Gibbs, Georgia (originally, Gibbons, Fredda)

Gibbs, Georgia (originally, Gibbons, Fredda), white ′′cover girl′′ who topped the pop charts in the 1950s; b. Worcester, Mass., Aug. 17, 1920. Georgia Gibbs began recording in 1938, nearly 20 years before rock ’n’ roll began to happen. Still, many rock historians point to her, and particularly her covers of LaVerne Baker’s ′′Tweedle Dee′′ and Etta James’s ′′The Wallflower,′′ as emblematic of the white record business’s exploitation of black artists.

Gibbs began singing with big bands in Boston as a teen, initially recording under her own name with Frankie Trumbaur and Artie Shaw. She worked as the ′′girl singer′′ on Jimmy Duranters Camel Caravan radio show. Announcer Garry Moore started introducing her as ′′her nibs, Miss Gibbs′′ a nickname that stuck through her career. In 1950, she had her first substantial solo hit with ′′If I Knew You Were Coming, I’d’ve Baked A Cake” (#5), landing nine more records in the Top 40 over the course of the next two years. This streak was capped off by the gold record “Kiss of Fire,′′ a tango Gibbs took to the top of the charts for seven weeks. She started off 1953 with a #5 hit ′′Seven Lonely Days.′′ Over the course of the next two years she charted half a dozen more hits produced by Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore, her A&R team at Mercury, capitalizing on her very mainstream, pop style, usually accompanied by big bands.

In 1955, Gibbs applied this approach on two current R&B hits that were beginning to show some action on the pop charts. First she covered Baker’s ′′Tweedle Dee,′′ taking it to #2, leaving Baker’s version in the dust at #14. Two months later, she topped the charts with “Dance With Me Henry,” a version of Etta James #1 R&B hit “The Wallflower” which in turn was a version of Hank Ballard’s even raunchier 1954 #1 R&B hit ′′Work With Me Annie.′′ Baker was so incensed at being undercut like this, she explored legal action and called her Congressman. He actually convened a federal hearing on the matter, but it resolved nothing.

Gibbs’s career, however, stalled after that. “Sweet and Gentle,” a version of a Cuban song and ′′I Want You to Be My Baby′′ rose to #12 and #14, respectively, both in the summer of 1955. No subsequent songs broke the Top 20, though she did land four more in the Top 40 before dropping off the pop radar. After taking most of the 1960s off, Gibbs started performing occasionally during the 1970s and 1980s.

Discography

Ballin’ the Jack (1951); Georgia Gibbs Sings Oldies (1953); The Man That Got Away (1954); Music and Memories (1956); Song favorites (1956); Swingin’ with Her Nibs (1956); Her Nibs (1957); Something’s Gotta Give (1964); Like a Song (1998); Georgia Gibbs (1998).

—Hank Bordowitz