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Is That All There Is?: The Strange Life of Peggy Lee
From the author of the “definitive” ( Vanity Fair ) biography of Lena Horne, Stormy Weather , comes a brilliantly written portrait of recording artist and musical legend Peggy Lee.
“She made you think that she knew who you were, that she was singing only to you...”
Miss Peggy Lee cast a spell when she sang. She purred so intimately in nightclubs that couples clasped hands and huddled closer. She hypnotized, even on television. Lee epitomized cool, but her trademark song, “Fever”—covered by Beyoncé and Madonna—is the essence of sizzling sexual heat. Her jazz sense dazzled Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. She was the voice of swing, the voice of blues, and she provided four of the voices for Walt Disney’s Lady and the Tramp , whose score she co-wrote. But who was the woman behind the Mona Lisa smile?
With elegant writing and impeccable research, including interviews with hundreds who knew Lee, acclaimed music journalist James Gavin offers the most revealing look yet at an artist of infinite contradictions and layers. Lee was a North Dakota prairie girl who became a temptress of enduring mystique. She was a singer-songwriter before the term existed. Lee “had incredible confidence onstage,” observed the Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop; yet inner turmoil wracked her. She spun a romantic nirvana in her songs, but couldn’t sustain one in reality. As she passed middle age, Lee dwelled increasingly in a bizarre dreamland. She died in 2002 at the age of eighty-one, but Lee’s fascination has only grown since.
This masterful account of Peggy Lee’s strange and enchanting life is a long overdue portrait of an artist who redefined popular singing.
“She made you think that she knew who you were, that she was singing only to you...”
Miss Peggy Lee cast a spell when she sang. She purred so intimately in nightclubs that couples clasped hands and huddled closer. She hypnotized, even on television. Lee epitomized cool, but her trademark song, “Fever”—covered by Beyoncé and Madonna—is the essence of sizzling sexual heat. Her jazz sense dazzled Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong. She was the voice of swing, the voice of blues, and she provided four of the voices for Walt Disney’s Lady and the Tramp , whose score she co-wrote. But who was the woman behind the Mona Lisa smile?
With elegant writing and impeccable research, including interviews with hundreds who knew Lee, acclaimed music journalist James Gavin offers the most revealing look yet at an artist of infinite contradictions and layers. Lee was a North Dakota prairie girl who became a temptress of enduring mystique. She was a singer-songwriter before the term existed. Lee “had incredible confidence onstage,” observed the Godfather of Punk, Iggy Pop; yet inner turmoil wracked her. She spun a romantic nirvana in her songs, but couldn’t sustain one in reality. As she passed middle age, Lee dwelled increasingly in a bizarre dreamland. She died in 2002 at the age of eighty-one, but Lee’s fascination has only grown since.
This masterful account of Peggy Lee’s strange and enchanting life is a long overdue portrait of an artist who redefined popular singing.
608 pages, Hardcover
First published November 11, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 23, 2014
"Is That All There Is?: The Strange Life of Peggy Lee" is superb and well researched complete with interviews and pages of wonderful photos. Author/historian James Gavin has written notable biographies of Lena Horne, Chet Baker, the New York Cabaret music scene, World War II, and several books on health and wellness. He lives in NYC.
Norma Deloris Egstrom (1920-2002) was born and raised in the severe harshness of the North Dakota plains, the seventh of eight children: her father an alcoholic, and her cruel stepmother would permanently affect her life and attitude. Norma would change name to Peggy Lee and flee to California, where she began her long career singing in the "swing band" for Benny Goodman. Lee's unmistakable ambition, talent, beauty, and stage persona, took her to the highest peak of fame. Lee had multiple number one hits, and received numerous prestigious awards for her contribution to popular music, her remarkable career lasted six decades.
Gavin portrays the rise to the peak of her fame wasn't all the hype, glitz, glamour, Lee projected on stage. Married four times, Lee never fit the submissive homemaker role that culturally defined the 1950's to early 1960's; nor did her husbands have much luck as "Mr. Peggy Lee". Lee seemed to get involved with men who were unavailable: many were either married or gay. Lee's name was in Frank Sinatra's "little black book" along with Marilyn Monroe's.
Lee had difficulty keeping staff, the employment agency ran out of staff willing to work for her. Lee's tendency to demean and abuse was likely was traced to her experience at the hand of her stepmother Min Schaumber. Eventually friends and long term staff quit: Lou Levy, Brian Panella, Betty Jungheim, Bob Mardesich, Doak Roberts, and one of her favorite who worked tirelessly for her success; Bruce Richard. Richard worked for Lee at the peak of his professional career, was denied a well deserved raise, and died of AIDS in the mid 1980's. Jungheim, after years of service was denied unemployment insurance when Lee abruptly fired her, was forced to file a lawsuit to recover damages.
