Joanie Sommers


Joanie Sommers is an American singer and actress with a career concentrating on jazz, standards and popular material and show-business credits. Once billed as "The Voice of the Sixties", and associated with top-notch arrangers, songwriters and producers, Sommers' popular reputation became closely tied to her biggest, yet most uncharacteristic, hit song, "Johnny Get Angry".

Career

Sommers began singing in church to deal with "a difficult childhood". In 1951, aged 10, she appeared on a Buffalo television program singing Hank Williams' "Your Cheating Heart", winning an amateur talent contest.
In 1955, her the family relocated to Venice, California. Sommers went on to win honors as a vocalist with her high school band at Venice High, and did so again at Santa Monica City College.
Her break came after a friend took her to the Deauville Country Club where she sang with Tommy Oliver whose band was resident at the time. He arranged for a demo record to be cut and presented it to Warner Brothers, whereupon Sommers was signed to the label.
Warner initially used her vocal talents singing "Am I Blue" on a 1959 Warner specialty record, Behind Closed Doors at a Recording Session, and on one side of the spoken-word single "Kookie's Love Song" with Edd Byrnes. The pairing with Byrnes led to a small role in 77 Sunset Strip, the television series that featured Byrnes in the role of Kookie. In addition, she sang on Byrnes' I Don't Dig You and Hot Rod Rock which appeared on one of his albums.
Concurrently, Oliver supported Sommers by starring her in his orchestra engagements at California venues Hollywood Palladium and The Chalet at Lake Arrowhead.
Her 1960 debut single "One Boy" charted for three months, peaking at #54 on the Billboard Top 100. Both "One Boy" and the flip side "I'll Never Be Free" were Billboard Spotlight Winners. A subsequent touring schedule included venues such as New York's Left Bank Club, Hollywood's Crescendo, Freddie's in Minneapolis, and The Cloister in Chicago, and appearances on the Jack Paar Show and Bobby Darin Special.
In early 1960, Warner released Sommers' first LP, Positively the Most, which did not include the One Boy hit single. Later that year, Warner released the single "Ruby-Duby-Du", featuring a vocal version of the Tobin Mathews & Co. instrumental from the movie Key Witness. The record did not chart.
In 1962, her single "Johnny Get Angry", released on Warner Bros. Records, reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. "When the Boys Get Together" charted at #94 later the same year.
In a 2001 interview, Sommers commented on the legacy of her greatest hit: "Twenty albums with some of the greatest names in jazz and I'm eternally linked to 'Johnny Get Angry'".
Her 1965 track, "Don't Pity Me", was a Northern Soul hit in the UK and often features on Northern Soul top lists. The 45RPM record routinely changes hands among collectors at over $500 a copy. The latter song, "My Block", was written by Jimmy Radcliffe, Bert Berns and Carl Spencer and had previously been recorded by Clyde McPhatter on his Songs Of the Big City album and by The Chiffons, recording as The Four Pennies on Rust Records.
Throughout the 1960s Sommers appeared on television as a singer and game show contestant, including shows such as Everybody's Talking, Hollywood Squares, You Don't Say, and The Match Game, as well as a performer on Dick Clark's Where the Action Is, Hullabaloo, and other variety shows.
In 1963, she appeared on the January 22 segment of The Jack Benny Program, where she sang "I'll Never Stop Loving You"; another guest was actor Peter Lorre.
Her acting credits include Everything's Ducky opposite Mickey Rooney, and Jack Arnold's The Lively Set, in which she sang "If You Love Him". In the last episode of The Wild Wild West, "The Night of the Tycoons", she sang "Dreams, Dreams of a Lady's Love".
In a parallel career track of commercial vocal work, Sommers sang "It's Pepsi, For Those Who Think Young" and, later, "Come Alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation" in commercials. She came to be referred to as "The Pepsi Girl". Years later she sang the jingle "Now You See It, Now You Don't" for the sugar-free companion product, Diet Pepsi.
Sommers' voice work for animated films includes The Peppermint Choo Choo, which was scrubbed, although the music was released; Rankin/Bass' The Mouse on the Mayflower as Priscilla Mullins ; and in dual roles as the Fat Broad and the Cute Chick.
In the early 1970s, Sommers withdrew from show business to focus on family life. She began making public appearances again during the 1980s, including two on KCRW's satirical radio program, The Cool & the Crazy, hosted by Art Fraud and Vic Tripp.
In 2001, Sommers sang two songs on Abe Most's Camard album, I Love You Much too Much. She performed the title track and "Bei Mir Bist du Schoen." She sang a chorus in Yiddish on both tracks.
In 2004 the Japan-only release, Johnny Got Angry, consisted of all original tunes written by Sommers' friend and voice actor, Will Ryan.

Personal life

Sommers was married to theatrical agent Jerry Steiner from 1961 until his sudden death in 1972. Their three children are Carolyn, Nancy and Jason.

Singles discography

Album discography