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490:" and all that stuff that he was known for. "I don’t know where I could possibly fit in in your group. I‘m not a comedienne," I told him. He said, "No, you’ll do your own thing. You’ll have your arrangements. You’ll do 15, 20 minutes entirely separate from the show." They needed something to calm people down. And that’s how we always worked from then on.
499:", which features a serious first half (played exquisitely by the Other Orchestra) and a manic second half (played for laughs by the City Slickers). Even with the success of "Laura", the public preferred the crazy music of the Slickers to the elegant music of the Other Orchestra. The Other Orchestra broke up in 1947, only a year after its founding.
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Grayco also got a spot with Jones's Other
Orchestra, which he formed in 1946. The group was known for its legitimately "pretty" music in contrast to the City Slickers, who were known for their crazy way of performing. The one outstanding recording by the Other Orchestra is
306:, the second youngest of 11 children born to Charles Battiste Greco and his wife, Rosina. She had five brothers; John, Ralph, George, Anthony, and James, and five sisters; Mary, Carmella, Katherina, Theresa and Elizabeth. The siblings were raised in the
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In 1968, she married Bill Rosen, who owned a restaurant named Gatsby's in New York City. She moved to New York with him and later moved back to Los
Angeles with him when he opened a restaurant called Gatsby's there. Rosen died in 2002.
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He asked to see me after the show and offered me a job. He was already established. A huge star. He was going on tour. I was in direct contrast to what he did. I was terribly insulted when Spike first asked to hire me. He had just done
268:; September 20, 1924 – August 20, 2022) was an American singer and actress active from the 1930s to the 1960s. She was most famous for appearances with her husband
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editors who deemed it one of the first pop songs with a theme of homosexuality, as it is about a woman who falls in love with a gay man.
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and his brothers, who were, like Grayco, all natives of Tacoma, heard her on the program and reportedly Crosby said that "...she sings
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Grayco continued to sing in various venues for about the next ten years. Her last public appearance was in 1968 on an episode of
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in 1976. Her first single for the label was "If That's Now Nature Made Him". The song received attention from
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In 1935, after her collaboration with Crosby ended, Grayco appeared in a non-speaking part in a scene with
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In a 2009 interview, Grayco had this to say about her first meeting with Spike Jones:
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in the 1950s and the 1960s. She is also the mother of producer and Emmy recipient,
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coffee liqueur. Her activities included a 13-week tour promoting the product.
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faith of their parents, Italians who had emigrated to the United States from
1333:"Helen Grayco, Singer and Widow of Madcap Musician Spike Jones, Dies at 97"
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Grayco died of cancer in Los
Angeles on August 20, 2022, at the age of 97.
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Grayco began her musical career, working with the bands of Chuck
Cascalas,
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After a period of retirement, Grayco briefly resumed recording for
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in 1958. The latter was the last album she ever released.
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1230:"Is 'If That's How Nature Made Him' first gay ballad?"
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Grayco was born Helen Greco on
September 20, 1924, in
602:. They had three children: producer Spike Jones Jr.,
434:. Her big break came when she began travelling with
1159:
Encyclopedia of
Television Shows, 1925 through 2010
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
910:"Maureen Droney. "Leslie Ann Jones: DOING IT ALL"
643:(Little girl at the piano; uncredited role) (1935)
659:(Performer: "Lilly's Lament (to Cell 29)") (1956)
502:She appeared with Jones and his City Slickers on
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1254:. Associated Press. July 19, 1948. p. 11.
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1199:"Marlin Beach's New Jules Verne Room Fabulous"
546:in 1949. Her two most memorable albums were
1022:"Helen Grayco Friendship with Michele Pane"
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330:At age 4, Grayco began singing in Tacoma.
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571:In 1961, Grayco was the spokesperson for
403:signed Grayco, then thirteen, to replace
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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964:. International News Service. p. 17
805:Episode: "Spike Jones and Helen Grayco"
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934:New From ME. August 20, 2022
470:Grayco first met bandleader
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1105:Chilledairtext.blogspot.com
16:American singer (1924–2022)
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1248:"Spike Jones Weds Singer"
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590:Personal life and death
505:The Colgate Comedy Hour
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196:Los Angeles, California
139:Grayco on the cover of
1285:"Helen Grayco, R.I.P."
