Felicia Sanders

Felicia Sanders (born Felice Schwartz; c. 1922 – February 7, 1975) was a singer and musician of traditional pop music.

Early years

Sanders was born in Mount Vernon, New York. At the University of Southern California she studied merchandising.[1]

She married Michael Snider (who was in the Army), and had a son, Jefferson, with him. They eventually divorced, both having part-time custody of their child. During World War II, with a son and a husband, she "decided to give singing a try."[1]

Career

In 1950 she returned to singing in a nightclub in Hollywood, Café Gala. She was heard there by Benny Carter, who thought enough of her talent to recommend her to Mitch Miller, Columbia Records' artist and repertory director. She was picked in 1953 by Percy Faith, Columbia's biggest orchestra leader, to sing vocals on a song he was recording, taken from the film Moulin Rouge—a biographical film about Toulouse-Lautrec.

"The Song from Moulin Rouge" was recorded on January 22, 1953, as the B-side of a recording of "Swedish Rhapsody". It was Sanders' second record,[1] and it was released by Columbia with the credits shown as "Percy Faith and his Orchestra featuring Felicia Sanders." She had been paid only union scale and her name appeared below Faith's in small letters, but she had a success. The song scored #1 on all the record charts and was to be her greatest success.

Just before the record was released she was hired by New York's famous Blue Angel Supper Club, and she played there for a long time, being the first singer to perform the song "In Other Words (Fly Me to the Moon)" — although she did not record it until several other singers had done so. When she recorded "In Other Words" at Decca Recording studio, it was backed with "Summer Love" (composed by Victor Young) in 1959. During the 1960s she sang frequently at The Bon Soir cabaret on West 8th Street.

In 1955, Sanders released her first Columbia album, Felicia Sanders at the Blue Angel.[2]

Miller kept finding other songs to have her sing, but only one other scored among the Top 30: "Blue Star", based on the theme from a well-known television series, Medic.

Personal life

After her marriage to Snider, Sanders married musician Irving Joseph.[3] In the mid-1960s, they formed Special Edition Records, with the first release featuring Sanders' singing.[4]

Death

Felicia Sanders died in her Manhattan home on February 7, 1975, from cancer at the age of 53.[3]

References
  1. Start, Clarissa (October 26, 1953). "'Moulin Rouge' Song Success Story". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Missouri, St. Louis. p. 33. Retrieved 12 January 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Felicia Sanders Wraps Up First Album with Ease". The Indianapolis News. Indiana, Indianapolis. July 7, 1955. p. 19. Retrieved 13 January 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Singer Felicia Sanders dies; Star of 1950s". Chicago Tribune. Illinois, Chicago. Associated Press. February 9, 1975. p. Section 3, p 14. Retrieved 13 January 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. King, Doreen (February 6, 1966). "Discs Direct From Singer to Fans". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Hawaii, Honolulu. WNS. p. TV - 17. Retrieved 13 January 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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