The Foote Files: Happy Birthday Doris Day
(CBS 11) - Doris Day is one of the most talented actors and singers of all time, and a well-known animal welfare activist. Our blog today celebrates her 97th birthday that took place Wednesday.
Born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff on April 3, 1922 in Cincinnati, Ohio, she released nearly 30 albums, recorded hundreds of songs, appeared in numerous motion pictures and on network radio, and had one sitcom of her own on CBS Television from 1968-1973. From 1951-1966, she ranked as one of the top ten singers in America. Her feature film work is best remembered for the "bedroom comedies" with actors Rock Hudson and Jams Garner. Day has received numerous awards for her work with animal welfare, lifetime achievement awards, and a Presidential Medal Of Freedom award by President George W. Bush.
Her son, Terry Melcher, was a 1960s rock and rock singer and later a record producer for Columbia Records, who produced songs and albums from Paul Revere & The Raiders.
A blog really does not properly pay tribute to this outstanding lady.
The song today was her first hit called "Sentimental Journey" from 1945. She started her big band singing career in 1939 with orchestra leaders such as Jimmy James, Bob Crosby (Bing's brother) and Les Brown and his Band of Renown. Our song today features Doris, backed up by Brown's band.
Brown had been performing the song during the early 40s but was unable to record it due to a musicians' strike from 1942-1944. When the strike ended, the band along with Doris recorded it. The song was released around the end of World War II so it became an unofficial welcome home song for the troops. With music by Brown and Ben Homer and lyrics by Bud Green, running around 3:30 on the Columbia Records label, it goes like this:
Gonna take a sentimental journey
Gonna set my heart at ease
Gonna make a sentimental journey
To renew old memories
Got my bag, got my reservation
Spent each dime I could afford
Like a child in wild anticipation
Long to hear that all aboard
The song first hit the Billboard charts on March 29, 1945 and stayed there for 23 weeks, and went all the way to #1.
You can hear this song on Sirius XM 40s Junction (channel 73).
Happy Birthday Doris and thanks for the great memories!!