As she aged, Lee was plagued with poor health. Refusing to follow her doctor's orders she continued smoking, failed to follow healthy diet and exercise recommendations, worked to the point of exhaustion often performing (in later years) in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank nearby. She received friends, family, staff and assorted visitors from her bed where she kept her false eyelashes, turban, and make-up at hand.
By the 1980's music tastes had changed drastically, the disco scene of the late 1970's gave way to synthesized sounds of punk, hard rock, rave, glam, and the numerous forms and styles that defined pop music. Peggy Lee had difficulty accepting that there would likely be a limited audience for her lavish 1983 orchestra/instrumental production: "Peg: The Broadway Show", which closed after a few performances. The unspoken metaphorical theme of Lee as a Cinderella type didn't go over well. Lee continued to perform successfully on various TV variety shows and programs, concerts, and assorted venues. There is a Peggy Lee museum located in Wimbledon, N.D.
Norma Deloris Egstrom (1920-2002) was born and raised in the severe harshness of the North Dakota plains, the seventh of eight children: her father an alcoholic, and her cruel stepmother would permanently affect her life and attitude. Norma would change name to Peggy Lee and flee to California, where she began her long career singing in the "swing band" for Benny Goodman. Lee's unmistakable ambition, talent, beauty, and stage persona, took her to the highest peak of fame. Lee had multiple number one hits, and received numerous prestigious awards for her contribution to popular music, her remarkable career lasted six decades.
Gavin portrays the rise to the peak of her fame wasn't all the hype, glitz, glamour, Lee projected on stage. Married four times, Lee never fit the submissive homemaker role that culturally defined the 1950's to early 1960's; nor did her husbands have much luck as "Mr. Peggy Lee". Lee seemed to get involved with men who were unavailable: many were either married or gay. Lee's name was in Frank Sinatra's "little black book" along with Marilyn Monroe's.
Lee had difficulty keeping staff, the employment agency ran out of staff willing to work for her. Lee's tendency to demean and abuse was likely was traced to her experience at the hand of her stepmother Min Schaumber. Eventually friends and long term staff quit: Lou Levy, Brian Panella, Betty Jungheim, Bob Mardesich, Doak Roberts, and one of her favorite who worked tirelessly for her success; Bruce Richard. Richard worked for Lee at the peak of his professional career, was denied a well deserved raise, and died of AIDS in the mid 1980's. Jungheim, after years of service was denied unemployment insurance when Lee abruptly fired her, was forced to file a lawsuit to recover damages.
As she aged, Lee was plagued with poor health. Refusing to follow her doctor's orders she continued smoking, failed to follow healthy diet and exercise recommendations, worked to the point of exhaustion often performing (in later years) in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank nearby. She received friends, family, staff and assorted visitors from her bed where she kept her false eyelashes, turban, and make-up at hand.
By the 1980's music tastes had changed drastically, the disco scene of the late 1970's gave way to synthesized sounds of punk, hard rock, rave, glam, and the numerous forms and styles that defined pop music. Peggy Lee had difficulty accepting that there would likely be a limited audience for her lavish 1983 orchestra/instrumental production: "Peg: The Broadway Show", which closed after a few performances. The unspoken metaphorical theme of Lee as a Cinderella type didn't go over well. Lee continued to perform successfully on various TV variety shows and programs, concerts, and assorted venues. There is a Peggy Lee museum located in Wimbledon, N.D.
July 24, 2016
This is a very well researched biography of Peggy Lee. Author James Gavin not only tells of her life but gives details on the music industry, band members and copyright litigation. Through the Peggy Lee story, you see what it was like for Lee’s generation of stars as rock and roll took over the music industry.
Her early story is as incredible as it was improbable. She grew up in towns of 200-400 people with an alcoholic father and a step mother whom she hated. She had no mentor, music teacher, no aunt, uncle, older sibling guiding her. She forged her own trail, singing on the radio and hitting the “big time” in Fargo (ND). The end of her life was equally improbable. She survived the changes in the music audience and the stigma of age by sometimes adapting the new songs and sometimes sticking with the material that made her famous. She sang despite a host of real and imagined physical problems, the most striking was falling upon entering the stage, breaking bones, and singing for the audience until an ambulance arrived.
One of the points that stayed with me is how she was able to keep in control of her work. She hired the musicians and arrangers she wanted no matter what the cost, which she, not the label or club, often paid. She also wrote lyrics, most notably adding verses to “Fever” and material for “Lady and the Tramp”.
While the abuse she might have suffered as a child is debatable, it is clear she wasn’t spoiled; that seemed to come with stardom. Gavin shows her as every inch a diva: overspending, over-medicating, over-dressing and lavishly entertaining. She can be generous at one time and selfishly demanding at another.
The book shows some very troubled relationships. Of her four husbands and many lovers, she claims to love only one, her first husband, the father of her only child. While close to their daughter, he doesn’t seem to care for Lee at all, at times putting her down. The few episodes cited about her daughter (who was raised by others and who as an adult lived with Lee along with her husband and 3 kids) show financial dependency and passive aggression. Many former staffers praise Lee and cite working for her as an education in itself. Others are fired after years of bending to long hours and whim.
