Essential Works 1941 - 1960

Description

Peggy Lee had an unhappy childhood, which seems to be a prerequisite for success stories in the entertainment world. Born Norma Deloris Egstrom, she lost her mother at four and was raised by a stepmother who treated her like a slave. At seven, she cooked, cleaned the house, baked bread, milked cows, churned butter, did laundry. At eight, she ran the household seven days a week, cared for the newborn, and was beaten because what she did was not good enough. But she had her moments of happiness; as soon as she could, she would join her father at work, too drunk to perform his duties, and she would do his job for him. On another front, Roosevelt declared war on Germany. But this life forged a strength of character and a capacity for rebellion that would be the weapons that led Peggy to the top. The 28 tracks on this album are simply 28 masterpieces that she performs with Benny Goodman, Dave Barbour, Pete Candoli, and others.