Nanette Workman
Encyclopedia
Nanette Joan Workman is today a singer-songwriter
, actress and author
who has been based in Quebec
, Canada
during much of her career. She was raised by musician parents in Jackson, Mississippi
where she began her first performances. She mainly performs in French
although raised as a native English speaker. During her career she has recorded together with numerous well-known musicians in the U.S., Canada, England, and France and been recognized in Mississippi both by being elected to that state's Musicians Hall of Fame
and having a Francophone
house named after her at the state university.
with the New York City Opera Company
, and her father, Ernest Workman, played trumpet in Tommy Dorsey
's orchestra. She grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. As a child she studied piano and began her career at 11, appearing in the local WLBT
television series Mr. Magic (later Junior Time) until she was given her own weekly show, Teen Tempos.
She graduated from Provine High School
then attended the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg leaving college at 18 for Broadway.
, she played the role of Rosemary in 1964 and later played the lead in summer stock. In 1966 Workman met Tony Roman and recorded her first French single, "Et Maintenant", for him in Canada, where the song remained on the charts for fifteen weeks after becoming number one. Over the next two years she became a Canadian recording and TV star finally hosting Fleurs D'Amours et Fleurs d'Amitie. Then in 1969 Workman moved to England where she appeared weekly on Peter Cook
and Dudley Moore
's comedy series Two Weeks at the Savoy. Credited as Nanette Newman, Workman sang backup vocals on "You Can't Always Get What You Want
" and "Country Honk", tracks from the Rolling Stones' 1969 album Let it Bleed
, as well as on the Stones' 1969 single, "Honky Tonk Woman". She also worked with John Lennon
and Elton John
. In addition, she appeared in one of the black-and-white
episodes of The Benny Hill Show
(appearing as Nanette), performing "Everybody's Singing Like Now" on the February 24, 1971 edition.
Workman toured France in 1973 as an opening act for Johnny Hallyday
. She made three albums with Yves Martin touring Africa, Polynesia and Europe prior to coming back to Quebec in 1974 where she recorded several more French albums. Lady Marmalade, Danser Danser, and especially Call Girl (by Luc Plamondon
) placed first on the hit parades. Returning to France in 1978, she starred in the Rock Opera Starmania
as Sadia. In 1979 she sang backs in the Mahogany Rush
song "Sister Change" ("Tales of an Unexpected" album). In 1980 she made an album Chaude in collaboration with her brother Billy Workman and Luc Plamondon
and toured Quebec
with the show Du gramophone au laser which recounted the history of the Québécois
chanson
. In 1990 she returned to Paris to become La Diva in Plamondon-Berger's second rock opera, La Légende de Jimmy, based on the life of James Dean
.
In April 2000 Nanette Workman was inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame
. Roots N Blues, another album in English, was released in May 2001. In 2001 she also appeared in a Radio-Canada
television series, Rivière-des-Jérémie, and was the hostess for thirteen episodes of Generation 70.
In 2007, she was recognized by the State of Mississippi when Governor Haley Barbour
honored her at the opening of The Nanette Workman French (Francophone) House on the Mississippi State University
campus. The NWFH houses American and French-speaking students from around the world as an upper-classman residence.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, actress and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who has been based in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, 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...
during much of her career. She was raised by musician parents in Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
where she began her first performances. She mainly performs in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
although raised as a native English speaker. During her career she has recorded together with numerous well-known musicians in the U.S., Canada, England, and France and been recognized in Mississippi both by being elected to that state's Musicians Hall of Fame
Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame
Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame located in Clinton, Mississippi, honors it's native sons who carried the state's celebrated music heritage. It's a "who's who" of the blues, rock and roll, and jazz from their beginnings to present day.-Blues:...
and having a Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
house named after her at the state university.
Childhood
Nanette Joan Workman was born in Brooklyn, New York on November 20, 1945, to musician parents. Her mother, Beatryce Kreisman, was in the chorus of Naughty MariettaNaughty Marietta (operetta)
Naughty Marietta is an operetta in two acts, with libretto by Rida Johnson Young and music by Victor Herbert. Set in New Orleans in 1780, it tells how Captain Richard Warrington is commissioned to unmask and capture a notorious French pirate calling himself "Bras Priqué" – and how he is helped and...
with the New York City Opera Company
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
, and her father, Ernest Workman, played trumpet in Tommy Dorsey
Tommy Dorsey
Thomas Francis "Tommy" Dorsey, Jr. was an American jazz trombonist, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader of the Big Band era. He was known as "The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing", due to his smooth-toned trombone playing. He was the younger brother of bandleader Jimmy Dorsey...
's orchestra. She grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. As a child she studied piano and began her career at 11, appearing in the local WLBT
WLBT
WLBT, virtual channel 3 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Jackson, Mississippi, and it is owned by Raycom Media. WLBT transmits its signal from an antenna, 624 meters in height, located near Raymond.-History:...
television series Mr. Magic (later Junior Time) until she was given her own weekly show, Teen Tempos.