While Lee basked in the acceptance of women of the younger generation (Madonna; K. D. Lang) who paid her homage, she was obsessively competitive with their elders such as Elizabeth Taylor and Barbra Streisand. She had many admirers, some who may have been former lovers who reached out to her and/or sent flowers when she was ill or had achieved. There is a relationship with neighbor, Frank Sinatra that I’ve not read of elsewhere. She had the admiration of Paul McCartney and many others who changed the music industry thereby eclipsing those of her generation in the eyes of record executives.
Lee forged ahead and went way beyond her roots and what was expected (or “permitted”) for women of her time. Not one of her 4 husbands appreciated her success. She was considered washed up before she became 40. That she had to live with the Muppet creation of “Miss Piggy(Peggy)” remains disturbing but it may be a good example of the subtle lack of respect for achieving women well into the 1970’s. Almost 50 years hence, with far less sexism to contend with, I wonder how Lee would fare in today’s world where “forty is the new fifty”, the word “risqué” has lost its meaning and husbands are typically proud when their wives succeed in their careers.
This book is so detailed, I would only recommend it for Lee’s fans or those interested in the changes in record industry and the lives of those performers as their style of music took a back seat to rock and roll.
Her early story is as incredible as it was improbable. She grew up in towns of 200-400 people with an alcoholic father and a step mother whom she hated. She had no mentor, music teacher, no aunt, uncle, older sibling guiding her. She forged her own trail, singing on the radio and hitting the “big time” in Fargo (ND). The end of her life was equally improbable. She survived the changes in the music audience and the stigma of age by sometimes adapting the new songs and sometimes sticking with the material that made her famous. She sang despite a host of real and imagined physical problems, the most striking was falling upon entering the stage, breaking bones, and singing for the audience until an ambulance arrived.
One of the points that stayed with me is how she was able to keep in control of her work. She hired the musicians and arrangers she wanted no matter what the cost, which she, not the label or club, often paid. She also wrote lyrics, most notably adding verses to “Fever” and material for “Lady and the Tramp”.
While the abuse she might have suffered as a child is debatable, it is clear she wasn’t spoiled; that seemed to come with stardom. Gavin shows her as every inch a diva: overspending, over-medicating, over-dressing and lavishly entertaining. She can be generous at one time and selfishly demanding at another.
The book shows some very troubled relationships. Of her four husbands and many lovers, she claims to love only one, her first husband, the father of her only child. While close to their daughter, he doesn’t seem to care for Lee at all, at times putting her down. The few episodes cited about her daughter (who was raised by others and who as an adult lived with Lee along with her husband and 3 kids) show financial dependency and passive aggression. Many former staffers praise Lee and cite working for her as an education in itself. Others are fired after years of bending to long hours and whim.
While Lee basked in the acceptance of women of the younger generation (Madonna; K. D. Lang) who paid her homage, she was obsessively competitive with their elders such as Elizabeth Taylor and Barbra Streisand. She had many admirers, some who may have been former lovers who reached out to her and/or sent flowers when she was ill or had achieved. There is a relationship with neighbor, Frank Sinatra that I’ve not read of elsewhere. She had the admiration of Paul McCartney and many others who changed the music industry thereby eclipsing those of her generation in the eyes of record executives.
Lee forged ahead and went way beyond her roots and what was expected (or “permitted”) for women of her time. Not one of her 4 husbands appreciated her success. She was considered washed up before she became 40. That she had to live with the Muppet creation of “Miss Piggy(Peggy)” remains disturbing but it may be a good example of the subtle lack of respect for achieving women well into the 1970’s. Almost 50 years hence, with far less sexism to contend with, I wonder how Lee would fare in today’s world where “forty is the new fifty”, the word “risqué” has lost its meaning and husbands are typically proud when their wives succeed in their careers.
This book is so detailed, I would only recommend it for Lee’s fans or those interested in the changes in record industry and the lives of those performers as their style of music took a back seat to rock and roll.
March 12, 2015
Peggy Lee was a woman like no other. Determined, stubborn, somewhat crazy, smart like a fox, her life is a testament to a decades long career. Like so many super talented people, her personal life got lost in the pursuit of her career. She always had this void in her life and she was never able to fill it. However, it was this very void that made her singing so striking. She was one of a kind and no one will ever be able to replicate her uniqueness.
January 20, 2015
IS THAT ALL THERE IS? THE STRANGE LIFE OF PEGGY LEE
James Gavin
A very good biography aptly named the strange life of Peggy Lee. She was a marvelous singer, songwriter and an expert at the image and control of Miss Peggy Lee. Have been a fan for many years,I knew most of the facts about her personal life, but enjoyed the book.
Unless you are a jazz and pop music aficionado this book may be a bit too long. Mr. Gavin details every song, composer, arranger, and musician for each song. For me it was great fun to visit the world of music and musicians I have long admired.
