Jim Bailey as Phyllis, Peggy, Barbra & Judy

In many ways, I am totally surprised there is essentially one drag queen star at the moment, the lovely RuPaul. I remember back to my youth, not only were there several drag queens, although they were often billed as 'illusionists' at the time, all performing on stage and on television. There was the amazing Charles Pierce, and the fantastic Craig Russell, and both could be seen on variety shows, and touring all the time. And then there was Jim Bailey, the boy from Philadelphia who was truly remarkable on many levels. Not only could he use makeup well enough to look like several stars, he also had the ability to sound like them as well. For Bailey, there was not going to be any "lip-sync for your life' moments, as he just belted the songs out on his own. One of Jim's earliest successes was his impersonation of comedian Phyllis Diller, which caught the eye of many. That would include Diller herself, who befriended the young performer, and gave him tips. Here is Jim Bailey as Phyllis Diller doing some comedy as part of the show 'Here's Lucy'.

That episode aired in November of 1972. It is said Lucy had seen Bailey performing in Los Angeles, and decided she had to have him on her shows. The two continued to be friends until her death in 1989. Phyllis Diller was not the only star Bailey had in his repertoire. It seems he was particularly fond of the vocal stylings of Miss Peggy Lee. I must admit, few could sing like Miss Lee did, for she had such a distinct and stunning flair. This is Jim Bailey as Peggy Lee with "Fever".

Of course, I don't know if there were any drag queens performing in the 1970s who didn't do Barbra Streisand. With her dressing style and her quirky mannerisms, it was like she was asking to have the queens do her. And for as long as I sent to drag shows, it is tough to remember when I didn't see a queen with long nails and crossed eyes lip syncing to a song. Of course, Bailey took it a step further, when he not only looked like her, but sounded like her as well. In February of 1971, Bailey appeared on the 'Carol Burnett Show', where he performed as Streisand. This is Jim Bailey as Barbra Streisand singing "Happy Days Are Here Again" with Carol Burnett.

But Bailey was perhaps best known for his impression of the iconic performer, Judy Garland. It was said that when Bailey was performing in Los Angeles, the list of luminaries in the audience was impressive. One night in the mid-1960s, while performing his Judy impersonation, Judy herself got out of her seat to join him on stage, and they sang "Bye Bye Blackbird", and the crowd loved it. I can't say for sure that is true, but it should be. It was also said that Judy had a great time, and the two became friends up until Garland's passing in 1969. This is Jim Bailey as Judy Garland with "The Man That Got Away".

It should come as no surprise Judy befriended a drag queen, for the diva loved her gays. She even married Liza off to one, Peter Allen! And, lest we forget, Judy's passing is one of the contributing factors to the Stonewall Riots, when the drag queens fought back against the Police in Greenwich Village less than a week later. And speaking of Judy and Liza, in 1973, she teamed up with Bailey to reproduce the show she and her mother did at the London Palladium. They performed it at The Flamingo in Las Vegas, and it was a tremendous success. To learn more about Jim Bailey, visit his official website.

The Ladies Sing the Songs of Arlen & Koehler

Clockwise: Diana Krall; Judy Garland; Barbra Streisand; and Will Swenson with Patti LuPone & Audra McDonald.

This week, I am taking my inspiration from a songwriting team, composer Harold Arlen and lyricist by Ted Koehler. The duo began working together in the 1920s, and continued writing together through the 1940s. During that period, they both also worked with others. They wrote for vaudeville, as well as for Broadway and Hollywood. During the 1930s, they also wrote songs for The Cotton Club, Harlem's top nightclub. There the music was performed by some of the great names in Jazz, including legendary performer Duke Ellington. Many of their songs became hits, and the artists were lining up to sing them. That would be the artists back in the day, and the artists today. The first song we'll hear is "Let's Fall In Love", written in 1933. The song was originally intended to be a nice, upbeat song, but soon many singers were putting a swing beat on it, making it the song we all know. In 1999, Jazz artist Diana Krall recorded the song for her album 'When I Look Into Your Eyes', and often played it at live shows. So here is Mrs. Elvis Costello, although you might know her as Diana Krall, singing "Let's Fall In Love".

