Teddi King

Teddi King (September 18, 1929 – November 18, 1977) was an American jazz and pop vocalist.

Born Theodora King in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, she won a singing competition hosted by Dinah Shore at Boston's Tributary Theatre, later beginning work in a touring revue involved with "cheering up the military in the lull between the Second World War and the Korean conflict." Improving her vocal and piano technique during this time, she first recorded with Nat Pierce in 1949, later recording with the Beryl Booker trio and with several other small groups from 1954 to 1955 (recordings which were available on three albums for Storyville). She then toured with George Shearing for two years beginning in the summer of 1952, and for a time was managed by George Wein. King later began performing for a time in Las Vegas.

Ultimately signing with RCA, she recorded three albums for the label, beginning with 1956's Bidin' My Time. She also had some minor chart success with the singles "Mr. Wonderful" (which made the Top 20 in 1956), "Married I Can Always Get" and "Say It Isn't So" (both of which made the Billboard Hot 100 from 1957 to 1958). Her critically praised 1959 album All the Kings' Songs found her interpreting the signature songs of contemporary male singers like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole (the "kings" of the title). In the 1960s, she opened the Playboy Club, where she often performed. After developing lupus, she managed to make a brief comeback with a 1977 album featuring Dave McKenna, and with two more albums recorded for Audiophile released posthumously. She died of the disease on November 18, 1977. King's style, influenced by Lee Wiley, Mildred Bailey and Mabel Mercer, has won her a small but devoted cult following.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 18, 1929 (United States of America), Died November 18, 1977

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1954 - 1959

Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 87089 11/23/1954 In the year you've been gone Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 87090 11/23/1954 I'll never be the same Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 87091 11/23/1954 My funny little lover Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 87092 11/23/1954 The dragon Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106568 2/13/1959 River of regret Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106569 2/13/1959 Blue tango Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106881 3/23/1959 Temptation Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106882 3/23/1959 April showers Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106883 3/23/1959 June in January Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106884 3/23/1959 Let's face the music and dance Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106885 3/24/1959 You brought me a new kind of love Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106886 3/24/1959 A cottage for sale Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106887 3/24/1959 When it's sleepy time down South Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106888 3/24/1959 Keepin' out of mischief now Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106889 3/25/1959 This love of mine Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106890 3/25/1959 Flamingo Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106891 3/25/1959 That's for me Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 106892 3/25/1959 Unforgettable Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 107347 5/18/1959 It only happened once before Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 107348 5/18/1959 Please be kind Teddi King vocalist  
Decca 108238 10/5/1959 Flamingo Teddi King vocalist  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "King, Teddi," accessed November 5, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/325331.

King, Teddi. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 5, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/325331.

"King, Teddi." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 5 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/325331

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