In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Anita Kerr Singers

Mixed Vocal Jazz Ensemble from Geneva.

In the 1950s and '60s, the Anita Kerr Singers were one of the most popular group of backup vocalists in all of country music, appearing on countless recordings by renowned Nashville artists. Kerr was the group's leader, but was joined by alto Dottie Dillard, tenor Gil Wright, and baritone Louis Nunley, as the quartet initially gained attention by performing on the NBC radio program Sunday Down South in the early '50s, which led to a contract with Decca Records. In 1956, the Anita Kerr Singers landed a spot on the New York-based Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts TV show, which led to further broadcast appearances (although the group never let their session work for others subside). Around the same time, Chet Atkins (then the head of RCA Records' country division) took the group under his wing, which led to the quartet appearing on countless recordings by renowned artists. The Singers continued to record and tour straight through the '60s, even managing to issue several of their own albums, including Anita Kerr Singers Reflect on the Hits of Burt Bacharach & Hal David, Velvet Voices and Bold Brass, and Simon & Garfunkel Songbook, among others.

Directed by Anita Kerr.

Awards
1967 - Grammy Winners - Best Performance by a Vocal Group - Anita Kerr - A Man and a Woman
1966 - Grammy Winners - Best Performance by a Vocal Group - Anita Kerr - We Dig Mancini

Songbooks, Arrangements and/or Media

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Anita Kerr Singers : From Nashville... The Hits of Anita Kerr

Sometimes a quartet, sometimes an octet, the former Anita Jean Grilli's groups had possibly even more to do with reshaping country music from the mid-1950s to mid-1960s than Elvis and the Jordanaires. The direction in which she took country music is very clear on "From Nashville:" pop and light classics, not country. Still, these 12 bright, smooth, upbeat hits, accompanied by saxophones and massed violins are powerful and fine. Songs like "Hey, Joe," "My Last Date (With You)," "Singing the Blues," "You Don't Know Me," "The Old Master Painter," "Night Train to Memphis," "Bye, Bye Love" "Four Walls" and "Oh Lonesome Me" opened up the possibility of scoring major pop hits for country singers, and Anita was in on the ground floor of a fast-growing recording industry in Nashville. More than a period piece, "From Nashville" is country and pop music history in the making.

Songlist: Hey Joe, My Last Date (With You), Singing The Blues, The Old Master Painter, You Don't Know Me, Near You, Night Train to Memphis, I'll Hold You In My Heart, Bye Bye Love, Four Walls, Oh Lonesome Me, Half As Much

Anita Kerr SIngers : Sounds

This accompanied pop classic of "Sounds" (dig the new sounds, baby) from Anita and her often-changing group of singers from the late 60s features a more saccharine, innocent take on that turbulent era. For the first time in her career, Anita selects songs that had not been hits, the only two immediately hummable songs being "Swinging on a Star" and "The Beat Goes On," a hit for Sonny & Cher in 1966. 12 songs that are generally new to our ears, polished with sweet vocals and strings: "Happiness," "Wine in the Wind," "Say You Do," "Long Live Our Love," "I Would Love You," "The Two of Us," "I've Got Love Going for Me" and "They Always Ask Me"...these are romantic songs to slow dance and fall in love to, that would fit right in on Lawrence Welk's or Andy Williams' show, the kind of songs sung by Anita and her Singers to appreciative audiences from 4 generations.

Songlist: Happiness, Wine in the Wind, Today is, Say You Do, I'm Falling in Love Again, Long Live Our Love, I Would Love You, The Beat Goes On, The Two of Us, I've Got Love Going for Me, They Always Ask Me, Swinging on a Star

Individual Folios

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