Jane Olivor
Jane Olivor | |
---|---|
Birth name | Linda Cohen |
Born | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. | May 18, 1947
Genres | Vocal, cabaret, pop |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1970s–2009 |
Labels | Columbia, Varèse Sarabande |
Jane Olivor (born May 18, 1947) is an American singer. After releasing five albums from the late 1970s through the early 1980s, her stage fright, anxiety over her rapid success, and her husband's illness and death caused her to take a 10-year hiatus. She released five more albums from 1995 through 2004. Since 2009, she has been retired from the public eye.
Early career
Olivor was born as Linda Cohen
In her early days as a performer, Olivor played such venues as Brothers & Sisters and The Ballroom. She became known, notably among the
Credited as "Janie Olivor, stage performer", an early performance is captured in the 1975 film Saturday Night at the Baths, an independent film shot at the Continental Baths where, among others, Bette Midler got her start.[4] In the film, historically important for its footage both of the bathhouse and of Olivor herself, Olivor sings an early version of "Pretty Girl". Written by Olivor with Kathy Wakefield, "Pretty Girl" later appeared on Olivor's In Concert and Safe Return albums.[citation needed]
Albums 1976–1982
Olivor also eased her way into the burgeoning New York City cabaret scene of the early 1970s. She appeared at Reno Sweeney (cabaret), owned and operated by Lewis Friedman and Eliot Hubbard, which
In September 1977, her second album,
In 1978, Olivor released the album Stay the Night, with a title track, "Stay the Night" by composer Susan Casazza (previously called Maxie Green) and lyricist Norman Dolph. Olivor's slowed-down version from this album of The Chiffons' "He's So Fine", with its sinewy saxophone and multi-tracked Olivor vocals, became the biggest-selling single of her career and charted into Billboard's Top 100, peaking at number 77.[10]
In between Stay the Night and the release of The Best Side of Goodbye, Olivor found herself busy with concerts and also toured as a special guest of
The 51st Academy Awards ceremony in April 1979 marked the first time that all five of the nominated songs were performed by the artists who recorded them for the films themselves; Olivor and Mathis performed their "The Last Time I Felt Like This" duet live at the televised event.[12] Olivor continued to headline at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall in New York, and other venues. Her fourth album, The Best Side of Goodbye, produced by Louie Shelton, Michael Masser, and Jason Darrow, was released in 1980 and climbed to number 58 on the Billboard charts.[10] Columbia released the song "Don't Let Go of Me" as the album's only single.[citation needed]
Performing hiatus
In 1983, her own stage fright, nervousness at the sudden onrush of fame, and numerous unfavorable experiences with the music industry led Olivor to schedule a six-month hiatus from both performing and the heavy pressures of her too-fast fame.[6] That hiatus stretched to a ten-year break from recording when, in addition to her other challenges, her husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer six months after they married.[8][13] Olivor put her career on hold to care for him until his death in 1986. In the meantime, she had disputes with Columbia Records over money.[citation needed]
Return to performing and recording
After having sought and received treatment for depression in 1989,[13] Olivor returned to performing in 1990 and discovered that her fan base had remained loyal to her throughout her absence.[8]
In 1991, she sang "The Last Time I Felt Like This" with Johnny Mathis on the Oprah Winfrey Show, in support of the Columbia release Better Together, a compilation album featuring Johnny's most memorable duets. Gradually, she became more active, and in 2000 her first album in eighteen years, Love Decides, featuring Gene Pitney singing harmony on a remake of "Half Heaven, Half Heartache", was released,[14] followed in 2001 by Songs of the Season.[8]
On November 11, 2003, Olivor appeared at the Berklee Performance Center at Berklee College of Music in
In June 2004, Columbia Records released her greatest-hits collection, titled
After having toured extensively for about five years, Olivor once again took some time off. Her last concert was in December 2008.[citation needed]
Charities and public services
Jane Olivor is a staunch supporter of animal rights, and she has taken an interest in the efforts of the Marin Humane Society.[7]
Discography
Albums
Title | Album details | Peak positions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [16] |
AUS [17] | |||||
First Night |
|
— | 70 | |||
Chasing Rainbows |
|
86 | — | |||
Stay the Night |
|
108 | 88 | |||
The Best Side of Goodbye |
|
58 | 95 | |||
Enchanted Evening |
|
— | 33 | |||
Jane Olivor in Concert
|
|
144 | — | |||
So Fine |
|
— | — | |||
Love Decides |
|
— | — | |||
Songs of the Season |
|
— | — | |||
Safe Return (Live) |
|
— | — | |||
The Best of Jane Olivor |
|
— | — | |||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
Singles discography
Year | Single | Peak positions |
Album | |
---|---|---|---|---|
US [18] |
US AC [19] | |||
1976 | "One More Ride on the Merry-Go-Round" | — | — | First Night |
1977 | "Some Enchanted Evening" | 91 | — | |
1978 | "He's So Fine" | 77 | 21 | Stay the Night |
1978 | "Stay the Night" | — | — | |
1979 | "The Last Time I Felt Like This" duet with Johnny Mathis | _ | 15 | single release only |
1980 | "Don't Let Go of Me" | 108 | — | The Best Side of Goodbye |
1982 | "Race to the End (From The Hit Movie "Chariots Of Fire")" | — | — | Jane Olivor in Concert |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
As a featured artist
Year | Single | Peak positions |
Album | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [18] |
US AC [19] |
AUS [17] | |||
1979 | "The Last Time I Felt Like This / As Time Goes By" (with Johnny Mathis) | — | 15 | 98 | The best Days of My Life Johnny Mathis |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart |
References
- ^ Liner notes for CD "The Best of Jane Olivor" by Kristopher Spencer, 2004.
- ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Jane Olivor | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
- ^ Love Decides, allmusic.com. Retrieved February 27, 2008.
- ^ "Saturday Night at The Baths - Cast and Crew". IMDB. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
- ^ Lewis M. Friedman Archived 2007-12-11 at the Wayback Machine, The Estate Project for Artists with AIDS, www.artistswithaids.org. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ a b c Jonathan Frank, Interview with Jane Olivor at Talkin' Broadway Cabaret. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ a b 2008 Jane Olivor Archived 2009-05-14 at the Wayback Machine on Coast to Coast Tickets. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Jane Olivor at corporateartists.com". Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link), The Bazel Group. Retrieved January 20, 2008. - ^ "Tom Catalano - Credits". All Music Guide. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
- ^ a b c Jane Olivor Billboard Chartings at allmusic.com. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
- ^ Awards for Same Time, Next Year, IMDb.com. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ Academy Awards - 1979, IMDb.com. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ a b Steven M. Housman, "Hardly a Plain Jane — Up Close and Very Personal With Jane Olivor"
- ^ "Love Decides - Jane Olivor". AllMusic. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
- National Public Radio, June 27, 2004. Retrieved January 20, 2008.
- ^ "Jane Olivor - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b "Jane Olivor- Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
- ^ a b "Jane Olivor- Adult Contemporary". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2018.
External links
- Jane Olivor at AllMusic
- Jane Olivor Tribute
- Jane Olivor – Official Biography from JaneOlivor.com at the Wayback Machine (archived February 5, 2005)
- Official Biography from JaneOlivor.net at the Wayback Machine (archived February 20, 2012)
- Online profile
- "Life Is a Cabaret" – Boston Globeinterview (2008)
- Jane Olivor at IMDb