Betty Madigan (born 1928) is an American former traditional popular singer[1] and actress.[2][3][4]

Born in Washington, D.C., Madigan attended Catholic University.[5]

Career

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In 1954, Madigan was rated "the newer female vocalist [with] the greatest chance to become one of the top female vocalist names" in a poll of disc jockeys conducted by Billboard.[1] That year, she appeared on The Red Skelton Hour, The Dave Garroway Show, and The Colgate Comedy Hour. In 1956, she portrayed Martha Cratchitt in a 1956 episode of The Alcoa Hour called "The Stingiest Man in Town," a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.[6][7] Madigan performed on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1957, and on The Dick Clark Show on 1958.

A description of Madigan in a 1959 issue of Gramophone said that she sounds like Alma Cogan and also resembles her.[8]

In November 2018, Jasmine Records released a two-CD compilation of her singles recorded between 1953 and 1961, totaling 58 songs,.[9] Sepia Records also released a CD containing two of her albums, "Am I Blue?" and "The Jerome Kern Songbook"[10]

Personal life

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Madigan lives in Bal Harbour, Florida, where she is socially active.[11]

Hit records

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  • "Joey" (1954) (peak position on Cash Box No. 22) (released by MGM Records as catalog number 11716, with the flip side "And So I Walked Home"[12])
  • "Always You" (1954) (released by MGM Records as catalog number 11812, with the flip side "That Was My Heart You Broke"[12])
  • "Dance, Everyone, Dance" (1958) – US Billboard Hot 100 No. 31 (released by Coral Records as catalog number 62007, with the flip side "My Symphony of Love"[13])

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Billboard 1954 Disk Jockey Poll". Billboard. November 13, 1954. pp. 42–44.
  2. ^ Harris, Harry (December 24, 1956). "Screening TV--'Stingiest Man'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  3. ^ Leahy, Jack (April 30, 1961). "Sing and Be Healthy". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  4. ^ D'Arcy, Jeanne (July 21, 1961). "Tips On Stage Poise". The Record. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  5. ^ "She Has Wooed Audiences From Key West To Chicago". The Charlotte News. North Carolina, Charlotte. August 28, 1961. p. 16. Retrieved March 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Coutros, Pete (December 2, 1956). "This Spinning World". New York Daily News.
  7. ^ Fuller and Smith and Russ (December 17, 1956)."'The Stingiest Man in Town' New! Live! Original!". Broadcasting • Telecasting. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  8. ^ The Gramophone, Sir Compton Mackenzie and Christopher Stone, Volume 37, 1959, pg. 167.
  9. ^ "Betty MADIGAN - Call Me Darling – The Complete Singles 1953-1961 - Jasmine Records". www.jasmine-records.co.uk.
  10. ^ "Betty Madigan - Am I Blue? / The Jerome Kern Songbook". www.sepiarecords.com.
  11. ^ Foundation staff (December 2011). "Betty Madigan Brandt Crowned 2012 Queen of Hearts by Miami Children's Hospital Auxiliary and Foundation". Foundation Focus. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  12. ^ a b "MGM records 78rpm numerical listing discography: 11500 - 12000". www.78discography.com.
  13. ^ "45 discography for Coral Records 62000 series". www.globaldogproductions.info.

Further reading

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