12 September 1924, Mansfield, Texas, USA, d. 16 October 1999, Bullhead City, Arizona, USA. A singer with an appealing jazz/blues style, Morse first sang with a band organized by her pianist mother and her father who was a drummer. At the age of 12 she was heard at a Houston jam session by Jimmy Dorsey, who hired her as replacement for June Richmond. Her stay with Dorsey was a brief one, and she returned to Texas and sang with local bands. Subsequently she was heard singing in a San Diego club by Freddie Slack, who had been the pianist when she was with the Dorsey band. He signed her as the vocalist on his first Capitol Records recording session in 1942, which resulted in ‘Cow-Cow Boogie’ (composed by Gene De Paul and Don Raye). The record became a million-seller, and Morse had further hits in the 40s with ‘Mr. Five By Five’, ‘Shoo Shoo Baby’, ‘Tess’ Torch Song (If I Had A Man)’, ‘Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet’, ‘The Patty Cake Man’, ‘Captain Kidd’, ‘Buzz Me’, and ‘The House Of Blue Lights’ (1946). She also appeared in a few minor films such as Reveille With Beverly, South Of Dixie, Ghost Catchers, and How Do You Do.
Morse retired for a time, but made a spectacular comeback in 1952 with another enormous hit, ‘Blacksmith Blues’, on which she was accompanied by Nelson Riddle and his orchestra. She continued to perform over the years, and was spotted in 1987 at Michael’s Pub in New York with another 40s survivor, Nellie Lutcher. She died of respiratory failure in October 1999.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
To place an order or for customer service, call toll-free 1-800-336-4627 or outside the United States, call 1-610-649-7565
Open Monday - Friday: 7am-10pm, Saturday: 9am-9pm, Sunday: 10am-8pm (Eastern Time)
Memorial Day: 7:30am-9pm
12 September 1924, Mansfield, Texas, USA, d. 16 October 1999, Bullhead City, Arizona, USA. A singer with an appealing jazz/blues style, Morse first sang with a band organized by her pianist mother and her father who was a drummer. At the age of 12 she was heard at a Houston jam session by Jimmy Dorsey, who hired her as replacement for June Richmond. Her stay with Dorsey was a brief one, and she returned to Texas and sang with local bands. Subsequently she was heard singing in a San Diego club by Freddie Slack, who had been the pianist when she was with the Dorsey band. He signed her as the vocalist on his first Capitol Records recording session in 1942, which resulted in ‘Cow-Cow Boogie’ (composed by Gene De Paul and Don Raye). The record became a million-seller, and Morse had further hits in the 40s with ‘Mr. Five By Five’, ‘Shoo Shoo Baby’, ‘Tess’ Torch Song (If I Had A Man)’, ‘Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet’, ‘The Patty Cake Man’, ‘Captain Kidd’, ‘Buzz Me’, and ‘The House Of Blue Lights’ (1946). She also appeared in a few minor films such as Reveille With Beverly, South Of Dixie, Ghost Catchers, and How Do You Do.