Miss Lee was a damaged, frightened woman who was consumed by the need to be loved despite putting her career and her choices first. A sad woman but a brilliant singer.
James Gavin
A very good biography aptly named the strange life of Peggy Lee. She was a marvelous singer, songwriter and an expert at the image and control of Miss Peggy Lee. Have been a fan for many years,I knew most of the facts about her personal life, but enjoyed the book.
Unless you are a jazz and pop music aficionado this book may be a bit too long. Mr. Gavin details every song, composer, arranger, and musician for each song. For me it was great fun to visit the world of music and musicians I have long admired.
Miss Lee was a damaged, frightened woman who was consumed by the need to be loved despite putting her career and her choices first. A sad woman but a brilliant singer.
December 4, 2021
Awful. Both the book and Peggy Lee. It's not that I don't have any empathy or sympathy for her, but when someone, who is apparently at the very least highly exaggerating if not outright lying about her past, tells the child of holocaust survivors that what she went through was "much worse", and says she identifies with slaves because of having to get up early to do chores before school as child, you can't really argue that they aren't an awful person. Her trying to sue a hotel for millions of dollars for something that didn't occur also painted her in a rather bad light. I'm not saying that she was only an awful person and she didn't have a good side or any good qualities, but it seems that bad side was quite a big part of who she was. Bonus points for awfulness: when she gives her sister a down payment to buy a house for her family but insists it is put in her name, then even though they were the one's paying the mortgage for years and tried many times to get it put in their names, when her sister dies, right after the funeral she declares that the house is now hers.
Now on to the book: I went in without being a huge fan of Peggy, but I knew of her and appreciated her talents and contribution to music, mostly though I just enjoy reading biographies and autobiographies about musicians and thought this one would be interesting. By the end, I wasn't sure if I disliked Peggy Lee or the author, James Gavin more. First, I am giving his book two stars simply because it was an enormous effort and incredibly well researched, and I think the effort and intent behind it were genuine. Sadly it's because it is so incredibly well researched that is a large part of why the book is so bad. The author goes into detail about every single person that Peggy Lee ever met, with little mini bios on every one. The name dropping is this book is beyond astronomical and often unnecessary. He goes on to give what I can only describe as a review of every single song she ever sang, in detail, describing how she sang it, quoting lyrics, and describing every person who worked behind the scenes on the song with one of his mini bios, and describing their musical contribution to it in detail. It was extreme overkill, not only was it completely unnecessary to go into so much detail, because one would presume that most people reading the book are already fans of Peggy Lee and already know how most of these songs sound and do not need such detailed descriptions, but it killed the flow of the book. By the time you were done reading a section about a song she recorded or performed, you completely forgot about where in her life story you were. So many people who included and discussed that you couldn't possibly keep them straight. Guess how many I remember even though I just finished the book a few hours ago? So few I could count them on my fingers. The entire book really dragged, and I only forced myself to finish it because I was curious about her life and didn't really want to have to buy another book about her. Although her autobiography might be intriguing, since it's apparently not very truthful I don't really have much interest in reading it.
Some other things of note:
If you are going to comment on medical things, maybe have at least a short conversation with a doctor, or at least do some research on google. Bell's Palsy does not "have a variety of possible causes including a stroke", while a stroke causes similar symptoms and can result in facial paralysis, it does not cause Bell's Palsy, which is it's own thing, and is believed to often be related to a viral infection. He was right that no disease called polymelitis rheumatosis (which she claimed was a distant relative to polio) existed, but oddly said it's nearest namesake was poliomyelitis (aka polio) and "bore little resemblance to the ailment" she described, which she said "boils down to being paralyzed due to the inflammation of the nerves, muscle, and joints.". He's not so wrong about the resemblance to polio, but maybe if he'd actually spoken to a doctor, he might have realized that the disease she was talking about was probably her mangling of polymyalgia rheumatica, which is an inflammatory disease affecting the muscles and joints, as she described. Considering she appears to have been both a hypochondriac and suffering from factitious disorder, she very possibly didn't have it, but she was still probably attempting to refer to a real disease, not just make one up.
Weirdly, the author's distaste for Madonna was palpable and even though I'm not a huge Madonna fan, it was so obvious it clouded the narrative and took the focus off of Peggy Lee, even though it was only a short section. The last straw for me came at the very end, when James Gavin vaguely insults PJ Harvey and her cover of "Is That All There Is?", which I had never even put two and two together that it was a cover of Peggy Lee's song, as it wasn't a song of Peggy's that I was familiar with, so it was really unexpected. As a huge PJ Harvey fan, I admit I get personally offended on her behalf even though it's silly and not everyone is going to be a fan of the same people I am, and I know that's perfectly fine, but again, his weird personal views being subtly inserted into the book clouded the narrative about Peggy. He does not appear to be a fan of modern music whatsoever (if 20-30 years ago could be considered modern), which is fine, but I don't think his personal feelings should have been so obviously included in the narrative.
