Gibbs, Georgia (1920—)

American "pop" singer . Born Fredda Gibson (also seen as Lipson or Gibbons) in Worcester, Massachusetts, on August 17, 1920; one of four children of a widowed mother; never married; no children.

Discography—singles:

The More I See You/ In Acapulco (Vi 20-1660); You Keep Coming Back Like a Song/ Willow Road (Maj 12000); So Would I/ Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (Maj 12008); How Are Things in Glocca Morra?/ Necessity (Maj 12009); Ballin' the Jack/ As Long as I'm Dreaming (Maj 12010); Ol' Man Mose/ Put Yourself in My Place, Baby (Maj 12014); While We're Young/ While You Danced, Danced, Danced (Mer 5681); Kiss of Fire/A Lasting Thing (Mer 5823); He's Funny That Way/Say It Isn't So (Mer 70218); The Bridge of Sighs/ A Home Lovin' Man (Mer 70238); Under Paris Skies/ I Love Paris (Mer 70274); Baubles, Bangles and Beads/ Somebody Bad Stole de Wedding Bell (Mer 70298); My Sin/I'll Always Be Happy with You (Mer 70339); Tweedlee Dee/You're Wrong, All Wrong (Mer 70517); Dance with Me, Henry/ Every Road Must Have a Turning (Mer 70572); Get Out Those Old Records/ I Still Feel the Same About You (Cor 60353); A Little Bit Independent/ Simple Melody (with Bob Crosby, Cor 60227).

LPs:

Swingin' with Her Nibs (Mer MG-20170); The Man That Got Away (Mer MG-25199); Her Nibs, Georgia Gibbs (Cor CRL-57183); "Her Nibs" (Rondo-lette 876). CD: Her Nibs Miss Georgia Gibbs (Good Music Records).

Born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1920, Georgia Gibbs was placed in an orphanage at the age of two because her widowed mother could no longer support the children. She began her singing career as a young teenager, performing on local radio shows and at clubs throughout the state. After several years, she auditioned and won a spot on the Jimmy Durante-Garry Moore radio show. It was Moore who dubbed her "Her Nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs," a title she has been known by ever since. Gibbs' early career also included a three-year tour with Danny Kaye, whom she credits with turning her into a versatile performer. Her first club date as a single, at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, led to television guest appearances, record deals, and her own bi-weekly show on NBC, "Georgia Gibbs' Million Record Show."

In 1953, her career went into high gear with one of her first Mercury recordings, "Kiss of Fire," which sold over 2.5 million copies and also became her first gold record. It was followed by three additional gold records: "Dance With Me, Henry," "Arrivederci Roma," which she brought to the U.S. from Europe, and "Tweedlee Dee." ("Tweedlee Dee" had originally been recorded by LaVern Baker , an African-American, and had risen to #14 on the charts, but in the practice of the day it was "covered" or rerecorded by a major label with a white singer, this time Gibbs.)

Over the course of her career, Gibbs sold over 30 million records and performed on some of the great stages of the world, including Lincoln Center, in New York, the Palladium and Albert Hall, in London, and the Empire Theater in Glasgow. She also played every major club in the U.S., including New York's Waldorf, Copacabana, and Persian Room, Chicago's Empire Room, and the top clubs in Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Possessing a voice that lends itself to any kind of song, in later years Gibbs continued to perform in major cities in the United States and appeared on a PBS television special, "Sentimental Journey."

Gibbs is an avid reader, a collector of art, and a student of politics. A tiny woman, just over five feet tall, she also designed her own gowns.