932:"Helen Grayco, R.I.P."
817:Swinging Spiketaculars
797:The Frank Sinatra Show
580:United Artists Records
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151:Background information
1101:"Helen Grayco cont'd"
920:on February 17, 2012.
733:Herself/Various roles
598:on July 18, 1949, in
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1203:Fort Lauderdale News
989:"Spike to the Guns!"
868:The Dean Martin Show
850:The Spike Jones Show
764:The Spike Jones Show
746:The Red Skelton Show
728:The Spike Jones Show
640:A Night at the Opera
565:The Dean Martin Show
525:The Spike Jones Show
511:The Red Skelton Show
385:A Night at the Opera
275:The Spike Jones Show
43:improve this article
1128:(August 29, 2005).
476:Hollywood Palladium
380:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1252:The New York Times
882:The Pat Boone Show
608:recording engineer
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304:Tacoma, Washington
292:recording engineer
179:Tacoma, Washington
176:September 20, 1924
1168:978-0-7864-6477-7
1053:. March 31, 2015.
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656:Cha-Cha-Cha Boom!
488:Cocktails for Two
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751:Mrs. Spike Jones
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450:With Spike Jones
410:That Certain Age
320:Great Depression
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1376:Helen Grayco
1367:Helen Grayco
1358:Helen Grayco
1337:. Retrieved
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1314:. Retrieved
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1289:. Retrieved
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1269:– via
1263:. Retrieved
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1236:. p. 3.
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1223:
1213:– via
1207:. Retrieved
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1182:Helen Grayco
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1139:February 19,
1137:. Retrieved
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1110:February 19,
1108:. Retrieved
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1029:. Retrieved
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993:the original
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936:. Retrieved
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604:Grammy award
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558:Later career
551:
550:in 1957 and
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288:Grammy award
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256:Helen Grayco
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230:Years active
191:(2022-08-20)
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127:Helen Grayco
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1400:2022 deaths
1395:1924 births
858:9 episodes
825:2 episodes
790:3 episodes
628:Filmography
596:Spike Jones
538:Solo artist
472:Spike Jones
460:Spike Jones
436:Stan Kenton
432:Red Nichols
428:Chuck Cabot
376:Allan Jones
360:Bing Crosby
348:Los Angeles
270:Spike Jones
245:Spike Jones
161:Helen Greco
99:August 2022
1389:Categories
1339:August 24,
1316:August 22,
1291:August 21,
938:August 21,
896:References
889:1 episode
876:1 episode
840:1 episode
782:Club Oasis
754:1 episode
718:1 episode
664:Television
531:Club Oasis
422:Early work
356:Washington
298:Early life
221:Instrument
172:1924-09-20
157:Birth name
69:newspapers
1311:Aveleyman
1260:108108837
1234:Billboard
615:emphysema
606:-winning
584:Billboard
522:known as
464:Bill Dana
395:In 1938,
364:Hollywood
290:-winning
234:1932–1968
142:Down Beat
1371:AllMusic
1271:ProQuest
1256:ProQuest
1186:AllMusic
316:Calabria
1380:Discogs
999:May 16,
886:Herself
873:Herself
855:Herself
837:Herself
822:Herself
802:Herself
769:Herself
695:Herself
378:in the
352:Seattle
83:scholar
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787:Singer
680:Notes
674:Title
573:Kahlúa
544:single
466:, 1960
430:, and
326:Career
263:
240:Spouse
224:Vocals
203:Genres
198:, U.S.
181:, U.S.
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1293:2022
1267:2020
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1163:ISBN
1141:2015
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1033:2015
1001:2015
970:2020
940:2022
863:1968
845:1961
812:1960
777:1958
759:1957
741:1955
723:1954
705:1952
685:1951
633:Film
528:and
518:and
508:and
462:and
370:Film
286:, a
282:and
186:Died
166:Born
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