The oddest part of the book I think is that it's pretty clear that James Gavin is a fan of Peggy Lee, both musically and generally (he did write a book about her after all), and yet even though he tried to make her appear quite sympathetic, it really didn't work. His book makes her seem like a truly insufferable, awful person, and I don't think that was his intention. I believe she was a complicated person who wasn't all bad and clearly had some mental health issues that could have used exploring, but she was also just a pretty bad person a lot of the time. It did not paint her in a flattering light.
Oh, and when a psychologist comments that he's not surprised she died from a heart attack because "she was a brokenhearted woman", at the age of EIGHTY-TWO, I just wanted to ever-so-gently smack him for that nonsense.
Now on to the book: I went in without being a huge fan of Peggy, but I knew of her and appreciated her talents and contribution to music, mostly though I just enjoy reading biographies and autobiographies about musicians and thought this one would be interesting. By the end, I wasn't sure if I disliked Peggy Lee or the author, James Gavin more. First, I am giving his book two stars simply because it was an enormous effort and incredibly well researched, and I think the effort and intent behind it were genuine. Sadly it's because it is so incredibly well researched that is a large part of why the book is so bad. The author goes into detail about every single person that Peggy Lee ever met, with little mini bios on every one. The name dropping is this book is beyond astronomical and often unnecessary. He goes on to give what I can only describe as a review of every single song she ever sang, in detail, describing how she sang it, quoting lyrics, and describing every person who worked behind the scenes on the song with one of his mini bios, and describing their musical contribution to it in detail. It was extreme overkill, not only was it completely unnecessary to go into so much detail, because one would presume that most people reading the book are already fans of Peggy Lee and already know how most of these songs sound and do not need such detailed descriptions, but it killed the flow of the book. By the time you were done reading a section about a song she recorded or performed, you completely forgot about where in her life story you were. So many people who included and discussed that you couldn't possibly keep them straight. Guess how many I remember even though I just finished the book a few hours ago? So few I could count them on my fingers. The entire book really dragged, and I only forced myself to finish it because I was curious about her life and didn't really want to have to buy another book about her. Although her autobiography might be intriguing, since it's apparently not very truthful I don't really have much interest in reading it.
Some other things of note:
If you are going to comment on medical things, maybe have at least a short conversation with a doctor, or at least do some research on google. Bell's Palsy does not "have a variety of possible causes including a stroke", while a stroke causes similar symptoms and can result in facial paralysis, it does not cause Bell's Palsy, which is it's own thing, and is believed to often be related to a viral infection. He was right that no disease called polymelitis rheumatosis (which she claimed was a distant relative to polio) existed, but oddly said it's nearest namesake was poliomyelitis (aka polio) and "bore little resemblance to the ailment" she described, which she said "boils down to being paralyzed due to the inflammation of the nerves, muscle, and joints.". He's not so wrong about the resemblance to polio, but maybe if he'd actually spoken to a doctor, he might have realized that the disease she was talking about was probably her mangling of polymyalgia rheumatica, which is an inflammatory disease affecting the muscles and joints, as she described. Considering she appears to have been both a hypochondriac and suffering from factitious disorder, she very possibly didn't have it, but she was still probably attempting to refer to a real disease, not just make one up.
Weirdly, the author's distaste for Madonna was palpable and even though I'm not a huge Madonna fan, it was so obvious it clouded the narrative and took the focus off of Peggy Lee, even though it was only a short section. The last straw for me came at the very end, when James Gavin vaguely insults PJ Harvey and her cover of "Is That All There Is?", which I had never even put two and two together that it was a cover of Peggy Lee's song, as it wasn't a song of Peggy's that I was familiar with, so it was really unexpected. As a huge PJ Harvey fan, I admit I get personally offended on her behalf even though it's silly and not everyone is going to be a fan of the same people I am, and I know that's perfectly fine, but again, his weird personal views being subtly inserted into the book clouded the narrative about Peggy. He does not appear to be a fan of modern music whatsoever (if 20-30 years ago could be considered modern), which is fine, but I don't think his personal feelings should have been so obviously included in the narrative.
The oddest part of the book I think is that it's pretty clear that James Gavin is a fan of Peggy Lee, both musically and generally (he did write a book about her after all), and yet even though he tried to make her appear quite sympathetic, it really didn't work. His book makes her seem like a truly insufferable, awful person, and I don't think that was his intention. I believe she was a complicated person who wasn't all bad and clearly had some mental health issues that could have used exploring, but she was also just a pretty bad person a lot of the time. It did not paint her in a flattering light.
Oh, and when a psychologist comments that he's not surprised she died from a heart attack because "she was a brokenhearted woman", at the age of EIGHTY-TWO, I just wanted to ever-so-gently smack him for that nonsense.
