Another Artie Shaw song (previous post) that caught my ear was this one that was a hit for him in 1939 (click here.) His lead vocalist was Helen Forrest. Note how Helen does not appear in the following video until it is time for her to sing. She started doing that as a result of the following (click here.)
In case you are wondering if Helen could be related to any of our Southern Maryland Forrests, that would be a no. Forrest changed her given name Fogel to Forrest because the former sounded too Jewish.
My first hearing of the song Deep Purple came from another lady who also changed her name. April Stevens and her brother Nino Tempo had a hit with it in 1963 when it won a Grammy for Best Rock and Roll song. During the recording of the song’s middle part where Nino sings the lyrics, April had to repeat them for him because he couldn’t remember them. The record producers liked how April sounded and left her “rap” in. Good decision.
April’s original name was Caroline Vincinette Lo Tempio. (Note that I did not find any background info saying that the reason she changed her name was because it sounded too Italian.) At 92 April is still around. Here she is performing a tune in 1983 that the astronauts requested as one of their wake up tunes.