Harry Babbitt
Encyclopedia
Harry Babbitt was an American
singer and star during the Big Band
era. Born in St. Louis, Missouri
, he joined the Kay Kyser
band in 1938. With Kyser he recorded several hits in his rich baritone
. On some novelty tunes he adopted a high-pitched falsetto
.
" and "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle," but his biggest hit was the cover of Vera Lynn
's "White Cliffs of Dover". He also sang the Spike Jones
holiday hit, "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
" and did the laugh on Kyser's "Woody Woodpecker
" song with vocalist Gloria Wood. He appeared as a regular on Kyser's radio
program, Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge
, and in seven movies with Kyser, including That's Right - You're Wrong (1939), Thousands Cheer
(1943) and Carolina Blues (1944).
Babbitt served in the United States Navy
from 1944 to 1946, then returned to Kyser's band, which he eventually left for good in 1949.
in 1964 and made money in real estate
in Orange County, California
. A married father of three, he died at the age of 90 in Aliso Viejo, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer and star during the Big Band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
era. Born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, he joined the Kay Kyser
Kay Kyser
James Kern Kyser was a popular bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early years:He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Paul Bynum Kyser and Emily Royster Kyser. Editor Vermont C. Royster was his cousin...
band in 1938. With Kyser he recorded several hits in his rich baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
. On some novelty tunes he adopted a high-pitched falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
.
Music career
Babbitt sang such hits as "Three Little Fishies," "(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China
" Slow Boat to China" is a popular song by Frank Loesser, published in 1947.Hit recordings:The song is a well-known pop standard, recorded by many artists, including Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald, Joni James, Jimmy Buffett, Fats Domino and Liza Minnelli.Bette Midler and Barry Manilow recorded...
" and "Jingle, Jangle, Jingle," but his biggest hit was the cover of Vera Lynn
Vera Lynn
Dame Vera Lynn, DBE is an English singer-songwriter and actress whose musical recordings and performances were enormously popular during World War II. During the war she toured Egypt, India and Burma, giving outdoor concerts for the troops...
's "White Cliffs of Dover". He also sang the Spike Jones
Spike Jones
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"...
holiday hit, "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
"All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" is a novelty Christmas song written in 1944 by Donald Yetter Gardner while teaching music at public schools in Smithtown, New York...
" and did the laugh on Kyser's "Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures...
" song with vocalist Gloria Wood. He appeared as a regular on Kyser's radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
program, Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge
Kay Kyser
James Kern Kyser was a popular bandleader and radio personality of the 1930s and 1940s.-Early years:He was born in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, the son of pharmacists Paul Bynum Kyser and Emily Royster Kyser. Editor Vermont C. Royster was his cousin...
, and in seven movies with Kyser, including That's Right - You're Wrong (1939), Thousands Cheer
Thousands Cheer
Thousands Cheer is a 1943 American comedy musical film released by MGM. Produced at the height of the Second World War, the film was intended as a morale booster for American troops and their families.-Plot:The film is essentially a two-part program...
(1943) and Carolina Blues (1944).
Babbitt served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 1944 to 1946, then returned to Kyser's band, which he eventually left for good in 1949.
Personal life
Babbitt retired from show businessShow business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
in 1964 and made money in real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. A married father of three, he died at the age of 90 in Aliso Viejo, California
Aliso Viejo, California
Aliso Viejo is a city in Orange County, California. It had a population of 47,823 as of the 2010 census, up from 40,166 as of the 2000 census. It became Orange County's 34th city on July 1, 2001, the only city in the county to incorporate since 2000...
.