April 25, 2016
Having read Gavin's second Biography, "Stormy Weather," the biography of Lena Horne, ( His first bio was on Chet Baker) I knew the regimen of research he follows. This time is no exemption. Unlike biographers that are more historian in their writing, James Gavin weaves his account with anecdotal events and puts you, the reader, into the lush word portrait he paints. The story is well told in a easily followed manner. Add to it the balanced construction of his subject well imbued with a individual human personality, and there becomes flesh on the bones of Ms Lee's history of tumult and angst. You feel "her" in Gavin's writing. And that is a life that Mr Gavin has done a stellar job in bringing to us wrapped up in a delightful book. It is a page-turner enrobed in an accurate historical account.
July 30, 2015
Enigma
She was larger than life, controlling, vindictive, an alcoholic and addicted to prescription drugs, but, one hell of a singer. This book tells of her life, loves, family, friends and rivals. She alienated some and inspired and entranced others. Her treatment of songs proved that screaming lyrics isn't needed to get the story across. She proved less can be more. She also typified the excess that some stars needed to justify their success. For all her shortcomings, she was one hell of a performer, something the screamers of today could take a lesson from. Is That All There Is, and Fever are probably her best known songs, but if you want to hear pure loveliness, find a copy of The Folks Who Live on the Hill, that's music.
She was larger than life, controlling, vindictive, an alcoholic and addicted to prescription drugs, but, one hell of a singer. This book tells of her life, loves, family, friends and rivals. She alienated some and inspired and entranced others. Her treatment of songs proved that screaming lyrics isn't needed to get the story across. She proved less can be more. She also typified the excess that some stars needed to justify their success. For all her shortcomings, she was one hell of a performer, something the screamers of today could take a lesson from. Is That All There Is, and Fever are probably her best known songs, but if you want to hear pure loveliness, find a copy of The Folks Who Live on the Hill, that's music.
July 28, 2015
James Gavin is a great writer and I like his choice of subjects. Chet Baker, Miss Peggy Lee, and Lena Horne. Gotta read those other two next. Only a few things I'd quibble with, but other than that, really good appreciation of Miss Lee's talent, but also honest about her divaness. I read her autobiography which was interesting but distorted. No mention of her faults. This book dishes the dirt, but not like say Kitty Kelly trashing Sinatra. Albert Goldman on Elvis. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly was here, but also the beautiful.
February 10, 2015
I felt the book was well-researched and very readable. I really appreciated the author's lack of obvious bias. I've thought about it, and while I get that he was clearly fascinated by Peggy Lee, I'm not clear on whether he would consider himself pro- or anti- Peggy Lee. I think that's a good thing to find in a biographer.
September 6, 2015
Basically it was all about her recording - what she sing, with who, was she in a good mood or a bad one, what was the state of her health, what did she look like, how white was she skin, etc; I'm like GOOD GRIEF!!
November 13, 2019
Fantastic book so glad I got to read it!
March 8, 2018
Extensively researched (and occasionally exhaustive) warts-and-all biography of pop music icon whose moment in spotlight lasted incredible six decades. The only female counterpart to Frank Sinatra (they both started as big band singers and conquered the world as solo artists just to experience decline as tide of rock music swept them aside) in her prime Lee was one of the biggest stars in the business and as video clips of her performances still attest, hers was a complete command of the stage, bewitching the audiences with unique combination of ice and fire. Projecting simultaneously the elegant reserve, classy sophistication and passion boiling under the surface, Lee would make people swoon just by lifting her eyebrow, flaming her nostrils or snapping the fingers in the impeccable swing rhythm.
If in her music Lee was all soft, fluffy womanliness and on the stage carefully artificial package of bejewelled, gowned and coiffured vision, it comes as no surprise that behind the scene she might have been demanding, bossy and steely. Than again, everything that author James Gavin (who apparently can't make his mind between admiring his subject or gleefully revealing her eccentricities) exposes could be said for anybody who stayed in the business so long - on her way to the top Lee was probably hurt and abused so many times until she developed protective armour and personality that could stand up to anybody. Four husbands who basically run away from her and the countless testimonies of hairdressers, servants and secretaries paint the picture of romantic dreamer who often escaped in fantasy world of poetry, painting and music until the self-delusion eclipsed the reality. Hardly the first to note a convenient similarity between real life Norma Deloris Egstrom and fictional character of Norma Desmond, Gavin is often spot-on with his conclusions (her exaggerated stories of childhood abuse by evil stepmother were not remembered by other siblings who were living in the same house but "one has to make a distinction between the literal truth and the psychological truth. The story she told was the reality of how she felt about her experiences. One of the things that children often suffer from is not being seen. They feel like they exist in a landscape where they are lost, where nobody knows them. If they translate the emotional beating into literal, physical terms, their experience can be rendered the way they felt it. It’s a cry for attention.") though he seems so preoccupied with cellophane that he completely misses chance to explain the social context in which she lived and worked - what meant to have been a woman breadwinner in 1940s and 1950s, how it affected her professional and private life, for example - this is very important and the main reason why its not possible to ever again encounter another Lee, Fitzgerald or Holiday since they were product of their times.