She graduated from Provine High School
Provine High School
Provine High School is a public school in Jackson, Mississippi. It is part of the Jackson Public School District.Provine High School, also called "Ram City", serves students in grades 9–12 in the West Jackson area. Students from subdivisions such as Northwest Hills Terrace, The Queens, Country Club...
then attended the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg leaving college at 18 for Broadway.
Career
After understudying the lead of How to Succeed in Business Without Really TryingHow to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, based on Shepherd Mead's 1952 book of the same name....
, she played the role of Rosemary in 1964 and later played the lead in summer stock. In 1966 Workman met Tony Roman and recorded her first French single, "Et Maintenant", for him in Canada, where the song remained on the charts for fifteen weeks after becoming number one. Over the next two years she became a Canadian recording and TV star finally hosting Fleurs D'Amours et Fleurs d'Amitie. Then in 1969 Workman moved to England where she appeared weekly on Peter Cook
Peter Cook
Peter Edward Cook was an English satirist, writer and comedian. An extremely influential figure in modern British comedy, he is regarded as the leading light of the British satire boom of the 1960s. He has been described by Stephen Fry as "the funniest man who ever drew breath," although Cook's...
and Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
's comedy series Two Weeks at the Savoy. Credited as Nanette Newman, Workman sang backup vocals on "You Can't Always Get What You Want
You Can't Always Get What You Want
"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by The Rolling Stones released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written primarily by Mick Jagger with assistance from Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in its 2004 list of "500 Greatest Songs of All...
" and "Country Honk", tracks from the Rolling Stones' 1969 album Let it Bleed
Let It Bleed
Let It Bleed is the eighth British and tenth American album by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in December 1969 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom and London Records in the United States...
, as well as on the Stones' 1969 single, "Honky Tonk Woman". She also worked with John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
. In addition, she appeared in one of the black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
episodes of The Benny Hill Show
The Benny Hill Show
The Benny Hill Show is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill.There were various incarnations of the show between 1951 and 1991, and it aired in over 140 countries. The show is generally sketch-based with heavy use of slapstick, mime, parody and double-entendre...
(appearing as Nanette), performing "Everybody's Singing Like Now" on the February 24, 1971 edition.
Workman toured France in 1973 as an opening act for Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he was considered by some to have been the French Elvis Presley. He was married for 15 years to one of the most popular French female singers: Sylvie Vartan...
. She made three albums with Yves Martin touring Africa, Polynesia and Europe prior to coming back to Quebec in 1974 where she recorded several more French albums. Lady Marmalade, Danser Danser, and especially Call Girl (by Luc Plamondon
Luc Plamondon
Luc Plamondon, OC, CQ is a French-Canadian lyricist.-Career:Plamondon has written for many artists, notably the Québécois singers Bruno Pelletier, Diane Dufresne, Robert Charlebois, Céline Dion, Ginette Reno, Fabienne Thibeault, Martine St. Clair, and Garou, as well as the French singers Julien...
) placed first on the hit parades. Returning to France in 1978, she starred in the Rock Opera Starmania
Starmania
Starmania is a French/Québécois rock opera written in 1976 with music by Michel Berger and lyrics by Luc Plamondon. Some of its songs have passed into mainstream Francophone pop culture.-Genesis:...
as Sadia. In 1979 she sang backs in the Mahogany Rush
Mahogany Rush
Mahogany Rush is a Canadian rock band led by guitarist Frank Marino. The band had its peak of popularity in the 1970s, playing such venues as California Jam II together with bands such as Aerosmith, Ted Nugent and Heart....
song "Sister Change" ("Tales of an Unexpected" album). In 1980 she made an album Chaude in collaboration with her brother Billy Workman and Luc Plamondon
Luc Plamondon
Luc Plamondon, OC, CQ is a French-Canadian lyricist.-Career:Plamondon has written for many artists, notably the Québécois singers Bruno Pelletier, Diane Dufresne, Robert Charlebois, Céline Dion, Ginette Reno, Fabienne Thibeault, Martine St. Clair, and Garou, as well as the French singers Julien...
and toured Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
with the show Du gramophone au laser which recounted the history of the Québécois
Quebec French
Quebec French , or Québécois French, is the predominant variety of the French language in Canada, in its formal and informal registers. Quebec French is used in everyday communication, as well as in education, the media, and government....
chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
. In 1990 she returned to Paris to become La Diva in Plamondon-Berger's second rock opera, La Légende de Jimmy, based on the life of James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
.
In April 2000 Nanette Workman was inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame
Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame
Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame located in Clinton, Mississippi, honors it's native sons who carried the state's celebrated music heritage. It's a "who's who" of the blues, rock and roll, and jazz from their beginnings to present day.-Blues:...
