Kitty Kallen

Kitty Kallen (born Genevieve Agostinello on May 25, 1922) was an American popular singer, who sang with a number of big bands in the 1940s, coming back in the 1950s to score her biggest hit, 1954's "Little Things Mean A Lot".

Born in Philadelphia, she won an amateur contest as a child doing imitations of some singers of the day. When she brought her prize (a camera) home, her father refused to believe her and thought she had stolen the camera, so he punished her severely. Later, when neighborhood people came to congratulate her father, he realized that her story was true. Subsequently she sang (while still a child) on The Children's Hour, a radio program sponsored by Horn & Hardart, a firm which had a chain of cafeterias in New York and Philadelphia. As a pre-teen she had her own program on Philadelphia's WCAU, and soon she sang as a vocalist with the big bands of Jan Savitt in 1936, Artie Shaw in 1938, and Jack Teagarden in 1940. (While with the Savitt band, she briefly was a roommate of Dinah Shore.) She married Clint Garvin, who played clarinet in Teagarden's band, and when Teagarden fired Garvin, she left as well. After a short stay with Bobby Sherwood, she joined the Jimmy Dorsey band, replacing Helen O'Connell. Though only a teen-ager at the time, she was the vocalist for one of Dorsey's big hits, "Besame Mucho." Most of her singing assignments were in duets with Bob Eberly, and when Eberly left to go into the service toward the end of 1943, she joined Harry James' band.

She became a popular artist on radio, film, and night clubs, but lost her voice at the height of her career. She eventually made a comeback, with the 1954 hit "Little Things Mean a Lot" (voted the most popular record) and Kitty was voted most popular female singer in Billboard and Variety polls.

Hit recordings

  • "The Aba Daba Honeymoon" (1951) (with Richard Hayes) (better known version done by Debbie Reynolds)
  • "Are You Looking For A Sweetheart?" (1953)
  • "Besame Mucho" (1944) (with Bob Eberly and the Jimmy Dorsey band)
  • "Go On With The Wedding" (1955) (with Georgie Shaw) (better known version done by Patti Page)
  • "If I Give My Heart To You" (1959) (better known versions done in 1954 by Denise Lor and Doris Day)
  • "I'm Beginning To See The Light" (1945) (with the Harry James band)
  • "In The Chapel In The Moonlight" (1954)
  • "It's Been A Long Long Time" (1945) (with the Harry James band)
  • "I Want You All To Myself" (1954)
  • "Juke Box Annie" (1950) (with Harry Geller's orchestra)
  • "Kiss Me Sweet" (1949) (with Mitch Miller)
  • "Little Things Mean A Lot" (1954) (her biggest hit)
  • "My Coloring Book" (1963) (her last hit)
  • "Our Lady Of Fatima" (1950) (with Richard Hayes and Jimmy Carroll's orchestra)
  • "They're Either Too Young Or Too Old" (1944) (with the Jimmy Dorsey band)

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She eventually made a comeback, with the 1954 hit "Little Things Mean a Lot" (voted the most popular record) and Kitty was voted most popular female singer in Billboard and Variety polls. LCD Soundsystem gained attention with its first single, "Losing My Edge", in 2004 before releasing a self-titled album in February of 2005 to critical acclaim. She became a popular artist on radio, film, and night clubs, but lost her voice at the height of her career. Murphy is usually accompanied by a live band during performances. Though only a teen-ager at the time, she was the vocalist for one of Dorsey's big hits, "Besame Mucho." Most of her singing assignments were in duets with Bob Eberly, and when Eberly left to go into the service toward the end of 1943, she joined Harry James' band. The music of LCD Soundsystem can also be described as a mix of dance music and punk, along with elements of disco and other styles. After a short stay with Bobby Sherwood, she joined the Jimmy Dorsey band, replacing Helen O'Connell. LCD Soundsystem is the musical side project of producer James Murphy, co-founder of dance-punk label DFA Records.

(While with the Savitt band, she briefly was a roommate of Dinah Shore.) She married Clint Garvin, who played clarinet in Teagarden's band, and when Teagarden fired Garvin, she left as well. As a pre-teen she had her own program on Philadelphia's WCAU, and soon she sang as a vocalist with the big bands of Jan Savitt in 1936, Artie Shaw in 1938, and Jack Teagarden in 1940. Subsequently she sang (while still a child) on The Children's Hour, a radio program sponsored by Horn & Hardart, a firm which had a chain of cafeterias in New York and Philadelphia. Later, when neighborhood people came to congratulate her father, he realized that her story was true.

When she brought her prize (a camera) home, her father refused to believe her and thought she had stolen the camera, so he punished her severely. Born in Philadelphia, she won an amateur contest as a child doing imitations of some singers of the day. Kitty Kallen (born Genevieve Agostinello on May 25, 1922) was an American popular singer, who sang with a number of big bands in the 1940s, coming back in the 1950s to score her biggest hit, 1954's "Little Things Mean A Lot". "They're Either Too Young Or Too Old" (1944) (with the Jimmy Dorsey band).

"Our Lady Of Fatima" (1950) (with Richard Hayes and Jimmy Carroll's orchestra). "My Coloring Book" (1963) (her last hit). "Little Things Mean A Lot" (1954) (her biggest hit). "Kiss Me Sweet" (1949) (with Mitch Miller).

"Juke Box Annie" (1950) (with Harry Geller's orchestra). "I Want You All To Myself" (1954). "It's Been A Long Long Time" (1945) (with the Harry James band). "In The Chapel In The Moonlight" (1954).

"I'm Beginning To See The Light" (1945) (with the Harry James band). "If I Give My Heart To You" (1959) (better known versions done in 1954 by Denise Lor and Doris Day). "Go On With The Wedding" (1955) (with Georgie Shaw) (better known version done by Patti Page). "Besame Mucho" (1944) (with Bob Eberly and the Jimmy Dorsey band).

"Are You Looking For A Sweetheart?" (1953). "The Aba Daba Honeymoon" (1951) (with Richard Hayes) (better known version done by Debbie Reynolds).