Joan Regan
Encyclopedia
Joan Regan is a traditional pop music
Traditional pop music
Traditional pop or classic pop or standards music denotes, in general, Western popular music that either wholly predates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s, or to any popular music which exists concurrently to rock and roll but originated in a time before the appearance of rock and roll,...

 singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

 from the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, popular during the 1950s and early 1960s.

Biography

Before becoming a singer, Regan worked at a number of jobs, including re-touching photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...

s. The beginning of her successful singing career in 1953 resulted from her making a demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...

 record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

 of "Too Young
Too Young
"Too Young" is a popular song.The music was written by Sidney Lippman, the lyrics by Sylvia Dee. The song was published in 1951.In the United States, the best-known version of the song was recorded by Nat King Cole on February 6, 1951 and released by Capitol Records as catalog number 1449...

" and "I'll Walk Alone
I'll Walk Alone
"I'll Walk Alone" is a 1944 popular song with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. The song, like others that came out during the World War II years such as "Till Then," reflects the enforced separation of couples caused by the war...

". The demo came to the attention of Bernard Delfont
Bernard Delfont
Bernard Delfont, Baron Delfont , born Boris Winogradsky, was a leading Russian-born British theatrical impresario....

, leading to her signing a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...

 with Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....

. She had a number of Top 40 hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...

 for that label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

, many of them cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

s of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 hits by Teresa Brewer
Teresa Brewer
Teresa Brewer was an American pop singer whose style incorporated elements of country, jazz, R&B, musicals and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of the 1950s, recording nearly 600 songs. Born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio, Brewer died of a neuromuscular...

 ("Ricochet
Ricochet (song)
"Ricochet" is a popular song. The credits show it to be written by Larry Coleman, Joe Darion, and Norman Gimbel, without apportioning the work on the lyrics and music, in 1953...

", "Till I Waltz Again with You
Till I Waltz Again with You
"Till I Waltz Again with You" is a popular song written by Sid Prosen and published in 1952. Rather than a waltz, it is a slow AABA shuffle.The recording by Teresa Brewer was recorded on August 19, 1952 and released by Coral Records as catalog number 60873...

", and "Jilted
Jilted (song)
"Jilted" is a popular song with music by Dick Manning and lyrics by Robert Colby, published in 1954.Teresa Brewer recorded the biggest-selling version on December 29, 1953. This recording was released by Coral Records as catalog number 61152. It first reached the U.S. Billboard chart on April 14,...

"), Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...

 ("If I Give My Heart to You
If I Give My Heart to You
"If I Give My Heart to You" is a popular song written by Jimmy Brewster, Jimmie Crane, and Al Jacobs.The most popular versions of the song were recorded by Doris Day and Denise Lor; both charted in 1954. Anne Shelton recorded a version for the UK market, but it lost out to the Day version, as well...

") and Jill Corey
Jill Corey
Jill Corey is a retired American traditional pop singer.Nee Norma Jean Speranza in Avonmore, Pennsylvania, about forty miles east of Pittsburgh, a coal mining community, Corey was the youngest of five children...

 ("Cleo and Me-O" and "Love Me to Pieces
Love Me to Pieces
"Love Me to Pieces" is a popular and country song. It was written by Melvin Endsley and was published in 1957.The song was recorded by a number of country music singers, including Janis Martin, Kitty Wells and Rusty & Doug...

").
Regan became the resident singer on BBC
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...

's producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...

 Richard Afton's television series, Quite Contrary. Afton later replaced Regan with Ruby Murray
Ruby Murray
Ruby Murray was one of the most popular singers in the United Kingdom and Ireland in the 1950s. In 1955 alone, she secured seven Top 10 UK hit singles.-Child star:...

. She appeared on the Six-Five Special
Six-Five Special
The Six-Five Special is a British television programme launched in February 1957 when both television and rock and roll were in their infancy in Britain.-Description:...

and was given her own BBC
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...

 television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...

, Be My Guest, which ran for four series. After being knocked out by a descending safety curtain
Safety curtain
A safety curtain is a fire safety precaution used in large proscenium theatres. It is usually a heavy fibreglass or iron curtain located immediately behind the proscenium arch. Asbestos-based materials were originally used to manufacture the curtain, before the dangers of asbestos were discovered...

 during her first appearance in variety
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...

, she developed her act to include impression
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...

s of Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...

, Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...

 and actress Anna Neagle
Anna Neagle
Forming a professional alliance with Wilcox, Neagle played her first starring film role in the musical Goodnight Vienna , again with Jack Buchanan. With this film Neagle became an overnight favourite...

, to whom she bore a facial resemblance.

In the late 1950s, she appeared several times at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...

, including the Royal Command Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...

 and also in the show, Stars In Your Eyes. In 1958 she appeared as herself in the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

, Hello London.

On leaving Decca in 1958, she signed with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

's HMV label, where she had a Top 10 hit with a cover version of the McGuire Sisters'
The McGuire Sisters
The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: Christine McGuire , Dorothy McGuire , and Phyllis McGuire...

