Georgia Gibbs (born Fredda Lipson Gibbons, later Fredda Gibson, her date of birth is alternately listed as 8/17/20 or 8/26/20 or 8/26/27) is an American popular singer.

Brought up in an orphanage in Worchester, Massachusetts, Georgia Gibbs (then Fredda Gibbons) vowed to make a better life for herself and turned to singing as a means of realizing her dream. Blessed with a remarkable voice, began her professional career at the age of 12, and was singing in Boston's Raymor Ballroom the following year. She cut her first record with the Hudson-DeLange Orchestra in 1936 (when she could have been no older than 15 or 16 years old).

She soon found steady work on popular radio shows including "Your Hit Parade," "Melody Puzzles" and "The Tim And Irene Show." Gibbs freelanced in the late 1930s and 1940s singing with the bands of Frankie Trumbauer, Hal Kemp , Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw. It was with Shaw's band (then billed as "Fredda Gibson") that she scored her first hit, "Absent Minded Moon," in 1942.

In 1943, she changed her name to "Georgia Gibbs" and began appearing on the popular "Camel Caravan" radio program, hosted by Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore (it was Moore who bestowed the famous nickname "Her Nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs" upon her). The nickname is a playful reference to her diminutive stature of barely over 5 feet.

Gibbs signed with Majestic Records in 1946, and while she recorded many great records she would have to wait until 1950 for her first hit single, "If I Knew You Were Coming, I'd Have Baked A Cake" (on the Coral label).

Possessed with a versatile voice, she cut a long list of great records in every category from torch songs to rock and roll, to jazz, swing, old fashioned ballads and cha chas. Her most successful record was "Kiss Of Fire," which reached the #1 position on the pop music charts in 1952.

Sultry and throbbing, with a touch of vibratto, Georgia Gibbs' voice is best showcased on romantic ballads and torch songs like "Melancholy Baby," "I'll Be Seeing You," "Autumn Leaves" and "You Keep Coming Back Like A Song." Yet she could be equally thrilling belting out a red hot jazz numbers like "Red Hot Mama and A-Razz-A-Ma-Tazz," or jiving with tunes like "Ol Man Mose" and "Shoo Shoo Baby." Her "Swingin' With Her Nibbs" album of 1956 demonstrates her natural affinity for improvisation as well.

Gibbs continued to be a frequent visitor to the charts throughout the first half of the decade (with over 40 charted songs), and was briefly successful doing rock 'n' roll songs as well. She appeared on many television shows throughout the decade, including the legendary Ed Sullivan show, and hosted one of her own, "Georgia Gibbs And Her Million Record Show."

Sadly she spent many years being best known for her cover versions of Etta James' "The Wallflower" (recorded by Gibbs with modified lyrics under the title "Dance With Me Henry") and of LaVern Baker's "Tweedle Dee" (a minor scandal due to Ms. Baker's vociferous complaints) and for her novelty number "The Hula Hoop Song," which was her last hit, in 1958.

In recent years, her reputation has been steadily growing -- partially due to the availability of her songs on cd.

Her best records include:

(1946) Feudin' And Fightin', Ol Man Mose, Put Yourself In My Place Baby, You Keep Coming Back Like A Song, Willow Road

(1947) Fool That I Am, How Are Things In Glocca Morra?, I Feel So Smootchie

(1948) The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else, The Things We Did Last Summer, Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams

(1950) A-Razz-A-Ma-Tazz, Ballin' The Jack, I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine, I'll Get Myself A Choo Choo Train, I'll Know, Looks Like A Cold Cold Winter, Red Hot Mama, Simple Melody (with Bob Crosby), Stay With The Happy People, Then I'll Be Happy

(1951) Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White, Cry, Got Him Off My Hands, Once Upon A Nickel, Shoo Shoo Baby, Tom's Tune

(1952) Kiss Of Fire, A Lasting Thing, A Moth And A Flame, My Favorite Song, Sinner Or Saint

(1953) Autumn Leaves, The Bridge Of Sighs, For Me For Me, He's Funny That Way, Home Lovin' Man, I Love Paris, If I Had You, It Had To Be You, My Blue Heaven, Seven Lonely Days, That's All

(1954) Baubles Bangles and Beads, How Did He Look, I'll Be Seeing You, It's The Talk Of The Town, The Man That Got Away, Melancholy Baby, My Sin, Tweedle Dee, Wait For Me Darling

(1955) Come Rain Or Come Shine, Dance With Me Henry, Goodbye To Rome (Arrivederci Roma), I Want You To Be My Baby, Kiss Me Another, 24 Hours A Day

(1956) Comes Love, 'Deed I Do, Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe, Happiness Street, I Get A Kick Out Of You, I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good), Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love), Lonesome Road, The Man That Got Away, The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else), Rock Right

(1957) I'm Walking The Floor Over You, Silent Lips, Sugar Candy

(1958) Keep In Touch, Way Way Down, You're Doin' it

(1960) Do It Again, Fin Jan, Hush-A-Bye, In Other Words, Last Night When We Were Young, Loch Lomond, Something's Gotta Give, Stay Here With Me, Tammy, Willow Tit Willow

(1963) Candy Kisses, How About Me, I Will Follow You, Kansas City, Nine Girls Out Of Ten Girls, Nobody's Asking Questions, Sugar Puff, Tater Poon

TV Appearances include:

The Ed Sullivan Show - scheduled guest - Oscar Hammerstein tribute: Della Reese; Georgia Gibbs; Jill Corey (1960)

The Ed Sullivan Show - scheduled guest - scheduled: Red Buttons; Georgia Gibbs; Rowan & Martin (1960)

The Ed Sullivan Show - scheduled guest - scheduled: Suzanne Pleshette; Tom Poston; Georgia Gibbs (1959)

The Ed Sullivan Show - Herself - Carol Channing / Georgia Gibbs / Wayne & Shuster / Bob Lewis (1959)

The Ed Sullivan Show - Herself - Fabian / Georgia Gibbs / Kirby Stone Four / John Wayne (on tape) (1959)

The Ed Sullivan Show - scheduled guest - scheduled: Charlton Heston; Eartha Kitt; Georgia Gibbs (1959)

The Garry Moore Show - Guest - December 2, 1958 (1958)

The Ed Sullivan Show - scheduled guest - scheduled: Johnnie Ray; Georgia Gibbs; Jane Morgan / "Ice Capades" (1958)

The Ed Sullivan Show - Herself - Everly Brothers / Sal Mineo / Patachou / Teresa Brewer (1958)

The Ed Sullivan Show - Herself - Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps / Georgia Gibbs / Carol Burnett (1957)

The Ed Sullivan Show - scheduled guest - The Sparkletones / Mills Brothers / Georgia Gibbs / Sammy Kaye (1957)

Toast of the Town - guest star - Georgia Gibbs / 1956 Ice Capades / Donna Atwood (1955)

Toast of the Town - Herself - scheduled: Eartha Kitt; Georgia Gibbs; Lionel Hampton; Phil Foster (1955)

Toast of the Town - Herself - Georgia Gibbs; Errol Flynn; Paulette Goddard (1952)

Toast of the Town - Herself - Georgia Gibbs; Bunny Briggs ; Nancy Andrews (1949)

External links

http://hans.presto.tripod.com/scan/gibbs.ht

http://entertainment.msn.com/artist/?artist=118701

http://www.musicweb.uk.net/encyclopaedia/g/G30.HTM