"Is That All There Is?" was surprise hit of 1969. and success of that macabre little cabaret number somehow marked the rest of singer's life: from now on, book documents agonisingly long road to darkness, which was not necessarily Lee's own making: the music business have changed, plush nightclubs disappeared together with their sophisticated audiences. What struck me as completely unfair is how much author focuses on cracks in Lee's cellophane: nobody would dare to comment on Sinatra getting old, fat and wrinkled but when it comes to woman, people seems to feel entitled to be cruel. Since the years stole away her youth, looks and eventually even the voice, only thing left was the willpower - surrounded with paid help and sycophants (the only thing these people ever achieved was to have been close to Peggy Lee) she was forced out of necessity to perform in a wheelchair, overstaying her welcome by few decades and gradually losing the connection with reality. Perhaps this was not exactly the author's intention but I walked away from the book with even bigger affection for the singer - its obvious she never found somebody to take care and protect her (was she too intimidating? too successful? too famous?) and for all his poking, Gavin still can't explain where all that talent, beauty, sensitivity and creativity came from. Don't forget that Lee actually wrote big chunk of her repertoire at the time when singers didn't do this and she had complete authority and command of her shows, backing musicians and contracts. And now the book says she was "bossy" - well, yeah, how else can you achieve all of this - was Sinatra perhaps all soft and mushy pushover?
If in her music Lee was all soft, fluffy womanliness and on the stage carefully artificial package of bejewelled, gowned and coiffured vision, it comes as no surprise that behind the scene she might have been demanding, bossy and steely. Than again, everything that author James Gavin (who apparently can't make his mind between admiring his subject or gleefully revealing her eccentricities) exposes could be said for anybody who stayed in the business so long - on her way to the top Lee was probably hurt and abused so many times until she developed protective armour and personality that could stand up to anybody. Four husbands who basically run away from her and the countless testimonies of hairdressers, servants and secretaries paint the picture of romantic dreamer who often escaped in fantasy world of poetry, painting and music until the self-delusion eclipsed the reality. Hardly the first to note a convenient similarity between real life Norma Deloris Egstrom and fictional character of Norma Desmond, Gavin is often spot-on with his conclusions (her exaggerated stories of childhood abuse by evil stepmother were not remembered by other siblings who were living in the same house but "one has to make a distinction between the literal truth and the psychological truth. The story she told was the reality of how she felt about her experiences. One of the things that children often suffer from is not being seen. They feel like they exist in a landscape where they are lost, where nobody knows them. If they translate the emotional beating into literal, physical terms, their experience can be rendered the way they felt it. It’s a cry for attention.") though he seems so preoccupied with cellophane that he completely misses chance to explain the social context in which she lived and worked - what meant to have been a woman breadwinner in 1940s and 1950s, how it affected her professional and private life, for example - this is very important and the main reason why its not possible to ever again encounter another Lee, Fitzgerald or Holiday since they were product of their times.
"Is That All There Is?" was surprise hit of 1969. and success of that macabre little cabaret number somehow marked the rest of singer's life: from now on, book documents agonisingly long road to darkness, which was not necessarily Lee's own making: the music business have changed, plush nightclubs disappeared together with their sophisticated audiences. What struck me as completely unfair is how much author focuses on cracks in Lee's cellophane: nobody would dare to comment on Sinatra getting old, fat and wrinkled but when it comes to woman, people seems to feel entitled to be cruel. Since the years stole away her youth, looks and eventually even the voice, only thing left was the willpower - surrounded with paid help and sycophants (the only thing these people ever achieved was to have been close to Peggy Lee) she was forced out of necessity to perform in a wheelchair, overstaying her welcome by few decades and gradually losing the connection with reality. Perhaps this was not exactly the author's intention but I walked away from the book with even bigger affection for the singer - its obvious she never found somebody to take care and protect her (was she too intimidating? too successful? too famous?) and for all his poking, Gavin still can't explain where all that talent, beauty, sensitivity and creativity came from. Don't forget that Lee actually wrote big chunk of her repertoire at the time when singers didn't do this and she had complete authority and command of her shows, backing musicians and contracts. And now the book says she was "bossy" - well, yeah, how else can you achieve all of this - was Sinatra perhaps all soft and mushy pushover?
October 29, 2023
So, I listened to a podcast, Mobituaries by Mo Rocca, about Peggy Lee. I thought she sounded interesting enough for a book read, so I got this book from the library. To my surprise, it was 500+ pages. I almost didn't pick it up; I only know one or two Peggy Lee songs, and I didn't know if I wanted to devote so much time to reading about her. But, I gave it a go, and I'm glad I did. This is a meticulously researched book, not just about Lee (did you know Miss Piggy was modeled on Peggy Lee? She was not happy about it.), but about the music industry and its major players on the jazz side. Lee was a complex person, wildly egotistical, kind and loving one minute, mean and dictatorial the next. Although I found the last few chapters a bit of a slog, the rest of the book is excellent, a top-tier biography. The fact I read a 500-page book on a celebrity that I have no great affinity for says a lot about the author.
