Joni James
Encyclopedia
Joni James is an American
singer of traditional pop music
and jazz standards.
, she studied drama
and ballet
, and on graduating from high school
, went with a local dance
group on a tour of Canada
. She then took a job as a chorus girl in the Edgewater Beach Hotel
in Chicago. After doing a fill-in in Indiana, she decided to pursue a singing career. Some executives at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(MGM) spotted her in a television commercial, and she was signed by MGM in 1952. Her first hit
, "Why Don't You Believe Me?
" sold over two million copies. She had a number of hits following that one, including "Your Cheatin' Heart
" (a cover
of Hank Williams' hit) and "Have You Heard?
"
She was the first American to record
at London
's Abbey Road Studios
, and recorded five album
s there. She was also very popular across parts of the Asia-Pacific
region, particularly in the Philippines
where she performed at Manila
's now defunct EM Club in 1957. She also scored a big hit in Manila with Filipino composer
Salvador Asuncion's work entitled "In Despair."
James had seven Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
. "Why Don't You Believe Me?" (#1 in 1952) "Have You Heard?
" (#4 in 1953) "Your Cheatin' Heart
" (#2 in 1953) "Almost Always
" (#9 in 1953) "My Love, My Love
" (#8 in 1953) "How Important Can It Be?
" (#2 in 1955) and "You Are My Love
" (#6 in 1955) as well as sixteen other Top 40 hits from 1952 to 1961. She has sold more than 100 million records and recorded more than 25 albums.
James married composer-conductor Tony Acquaviva at St. Patrick's Cathedral
in New York
in 1956. In 1964 she retired from the music industry in part because Acquaviva was in bad health and needed her attention. She cared for him until his death in 1986. For many years she was out of the public eye, but began touring again in the mid 1990s some years after Acquaviva's death, performing memorable concerts at New York's Town Hall, Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. In October, 2001, just a few weeks after 9/11, she appeared at the Academy of Music
in Philadelphia, accompanied by the Count Basie
orchestra. The streets of the city were still lined with armed soldiers. With her renewed popularity, nearly her entire body of work was released on the Capitol-EMI, DRG
and Taragon
labels and in 2000 she released a brand-new recording, "Latest and Greatest".
In 1986 she met, and on October 5, 1997, she married
retired Air Force
General Bernard Adolph Schriever
, 20 years her senior, the leader of the crash program that developed U.S. ballistic missile
s — both ICBMs and IRBMs in 1953-1962. They honeymooned in France
and the Greek Isles, then took up residence in Schriever's home in northwest Washington, D.C.
Schriever died on June 20, 2005, at the age of 94.
For her contributions to the entertainment industry, James has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
.
In a 1976 Peanuts
strip, after a dust-up with the cat next door, Snoopy
says, "Just don't ask to borrow my Joni James records again!" Thirty years later, Snoopy would appear on the cover of her Jukebox Joni compilation album
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer of traditional pop music
Traditional pop music
Traditional pop or classic pop or standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,...
and jazz standards.
Biography
James was born into an Italian family in Chicago. As an adolescentAdolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
, she studied drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
and ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, and on graduating from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, went with a local dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
group on a tour of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She then took a job as a chorus girl in the Edgewater Beach Hotel
Edgewater Beach Hotel
The Edgewater Beach Hotel was a hotel in the far-north neighborhood community of Edgewater in Chicago, Illinois. Built in 1916 and owned by John Tobin Connery and James Patrick Connery, it was located between Sheridan Road and Lake Michigan at Berwyn Avenue. The complex had a private beach and...
in Chicago. After doing a fill-in in Indiana, she decided to pursue a singing career. Some executives at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
(MGM) spotted her in a television commercial, and she was signed by MGM in 1952. Her first hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Why Don't You Believe Me?
Why Don't You Believe Me?
"Why Don't You Believe Me?" is a popular song written by Lew Douglas, King Laney, and Roy Rodde and published in 1952.A recording by Joni James reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1952...
" sold over two million copies. She had a number of hits following that one, including "Your Cheatin' Heart
Your Cheatin' Heart
"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by the American country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams in 1952, but released after his death in 1953.. It is often considered one of his greatest songs, and one of the great songs of country music...
" (a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Hank Williams' hit) and "Have You Heard?
Have You Heard?
"Have You Heard?" is a popular song written by Lew Douglas, Charlie LaVere, and Roy Rodde and published in 1952. The biggest hit version was recorded by Joni James in 1952, charting the next year. The song was revived by The Duprees and became a hit again in 1963.The recording by Joni James was...
