Betty Madigan (born 1930*) is an American traditional popular singer and actress who never achieved the success she deserved.
It seems she was born sometime in 1930 in Washington, D.C., and at age 24 became a musical sensation overnight following her hit recording of the ballad "Joey" in 1954. She 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. To that point she had some 7 singles to her credit at MGM, two of which became national hits: in 1953, You're Thoughtless/I Just Love You and My Heart Is Dancing With You/Call Me Darling
After signing with MGM Records she also moved to Coral, making numerous recordings for both labels. Betty could sing anything--ballad, up-tempo number, novelty--and had a bracingly crisp and colourated voice, great natural sense with lyrics and mood, and top-notch technical values as a singer. Her albums were her real forte but she only got one at M-G-M (compared to Joni James' 36, a
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record for girl singers for many years). She also was a superlative live performer, particularly in intimate sophisticated clubs, and that facet of her talents gave her a big career. Both her M-G-M album "Am I Blue?" and the "Jerome Kern Songbook" on Coral approach a lot of familiar songs with surprising treatments and rhythms. This makes both these albums endlessly listenable and enjoyable.
In the 1960’s she retired to get married and raise her children (as Betty Madigan Brandt). She lives in Bar Harbor, Florida, where she is socially active and is very involved in philanthropy.
In November 2018, Jasmine Records released a two-CD compilation of her singles recorded between 1953 and 1961, totalling 58 songs,. Sepia Records also released a CD containing two of her albums, "Am I Blue?" and "The Jerome Kern Songbook
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Bella Goldstein, Betty Madigan Brandt, Nancy Wilson and Julieta Vall 2008 |
In November 2018, Jasmine Records released a two-CD compilation of her singles recorded between 1953 and 1961, totalling 58 songs,. Sepia Records also released a CD containing two of her albums, "Am I Blue?" and "The Jerome Kern Songbook
(Edited from various sources of which one gives birthday as 1 October 1933)