. Roots N Blues, another album in English, was released in May 2001. In 2001 she also appeared in a Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada
Télévision de Radio-Canada is a Canadian French language television network. It is owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, known in French as Société Radio-Canada. Headquarters are at Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal, which is also home to the network's flagship station, CBFT-DT...
television series, Rivière-des-Jérémie, and was the hostess for thirteen episodes of Generation 70.
In 2007, she was recognized by the State of Mississippi when Governor Haley Barbour
Haley Barbour
Haley Reeves Barbour is an American Republican politician currently serving as the 63rd Governor of Mississippi. He gained a national spotlight in August 2005 after Mississippi was hit by Hurricane Katrina. Barbour won re-election as Governor in 2007...
honored her at the opening of The Nanette Workman French (Francophone) House on the Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
campus. The NWFH houses American and French-speaking students from around the world as an upper-classman residence.
Entertainment industry works
The following is a list of her major entertainment industry works:Discography
- 1967: Nanette
- 1967: Je me rétracte
- 1967: Fleurs d'amour, fleurs d'amitié (with Tony Roman)
- 1968: Nanette (Compilation)
- 1970: Nanette (First solo English-language album)
- 1972: Grits And Cornbread
- 1976: Lady Marmalade
- 1976: Nanette Workman (French album)
- 1976: Nanette Workman (LP with English versions of earlier songs)
- 1977: Grits and Cornbread
- 1977: Nanette Workman (French album)
- 1978: Starmania (with other artists, soundtrack to musical)
- 1979: Disque d'or
- 1979: Les Titres d'or de Nanette Workman
- 1980: Chaude (Concept album made with Luc PlamondonLuc PlamondonLuc Plamondon, OC, CQ is a French-Canadian lyricist.-Career:Plamondon has written for many artists, notably the Québécois singers Bruno Pelletier, Diane Dufresne, Robert Charlebois, Céline Dion, Ginette Reno, Fabienne Thibeault, Martine St. Clair, and Garou, as well as the French singers Julien...
) - 1983: Nanette Workman
- 1989: Changement d'adresse
- 1991: Collection souvenir (CD)
- 1992: La légende de Jimmy (with other artists: musical soundtrack)
- 1993: Les Plus Belles Chansons De Starmania (1978 Concept Cast Highlights)
- 1994: Rock & Romance 1994 (New versions of her hits from the 70's and 80's)
- 1996: Une à une
- 1998: Best of Nanette Workman
- 1998: Québec
- 1999: Love Taker with Peter FramptonPeter FramptonPeter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
- 2001: Roots 'n' Blues
- 2003: Vanilla Blues Cafe
- 2003: Honky Tonk Woman (Compilation)
- 2005: Mississippi Rolling Stone
- 2007: Danser Danser (Compilation)
Movies
- 1975: Mustang as Barbara
- 1982: ScandaleScandale (film)Scandale is a 1982 Canadian comedy film.A band of government workers decide to make some fast bucks by making a blue movie in the Quebec's Parlement.-Cast:* Sophie Lorain - Lucille* Nanette Workman - Nanette Workman...
as Nanette Workman - 1984: Evil Judgement as April
- 1985: Night Magic as Pinky (voice)
- 1997: J'en suis as Sandy Klein
- 1999: Ladies Room as Ricki
- 2006: Bon Cop, Bad CopBon Cop, Bad CopBon Cop, Bad Cop is a 2006 Canadian comedy-thriller buddy cop film about an Ontarian and a Québécois police officer who reluctantly join forces. The dialogue is a mixture of English and French...
as a ballet teacher - 2009: Suzie as Dealer
Sound tracks
- 1984: American DreamerAmerican Dreamer (film)American Dreamer is a 1984 American film starring JoBeth Williams and Tom Conti. It was directed by Rick Rosenthal from a script by Ann Biderman, David Greenwalt and Jim Kouf.An American housewife wins a trip to Paris in a mystery-writing contest...
(performer: "DREAMER") - 2004: Elles étaient cinqElles étaient cinqElles étaient cinq is a Québécois film, directed and written by Ghyslaine Côté...
("Lady Marmalade") ... aka The Five of Us (English title)
Television series
- 1970: Not Only... But AlsoNot Only... But AlsoNot Only... But Also was a popular 1960s BBC British television series starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.-History:The show was originally intended as a solo project for Moore, called Not Only Dudley Moore, But Also His Guests...
as herself - 1979: Collaroshow .... TV Episode dated 6 October 1979 as Herself
- 2001: Rivière-des-Jérémie as Sarah Blacksmith
- 2003: L'auberge du chien noir .... one TV episode Qui père gagne as Herself
Television movies
- 1986: C.A.T. Squad aka Stalking Danger
- 1997: Platinum as herself at the Cocktail
- 2003: Nightwaves as Sally Winters
Writings
- 1999 Nanette Workman, Nanette. Montreal (biographical with photographs)
External links
- Nanette Workman official site
- MySpace: Nanette Workman
- Northern Stars: Nanette Workman
- The Canadian Encyclopedia: Nanette Workman
- Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame
- Disques Mérite profile (in FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
)