the Grass. Recording under various names such as Sherry Lee, Jackie Dee, and Jackie Shannon, she had little success however her interpretations of country songs, "Buddy" and "Trouble", gained the attention of Eddie Cochran who arranged for her to travel to California and meet singer songwriter Sharon Sheeley, who formed a writing partnership with DeShannon in 1960. By the age of eleven, DeShannon was already hosting her own radio program.

The daughter of showbusiness parents, Sandra Jean and James Erwin Myers, DeShannon was introduced to singing country tunes on a local radio show at the age of six. Jackie DeShannon was born in Hazel, Kentucky. Record company executives at Liberty Records thought the name Sharon Myers wouldn't sell records. Sharon Myers adopted the name Jackie DeShannon, believed to be an Irish ancestor.

She is one of the first female singer songwriters of the rock 'n' roll period. Jackie DeShannon, real name Sharon Lee Myers, (born August 21, 1944) is an American singer/songwriter with a string of hit song credits from the 1960s onwards. The Catcher (1972) (television series). C'mon Let's Live a Little (1967).

Intimacy (1966). Surf Party (1964). You Know Me (2000). Come and Get Me: Best of 1958-1980 (2000) (compilation).

The Early Years (1998) (compilation). Trouble with Jackie Dee (1991). The Best of Jackie DeShannon (1991) (compilation). Good as Gold! (1990) (compilation).

What the World Needs Now Is ...: The Definitive Collection (1987) (compilation). Jackie DeShannon (1985) (compilation). Pop Princess (1981) (compilation). Together (1980) (soundtrack).

Quick Touches (1978). You're the Only Dancer (1977). The Very Best of Jackie DeShannon (1975) (compilation). New Arrangement (1975).

Your Baby Is a Lady (1974). Jackie (1972). Songs (1971). To Be Free (1970).

Put a Little Love In Your Heart (1969). Laurel Canyon (1969). Lonely Girl (1968) (compilation). What the World Needs Now Is Love (1968).

Me About You (1968). For You (1967). New Image (1967). Are You Ready for This? (1967).

C'Mon Let's Live a Little (1966) (soundtrack). You Won't Forget Me (1965) (compilation). In the Wind (1965). This Is Jackie DeShannon (1965).

Surf Party (1964) (soundtrack). Don't Turn Your Back On Me (1964). Breakin' It Up On the Beatles Tour (1964). Jackie DeShannon (1963).