Thelma Carpenter

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This article is about the singer and actress. For the billiards and snooker player, see Thelma Carpenter (billiards player).

Thelma Carpenter
Born(1922-01-15)January 15, 1922
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
OriginUnited States
DiedMay 14, 1997(1997-05-14) (aged 75)
New York City, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Singer
actress
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active1932–1997

Thelma Carpenter (January 15, 1922 – May 14, 1997) was an American jazz singer and actress, best known as "Miss One", the Good Witch of the North in the movie The Wiz.

Early years

Carpenter was born in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Fred and Mary Carpenter,[1] and attended Girls' Commercial High School, where Susan Hayward was a few years ahead.[citation needed]

Career

As a child performer, Carpenter had her own radio show on WNYC in New York and won an amateur night at the Apollo Theatre in 1938, where she would be honored and perform nearly 60 years later on the 1993 all-star NBC-TV special Apollo Theater Hall of Fame, hosted by Bill Cosby.[2] She played at clubs such as Kelly's Stables and the Famous Door on legendary 52nd Street, where she was discovered by John Hammond.

She subsequently made her debut as a band vocalist with

I Dream of You", "Tess's Torch Song" and "My Ideal".[3]

She also made a

RCA Victor Records, and Coral Records, for whom she had a surprising chart hit in 1961, answering Elvis Presley with Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight.[5]

Broadway appearances include

Inside USA with Beatrice Lillie, the 1952 revival of Shuffle Along with Avon Long, Ankles Aweigh with Betty and Jane Kean and the title role in Hello, Dolly! in which she replaced Pearl Bailey more than 100 times[6] and became the fully billed matinee star, with her name in all of the ads.[7] It was in Dolly that she was seen by a producer from Paramount who signed her to co-star as the mother in the TV version of Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park. She created the role of Irene Paige in Bubbling Brown Sugar, starring in the Philadelphia and Washington engagements, but left prior to the Broadway opening, and was featured in the original workshop production of Taking My Turn.[8]

Carpenter toured nationally as the showstopping "Berthe" in

RCA Victor, Columbia and Coral and her answer-record to Elvis Presley, "Yes, I'm Lonesome Tonight", reached the Billboard Top 60 in 1961. She also had a critically acclaimed album, "Thinking of You Tonight".[9]

Carpenter's television appearances began as early as the 1940s (including

Cavalcade of Stars with Jackie Gleason, Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town, "Floor Show" with Eddie Condon and "Kreisler Bandstand" with Duke Ellington), and she was prominently featured on the 1993 NBC special Apollo Theater Hall of Fame with Diana Ross, Eric Clapton and Bill Cosby.[10]

A 26-track compilation of her major recordings entitled "Seems Like Old Times"[11] was issued by Sepia Records in 2006.[12] An album compilation with Ellis Larkins and Alec Wilder entitled Souvenir, is available on Audiophile Records.[13]

Acting career

In the 1970s, Carpenter began an acting career and starred in the sitcom version of Barefoot in the Park, as well as several television movies, (The Devil's Daughter), comedy shows, and such feature films as The Wiz and The Cotton Club.

Death

Carpenter suffered cardiac arrest and died in New York on May 14, 1997. She was cremated and left no immediate survivors.

Filmography

Notable television appearances

References

  1. ^ "Thelma Carpenter".
  2. ^ Gelder, Lawrence Van (May 17, 1997). "Thelma Carpenter, 77, Singer With Big Bands". The New York Times. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  3. ^ "Basie in the 1940s: Time of Transition". Rutgers.edu. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2017.
  4. ^ Holden, Stephen (July 19, 1989). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  5. ^ "Thelma Carpenter most popular songs with lyrics". Song-database.com. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  6. ^ Calta, Louis (October 10, 1969). "Thelma Carpenter in 5th 'Dolly' Week". The New York Times. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  7. ^ "Thelma Carpenter – Call On Dolly". Callondolly.com. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  8. ^ Gussow, Mel (August 29, 1975). "A Major Season to Light Up Broadway (Published 1975)". The New York Times.
  9. ^ "Thelma Carpenter - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2015.
  10. ^ "Theater Reviews". The New York Times. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  11. ^ "Seems Like Old Times". Amazon. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
  12. ^ "Seems Like Old Times - Thelma Carpenter (Sepia 1080)". Archived from the original on January 2, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  13. ^ "Thelma Carpenter – A Souvenir, Plus Conversations With Alec Wilder, Loonis Mcglohon And Thelma Carpenter – featured on Audiophile Records Label". Jazzology.com. Retrieved June 24, 2017.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thelma_Carpenter&oldid=1213603040"