"
She was the first American to record
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
, and recorded five album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s there. She was also very popular across parts of the Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
region, particularly in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
where she performed at Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
's now defunct EM Club in 1957. She also scored a big hit in Manila with Filipino composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Salvador Asuncion's work entitled "In Despair."
James had seven Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. "Why Don't You Believe Me?" (#1 in 1952) "Have You Heard?
Have You Heard?
"Have You Heard?" is a popular song written by Lew Douglas, Charlie LaVere, and Roy Rodde and published in 1952. The biggest hit version was recorded by Joni James in 1952, charting the next year. The song was revived by The Duprees and became a hit again in 1963.The recording by Joni James was...
" (#4 in 1953) "Your Cheatin' Heart
Your Cheatin' Heart
"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by the American country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams in 1952, but released after his death in 1953.. It is often considered one of his greatest songs, and one of the great songs of country music...
" (#2 in 1953) "Almost Always
Almost Always
"Almost Always" is a popular song. It was recorded by Joni James in 1953. The recording was released by MGM as catalog number 11470. The song was only on the Billboard magazine charts for one week, reaching #18 on May 9, 1953. The flip side was "Is It Any Wonder?"...
" (#9 in 1953) "My Love, My Love
My Love, My Love
"My Love, My Love" is a popular song.It was written by Nicholas Acquaviva and Bob Haymes and published in 1953.The biggest hit version was done by Joni James in 1953...
" (#8 in 1953) "How Important Can It Be?
How Important Can It Be?
"How Important Can It Be?" is a popular song written by Bennie Benjamin and George David Weiss and published in 1955. The lyrics of the song find the narrator asking her lover why her indiscretions with other boyfriends before him matter at all, now that she loves him so and vows to be true to...
" (#2 in 1955) and "You Are My Love
You Are My Love (1955 song)
"You Are My Love" is a popular song. It was written by Jimmie Nabbie and was published in 1955.The song was written by request by Nabbie for Joni James, for whom it was a major hit. The song was released by MGM Records as catalog number 12066...
" (#6 in 1955) as well as sixteen other Top 40 hits from 1952 to 1961. She has sold more than 100 million records and recorded more than 25 albums.
James married composer-conductor Tony Acquaviva at St. Patrick's Cathedral
St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York
The Cathedral of St. Patrick is a decorated Neo-Gothic-style Roman Catholic cathedral church in the United States...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1956. In 1964 she retired from the music industry in part because Acquaviva was in bad health and needed her attention. She cared for him until his death in 1986. For many years she was out of the public eye, but began touring again in the mid 1990s some years after Acquaviva's death, performing memorable concerts at New York's Town Hall, Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. In October, 2001, just a few weeks after 9/11, she appeared at the Academy of Music
Academy of Music (Philadelphia)
The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at Broad and Locust Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1857 and is the oldest opera house in the United States that is still used for its original purpose...
in Philadelphia, accompanied by the Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
orchestra. The streets of the city were still lined with armed soldiers. With her renewed popularity, nearly her entire body of work was released on the Capitol-EMI, DRG
DRG
DRG, a three-letter acronym, may refer to:* DRG London, a Digital Audio Broadcasting multiplex available in the London area* DRG Technologies, a company based in Safford, Arizona...
and Taragon
Taragon
Taragon is an EP by the German power metal band Freedom Call. It was released on November 20, 1999, by NTS Records. Originally available only in France and Japan, the EP was re-released worldwide in 2004, as part of the Live Invasion album....
labels and in 2000 she released a brand-new recording, "Latest and Greatest".
In 1986 she met, and on October 5, 1997, she married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
retired Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
General Bernard Adolph Schriever
Bernard Adolph Schriever
General Bernard Adolph Schriever , also known as Bennie Schriever, was a United States Air Force general. He was born in Bremen, Germany, and after immigrating to the United States, played a major role in the U.S. Air Force programs for space and ballistic missile research.-Early years:Bernard...
, 20 years her senior, the leader of the crash program that developed U.S. ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
s — both ICBMs and IRBMs in 1953-1962. They honeymooned in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Greek Isles, then took up residence in Schriever's home in northwest Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Schriever died on June 20, 2005, at the age of 94.
For her contributions to the entertainment industry, James has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
.
In a 1976 Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
strip, after a dust-up with the cat next door, Snoopy
Snoopy
Snoopy is an fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly conventional dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character—and among the most recognizable...
says, "Just don't ask to borrow my Joni James records again!" Thirty years later, Snoopy would appear on the cover of her Jukebox Joni compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
.
