Wheel of Fortune (1951 song)
"Wheel of Fortune" is a popular song written by Bennie Benjamin and George David Weiss and published in 1951. It is best remembered in the 1952 hit version by Kay Starr.
The song was originally recorded in 1951, for RCA by Johnny Hartman, and about the same time for Crescendo Records by Al Costello with the Walter Scott Orchestra. Several hit versions of "Wheel of Fortune" were released in 1952. The first chart hit was by the Eddie Wilcox Orchestra featuring Sunny Gale, whose version reached number 2 on the R&B chart and number 13 on the pop chart. The most successful version was by Kay Starr, whose recording reached number 1 in the US pop chart in March 1952, staying there for ten weeks. Other hit versions in 1952 came from Dinah Washington, Bobby Wayne, The Cardinals, and The Bell Sisters.
The song was also used as the theme to the television series Wheel of Fortune.Recorded versions
- The Barry Sisters
- The Bell Sisters with Henri René & His Orchestra
- The Cardinals
- Ronnie Dove recorded the song as an album track for his Cry LP in 1967.
- Frankie Carle
- The Four Flames
- Ginny and the Gallions
- Helen Humes and Gerald Wiggins
- Sammy Kaye's Orchestra
- Maurice King's Wolverines
- The Knightsbridge Strings
- Arthur Prysock
- Susan Raye
- Kay Starr
- Jimmy Thomason
- Dinah Washington
- Bobby Wayne with Joe Reisman's orchestra
- Eddie Wilcox & Sunny Gale
- Billy Williams Quartet
