Hear Dat New Orleans by Michael Murphy

Author:Michael Murphy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Countryman Press
Published: 2016-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 8

Divas and Crooners

It’s just something about the way we, as performers from this city, the way we do things. We hear extra sounds in our heads—extra beats, extra backbeats, extra rhythms that people from other parts of the United States just don’t understand or get. —Irma Thomas

In many cities, a lounge singer or club performer becomes an integral part of their city’s identity. In New York City, Bobby Short was the featured icon at The Carlyle hotel for 35 years. In Minneapolis, the legendary Lou Snider (who was my personal icon) held court at Nye’s Polonaise Room. Decked out in her leopard-patterned spandex and kitty cat glasses, for nearly 50 years she sat upfront, beneath a smoke-stained portrait of Chopin and took requests. She seemed to know every pop song and show tune ever written. Every time I visited the Twin Cities, going out to hear her sing was mandatory. New Orleans has its share of divas and crooners, too. This chapter will focus on both those who are no longer around and those who are still singing, so that you can hear them, live, while you’re here.

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