Hit Records
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||
| 1952 | "Why Don't You Believe Me" | 1 | 11 |
| "Purple Shades" | 26 | ||
| 1953 | "Have You Heard" | 4 | |
| "Wishing Ring" | 17 | ||
| "Your Cheatin' Heart" | 2 | ||
| "Almost Always" | 9 | ||
| "Is It Any Wonder" | 16 | ||
| "My Love My Love" | 8 | ||
| "You're Fooling Someone" | 11 | ||
| "I'll Never Stand In Your Way" | 23 | ||
| "Nina Non" | 27 | ||
| 1954 | "Maybe Next Time" | 22 | |
| "Am I In Love" | 22 | ||
| "In a Garden of Roses" | 22 | ||
| "Mama Don't Cry At My Wedding" | 23 | ||
| "When We Come of Age" | 28 | ||
| 1955 | "How Important Can It Be?" | 2 | |
| "You Are My Love" | 6 | ||
| "My Believing Heart" | 49 | ||
| 1956 | "Don't Tell Me Not To Love You" | 83 | |
| "I Woke Up Crying" | 72 | ||
| "Give Us This Day" | 30 | ||
| "How Lucky You Are" | 70 | ||
| 1957 | "Summer Love" | 97 | |
| 1958 | "There Goes My Heart" | 19 | |
| 1959 | "There Must Be a Way" | 33 | 24 |
| "I Still Get a Thrill" | 51 | ||
| "I Still Get Jealous" | 63 | ||
| "Are You Sorry?" | 102 | ||
| "Little Things Mean a Lot" | 35 | ||
| "I Laughed At Love" | 108 | ||
| 1960 | "I Need You Now" | 98 | |
| "You Belong To Me" | 101 | ||
| "My Last Date (With You)" | 38 | ||
Various Singles
- "Almost AlwaysAlmost Always"Almost Always" is a popular song. It was recorded by Joni James in 1953. The recording was released by MGM as catalog number 11470. The song was only on the Billboard magazine charts for one week, reaching #18 on May 9, 1953. The flip side was "Is It Any Wonder?"...
" / "Is It Any Wonder?Is It Any Wonder?"Is It Any Wonder?" is a song performed and composed by English alternative rock band Keane and is featured on their second studio album, Under the Iron Sea as the second track. This is considered to be the second single on "Under the Iron Sea era", after the download-only "Atlantic"...
" MGM 11470 (1953) - "Give Us This Day" / "How Lucky You Are" MGM 12288 (1956)
- "Have You Heard?Have You Heard?"Have You Heard?" is a popular song written by Lew Douglas, Charlie LaVere, and Roy Rodde and published in 1952. The biggest hit version was recorded by Joni James in 1952, charting the next year. The song was revived by The Duprees and became a hit again in 1963.The recording by Joni James was...
" / "Wishing Ring" MGM 11390 (1953) - "How Important Can It Be?How Important Can It Be?"How Important Can It Be?" is a popular song written by Bennie Benjamin and George David Weiss and published in 1955. The lyrics of the song find the narrator asking her lover why her indiscretions with other boyfriends before him matter at all, now that she loves him so and vows to be true to...
" / "This Is My Confession" MGM 11919 (1955) - "My Believing Heart" / "You Never Fall In Love Again" MGM 12126 (1955)
- "My Love, My LoveMy Love, My Love"My Love, My Love" is a popular song.It was written by Nicholas Acquaviva and Bob Haymes and published in 1953.The biggest hit version was done by Joni James in 1953...
" / "You're Foolin' Someone" MGM 11543 (1953) - "There Goes My Heart" / "Funny" MGM 12706 (1958)
- "There Must Be a Way" / "Sorry For Myself" MGM 12746 (1959)
- "Why Don't You Believe Me?Why Don't You Believe Me?"Why Don't You Believe Me?" is a popular song written by Lew Douglas, King Laney, and Roy Rodde and published in 1952.A recording by Joni James reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1952...
" / "Purple Shades" MGM 11333 (1952) - "You Are My LoveYou Are My Love (1955 song)"You Are My Love" is a popular song. It was written by Jimmie Nabbie and was published in 1955.The song was written by request by Nabbie for Joni James, for whom it was a major hit. The song was released by MGM Records as catalog number 12066...
" / "I Lay Me Down To Sleep" MGM 12066 (1955) - "Your Cheatin' HeartYour Cheatin' Heart"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by the American country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams in 1952, but released after his death in 1953.. It is often considered one of his greatest songs, and one of the great songs of country music...
" / "I'll Be Waiting Fof You" MGM 11426 (1953) - "You're Nearer" / "You're My Everything" MGM 30829 (1954)
External links
- Official site
- Sangley Naval Station Message Board
- Arlington National Cemetery Website: Bernard Adolph Schriever
- Gary James Interview with Joni James