March 20, 2018
Peggy Lee has never been a "go to" performer for me. I love her rendition of "Fever," but I found "Is That All There Is?" very disturbing, and not in an artsy way. This biography is an honest, if extremely unflattering look at the woman behind the image. She was desperately lonely and yet she lashed out at those who were loyal to her, causing most of them to flee in terror (or anger.) Her musicianship is highlighted, and there seems to have been no question about that. But her selfishness, her dishonesty, and her manipulation all seemed to overshadow everything else making her a most unpalatable subject for a lengthy biography. If I were more of a fan, I would not have found this so beleaguered and tedious. If one is a Peggy Lee fan, I would recommend it, but others...beware. There is little to enjoy or like here.
July 2, 2019
I was so interested to read this book and I'm truly disappointed. I wanted to learn more about Peggy Lee, but this book is bogged down with so many details about the hundreds of other people in her life. About 150 pages in, I just gave up. I felt like I had hardly learned anything about Peggy Lee, but more than I wanted to learn about Benny Goodman and other men in her life. Ugh.
December 31, 2020
Gavin's biography of Lee looks not only at the singer's career and her importance to the history of music but also her life. He weaves together the relationship between her music and how she understood herself. While a thick book it is detailed enough for any reader interested in the life of Peggy Lee.
May 24, 2022
I don't read a lot of biographies but something about Peggy Lee intrigued me. Hers was a long and winding road from birth to death and filled with many highs and lows. In the end like so many famous stars she was alone for the most part. I would recommend this as a good read, just be prepared not to feel happy when you read that final chapter because "that's all there is."
March 1, 2023
James Gavin once again weaves together a magically linear narrative about a celebrity who seems to be a mythical icon, drawing from amazing research full of remarkable details. This biography manages to show off the person behind the public persona and still preserves some of the extreme struggles and challenges that would push an individual life into singular legendary status.
set-aside
May 18, 2023Set aside due to Interlibrary Loan for Bitter Scent: The Case of L'Oreal, Nazis, and the Arab Boycott having arrived.
November 23, 2019
Not sure why I decided to read this lengthy biography of the famous singer of yesteryear. Over 500 pages long and a lot of detail. But I did enjoy it and the description of the entertainment industry as it evolved in the decades from the 1940s to almost the present time.
February 11, 2020
I’ve loved Peggy Lee since I was a kid, and this book is exactly what I’d hoped for - well-paced, detailed, nuanced, and careful with difficult topics. A book I didn’t want to finish, because I didn’t want it to end.
January 15, 2018
This is wonderful story about Peggy Lee, noted singer during the 40s and 50s
July 30, 2018
You almost feel like you are in the room the way this author writes. Loved the adventure of the read.
May 24, 2020
Very depressing, she had a very difficult childhood and spent the rest of her life obsessed by that.
July 11, 2022
Good read.
Couldn't put it down. Finished over a weekend. I am now searching for many of the seemingly unlikely covers that she did.
Couldn't put it down. Finished over a weekend. I am now searching for many of the seemingly unlikely covers that she did.
August 1, 2022
#73 of 120 books pledged to read during 2022
September 10, 2016
Author gives Lee her due as icon, singer, performer, perfectionist, yet reveals her as a lost child who never matured and lived in a fantasy world that she created and controlled. Like many who lose a parent as a young child & that love is not replaced by a surrogate parent, Lee's life is a continuous & unsuccessful search for unconditional love. She demonized a stepmother with ever-expanding tales of deprivation and abuse, then behaved similarly toward family members and a changing coterie of staff. Yet her talent and core fans sustained her. In a wheelchair at the end, she came alive for audiences despite alcohol and prescription drugs and ailments real and imagined.
May 13, 2016
Peggy Lee was a pioneer, a distinctive singer who rose to stardom on her own terms in a male-dominated industry, one of the very few of the era who also wrote songs, a spellbinding performer with a tireless work ethic and a perfectionist's eye for detail. Of course, she was also an insufferable sociopath fueled by anger and self-pity, so lost in fantasy that she actually believed her fiction. While I'm not so sure that this needed to be over 500 pages long, it was certainly a fascinating read.
November 1, 2016
Wow, what self-made tragedy Lee comes across as here. Her talent launched her on an arc to dominate nightclub pop-jazz and to retain a draw after that era. However, in her personal life reckless spending, self-destructive business decisions, and substance abuse self-limited her ability to enjoy her success and realize even more of it. She also appears to have really taken advantage of anyone's willingness to assist her or work for her.
December 19, 2014
James Gavin's portrait of the much-missed Peggy Lee is not just a terrifically readable portrait of the great singer's tumultuous career and even wilder life. It is also musically sound, fair-minded, rigorously researched and filled with detailed, insightful and sometimes hilarious stories. It portrayed the good, the bad and the ugly details of her life.
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