 "May You Always
May You Always
"May You Always" is a popular song by Larry Markes and Dick Charles , published in 1959.The biggest hit version in the United States was by The McGuire Sisters ; in the United Kingdom, by Joan Regan . The song was also subsequently covered by Bobby Vinton and Maureen Evans...

". Two years later, she left EMI for Pye Records
Pye Records
Pye Records was a British record label. In its first incarnation, perhaps Pye's best known artists were Lonnie Donegan , Petula Clark , The Searchers , The Kinks , Sandie Shaw and Brotherhood of Man...

 and two minor record successes ("Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary (1959 song)
"Happy Anniversary" is a popular song with music written by Robert Allen and lyrics by Al Stillman and published in 1959. It was introduced in the movie of the same name. Recordings have been made by The Four Lads, Jane Morgan, Maureen Evans and Joan Regan....

" and "Papa Loves Mama").

She married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 Harry Claff in 1957 who was the joint general manager and box office manager at the Palladium. In November that year, the Daily Herald reported that she was to have a baby in February of the following year [1958] - seven months after the wedding. After receiving "abusive and wounding letters from people who were personally unknown to her', Regan successfully sued the newspaper for libel, and her daughter was actually born in April. They divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...

d in 1963 after he was jailed for five years for fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...

. By this time, the hits had completely dried up and she suffered a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...

, and relocated to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, marrying a doctor, Martin Cowan.

In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Regan recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...

 two singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 for Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

 (one of which, "Don't Talk To Me About Love", went on to become a Northern soul
Northern soul
Northern soul is a music and dance movement that emerged from the British mod scene, initially in northern England in the late 1960s. Northern soul mainly consists of a particular style of black American soul music based on the heavy beat and fast tempo of the mid-1960s Tamla Motown sound...

 classic). In 1984 she slipped in the shower, hit her head on the tiles, and suffered a brain haemorrhage. After an emergency operation she was left paralyzed and speechless. Her recovery, which entailed much physical and speech therapy, was aided by her miming to her old records. It took many months of treatment before she regained the ability to sing. In 1987, some of those old tracks, together with others by Dickie Valentine
Dickie Valentine
Dickie Valentine was an English pop singer in the 1950s.-Early life:Valentine was born Richard Maxwell , though Valentine was known as Richard Bryce as his mother later married Bryce and gave her young son the same name. He was born in Marylebone, London...

, Lita Roza
Lita Roza
Lita Roza was a British singer. Her 1953 number one hit record " That Doggie in the Window?" afforded Roza the privilege of being the first British female singer to top the UK Singles Chart, and the first Liverpudlian to do so.-Biography:Born Lilian Patricia Lita Roza in Liverpool, Lancashire,...

 and Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young (disc jockey)
Sir Jimmy Young CBE was a British singer, disc jockey and radio interviewer.-Early life:...

, were issued on the double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....

, Unchained Melodies.

She returned to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 in the 1990s and, with the help and encouragement of Russ Conway
Russ Conway
Russ Conway was a British popular music pianist. Conway had 20 piano instrumentals in the UK Singles Chart between 1957 and 1963, including two number one hits.-Career:...

 (who had been her rehearsal pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...

 in the early 1950s ) she resumed her stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...

 appearances. She recorded for Nectar Records from 1992 to 1996, for whom she made a single ("You Needed Me
You Needed Me
"You Needed Me" became the second single for Irish Boyband Boyzone from their album By Request. The single became number #1 on the UK Singles Chart, beating the debut solo single of Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, outselling her by just 700 copies...

") and two albums (The Joan Regan Collection and Remember I Love You).

Later years

Joan Regan lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 and continues to make stage appearances, many for charitable
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 causes.

Singles

  • "Ricochet
    Ricochet (song)
    "Ricochet" is a popular song. The credits show it to be written by Larry Coleman, Joe Darion, and Norman Gimbel, without apportioning the work on the lyrics and music, in 1953...

    " (1953) (with The Squadronaires
    The Squadronaires
    The Squadronaires is a Royal Air Force band which began and performed in England during and after World War II. The official title of the band was 'The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra', but it was always known by the more popular title "The Squadronaires"....

    ) (cover
    Cover version
    In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...

     of Teresa Brewer
    Teresa Brewer
    Teresa Brewer was an American pop singer whose style incorporated elements of country, jazz, R&B, musicals and novelty songs. She was one of the most prolific and popular female singers of the 1950s, recording nearly 600 songs. Born Theresa Breuer in Toledo, Ohio, Brewer died of a neuromuscular...

    ) - UK
    UK Singles Chart
    The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

     #8
  • "Someone Else's Roses" (1954) (cover of Doris Day
    Doris Day
    Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...

    ) - UK #5
  • "If I Give My Heart to You
    If I Give My Heart to You
    "If I Give My Heart to You" is a popular song written by Jimmy Brewster, Jimmie Crane, and Al Jacobs.The most popular versions of the song were recorded by Doris Day and Denise Lor; both charted in 1954. Anne Shelton recorded a version for the UK market, but it lost out to the Day version, as well...

