Patty McGovern born 16 February 1928

Patricia Jean McGovern hails from St. Paul, Minnesota and was raised in a musical family. Her brother Tom, who was 12 years older than Patty, was a very talented pianist and musicians would visit the family home. As her love and desire to be in and near music grew, she began to write songs at an early age. “Even at eight or nine, I knew music was my thing. When my mother asked me to dust, I’d find myself picking out things on the piano, looking for new harmonies and chords. I didn’t have a teacher. I think I composed my first song at seven. Later when I learned to notate, I wrote it down. The song title was Why and began “Why am I blue?” I was kind of a melancholy kid”. 

Melancholy or not, singing came naturally. “We didn’t have much during the Depression and WWII, so we’d sing together around the kitchen table. I started singing with my cousins Betty and Jerri, and my sister, Elaine. I was the organiser and harmoniser. I found an old record, On The Beach At Bali-Bali and we learned the music. We’d listen to the radio a lot and sang old standards. We even sang on local radio in St Paul, Minneapolis when I was 12”. 

Here’s one of Patty’s own songs, taken from a FM  78 from circa1948/49.  She sings with Tony Grise with backing by The Velvetones with the Percy Hughes Orchestra. 

In 1948, McGovern married Minnesota broadcaster and radio personality, Leigh Kamman and had two daughters.. By this time she already had professional performing experience with her brother’s band, and partly due to Kamman’s connections, her career blossomed. 

Leigh Kamman

In 1950, she joined the Honey Dreamers, a mixed vocal quintet who were riding high at the time. “During this period, I auditioned for the Honey Dreamers and became lead singer between 1950 and 1954. The Honey Dreamers went to New York, turning down an offer to sing with the Stan Kenton band. On the road we played hotels, nightclubs and theatres. We did live commercials like Tide and Camay soap, 55 Kinescope, also CBS TV, working with Johnny Mercer and Stan Kenton”.

By now based in New York, she sang on many of the major television programmes, either solo or with the Dreamers. Guest spots included appearances with Mel Tormé and solo shots on the Eddie Fisher Show, Celebrity Time, the Steve Allen and Perry Como shows, and the Jackie Gleason Show, among others. The Honey Dreamers recorded frequently for Capitol, Decca, Mercury and RCA. 

Singing group 'The Honey Dreamers' featuring Keith Textor, Sylvia Textor and Patty McGovern perform onstage at the New York Paramount Theatre on July 4, 1951 in New York.

In 1956 independently of the quintet, Patty recorded her only solo album”Wednesday’s Child” with the inventive arrangements of Thomas Talbert. He backs the vocalist with groups ranging from a quartet to a septet that utilize such instruments as flute, French horn, clarinet and bassoon in prominent roles. With lyrical solos by trumpeter Joe Wilder and guitarist Barry Galbraith and simple but effective interpretations from McGovern on these underplayed standards. Released by Atlantic Records yet hardly gave it any promotion on its release. 

Regardless her songwriting began to attract attention. “Composing and writing continued between jobs. I got positive responses from Marian McPartland who played my songs, but didn’t record them. She particularly liked one called In October”. Two more who did record her songs were jazz pianist George Wallington and cult vocalist Jeanne Lee. Despite these successes, gender discrimination remained an unfortunate reality of show business in the 50s. “I must admit, I found more recognition as a singer and often felt underrated as a female composer. Women weren’t given any acknowledgment when it came to writing music. Women were singers who were expected to look pretty”. 

Patty and her family returned to Minnesota toward the end of the 50s, and the music continued, at least a few more years. She recorded “a rock’n’roll number “Rock Patty Rock” with Rod Aaberg & His Orchestra on the local North Star label and also a few children’s songs for the Harmony and Columbia labels.  “There were occasional club dates and collaborations with local jazz musicians. Notable artists continued to visit from near and far. Ella Fitzgerald came to town for a club date. I worked up the lead sheet for Mack The Knife. It was the first time Ella considered it, later performing it in Berlin. George Shearing sat down at our piano after hours and immediately knew: ‘This is an Acrosonic’. I continued to write music”. 

Though club gigs dried up in the 60s, Patty continued to direct singing groups, teach piano and compose”. Not to mention inspiring a younger singer in the talented Canadian Jazz singer Diana Panton. As of 2014, Ms. McGovern was still teaching voice and piano." Today she celebrates her 92^nd birthday. 

(Edited mainly from correspondence from Patty via her daughter to the magazine Jazz Journal in 2020)