    " (1954) (cover of Doris Day) - UK 3
  • "Wait For Me, Darling" (1954) (with The Johnston Brothers
    The Johnston Brothers
    The Johnston Brothers were a vocal group who had a #1 hit in the UK Singles Chart in 1955 with their cover version of "Hernando's Hideaway".The group was formed by Johnny Johnston...

    ) - UK #18
  • "Prize of Gold" (1955) (used in main credits of the film
    Film
    A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

    , A Prize of Gold
    A Prize of Gold
    A Prize of Gold is a British 1955 Warwick Films heist film directed by Mark Robson partly filmed in West Berlin. The film stars Richard Widmark as a United States Air Force Air Police Master Sergeant motivated by love and compassion to begin a life of crime...

    ) - UK 6
  • "Open Up Your Heart
    Open up Your Heart (and Let the Sunshine in)
    "Open up Your Heart " is a popular song. It was written by Stuart Hamblen. The song was published in 1954.The biggest hit version in the United States was a recording by the Cowboy Church Sunday School ; in the United Kingdom, by Joan Regan and her son Rusty...

    " (1955) (Joan and Rusty Regan) (cover of the Cowboy Church Sunday School) - UK #19
  • "May You Always
    May You Always
    "May You Always" is a popular song by Larry Markes and Dick Charles , published in 1959.The biggest hit version in the United States was by The McGuire Sisters ; in the United Kingdom, by Joan Regan . The song was also subsequently covered by Bobby Vinton and Maureen Evans...

    " (1959) (cover of The McGuire Sisters
    The McGuire Sisters
    The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: Christine McGuire , Dorothy McGuire , and Phyllis McGuire...

    ) - UK #9
  • "Happy Anniversary
    Happy Anniversary (1959 song)
    "Happy Anniversary" is a popular song with music written by Robert Allen and lyrics by Al Stillman and published in 1959. It was introduced in the movie of the same name. Recordings have been made by The Four Lads, Jane Morgan, Maureen Evans and Joan Regan....

    " (1960) (cover of Jane Morgan
    Jane Morgan
    Jane Morgan is an American popular singer, specializing in traditional pop music. Her first broad fame came in Europe....

    ) - UK #29
  • "Papa Loves Mama" (1960) - UK #29
  • "One of the Lucky Ones" (1960) - UK #47
  • "It Must Be Santa" (1961) - UK #42


Albums

  • The Girl Next Door (1955) (Decca)
  • Just Joan (1957) (Decca)
  • Joan And Ted (1961) (Pye-Nixa)
  • Remember I Love You (1996) (Nectar Music)


Songs

Regan recorded a number of other songs, including "Love Me to Pieces
Love Me to Pieces
"Love Me to Pieces" is a popular and country song. It was written by Melvin Endsley and was published in 1957.The song was recorded by a number of country music singers, including Janis Martin, Kitty Wells and Rusty & Doug...

", "Most People Get Married
Most People Get Married
"Most People Get Married" is a popular song.The music was written by Leon Carr, the lyrics by Earl Shuman. The song was published in 1962.A version by Patti Page charted in 1962, reaching #27 on the Billboard magazine charts...

", "Pine Tree, Pine over Me
Pine Tree, Pine over Me
"Pine Tree, Pine over Me" is a popular song written by Roy Jordan, Sid Bass, and Jimmy Brewster. It was published in 1953.The best-selling version in the United States was a recording by Johnny Desmond, Eileen Barton, and The McGuire Sisters on Coral Records . The song spent one week on the Cash...

", "It's a Big, Wide, Wonderful World
It's A Big, Wide, Wonderful World
"It's A Big, Wide, Wonderful World" is a popular song written by John Rox and published in 1939.The song first appeared in the 1940 Broadway musical play All In Fun.The version by Buddy Clark reached a peak on the Billboard charts at #25 in 1949....

", "That Old Feeling
That Old Feeling (song)
"That Old Feeling" is a popular song.The music was written by Sammy Fain, the lyrics by Lew Brown. The song was published in 1937.The song first appeared in the movie Vogues of 1938, actually released in 1937. It was immediately a hit in a version recorded by Shep Fields and His Rippling Rhythm...

", "Anema e Core
Anema e core (song)
"Anema e core" is a popular song.The music was written by Salvatore d'Esposito. The original Italian lyrics were written by Domenico Titomanlio.-The original Neapolitan version:It was first introduced in 1950, sung by the tenor Tito Schipa....

", "Croce di Oro
Croce di Oro
"Croce di Oro" is a popular song, written by James "Kim" Gannon.It was popularized by Patti Page in 1955.The Page recording was released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70713. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on November 12, 1955...

" and "This Ole House
This Ole House
"This Ole House" is a popular song written by Stuart Hamblen, and published in 1954.-Background:Hamblen was supposedly out on a hunting expedition when he and his fellow hunter, actor John Wayne, came across a tumbledown hut in the mountains, many miles from civilization...

".

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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