Now, whenever Judy Garland sings a song, it becomes a classic. And when she takes on a song with music by Harold Arlen, something magical happens. Such is the case when she sang a little song in the movie 'Wizard of Oz', called "Over The Rainbow". And it certainly was not the last of Arlen's songs Judy took on. There were so many, it would be hard to remember them all. But one such song was "I've Gotta Right to Sing the Blues", written for the Broadway show, Earl Carroll's 'Vanities', which opened in 1932. It was recorded by some of the great big bands of the day, like Cab Dalloway &His Orchestra, Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra, Lee Willey & The Dorsey Brothers, and Benny Goodman & His Orchestra. The song remained popular, so it is no surprise it was recorded for her 1957 album, 'Alone'. This is Judy Garland singing "I've Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" live on 'The Judy Garland Show' in the 1960s.

The next song was written in 1929, and could be one of the more popular songs, if not the most popular of the great songs they have written. They wrote the song as a Gospel-like song, and it was first recorded by Ruth Etting in the Broadway show, 'The Nine-Fifteen Revue'. The show was not a success, closing after a one week run. The song could have easily gone away, but that was not to be. When people think of the song "Get Happy", it is the huge musical number featuring Judy Garland singing "Get Happy" in the 1950 MGM musical, 'Summer Stock'. Soon the song was a signature tune for the singer, and over a decade later, when she was performing on her television show, Garland sang with while a young Barbra Streisand sang one of her early hits, Happy Days Are Here Again", written by Milton Ager & Jack Yellen. This was a showstopper, and Streisand was nominated for an Emmy for her appearance on the show. The moment was so iconic, it was recreated by Ryan Murphy on 'Glee', featuring Lea Michele and Chris Colfer. They were not the only duo to reference the pair. As part of a PBS Special, the glorious Audra McDonald invited her friend Patti LuPone to play Judy and Barbra as they sing "Happy Days Are Hear Again/Get Happy".

The final entry tonight was written in 1941, and first sung by Helen O'Connell and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. But it was really more than twenty years before the most notable recording was made of the song, by a young girl in New York City. In October of 1962, Barbra Streisand recorded her first version of the song, and it was released as a single. The B-side was "Happy Days Are Here Again". I guess people liked it, because the following year, Streisand was back in the studio to record a new version for 'The Second Barbra Streisand Album'. This is a wonderful video of Streisand singing "When The Sun Comes Out" live on her 1965 television special, "My Name Is Barbra"

Have a great weekend!

Post-Election Hangover

Top: Chris Coons. Middle: John Carney, Jr. Bottom: Beau Biden

After watching the election coverage for hours while I should have been coming up with a blog post, I got nothing, so to speak. A bit drained. Good news is that Democratic candidates Chris Coons won US Senator, John Carney, Jr. won Representative in Congress, and Beau Biden won the Attorney General race. The Tea Party candidates were sent packing, and after all the storm and fury over the races, it signified nothing.

To celebrate the wins, as well as the wins by several other great candidates across the nation, I am resurrecting an old campaign favorite. So here is Happy Days Are Here Again, only this version by Vanessa Williams when she was on the road to win Miss America in 1984.

Dark Monday - Patti Lupone: A Memoir

Broadway diva Patti LuPone will be releasing her Patti LuPone: A Memoir on September 14th, according to Broadway.com.

The legendary Patti LuPone is one of the theatre's most beloved leading ladies. Now she lays it all bare, sharing the intimate story of her life both onstage and off--through the dizzying highs and darkest lows--with the humor and outspokenness that have become her trademarks.

With nearly 100 photographs, including an 8-page four-color insert, and illuminating details about the life of a working actor, from inspired costars and demanding directors to her distinct perspective on how she developed and honed her Tony Award-winning performances, Patti LuPone: A Memoir is as inspirational as it is entertaining. And though the title might say "a memoir," this is ultimately a love letter to the theatre by a unique American artist.

You can hear part of it in her own voice here. Here is a clip of her discussing her memoir.



Ms. LuPone has a rich history in the theater, singing in some of the best musicals to hit Broadway in the last few decades. Here she sings a duet with and other Broadway superstar, Audra McDonald. The amazing voices join to sing Get Happy/Happy Days Are Here Again.



Here she sings Being Alive from the Sondheim musical Company. The clean, clarion vocals are trademark LuPone, not to be mistaken with anyone singing today.



For more about Patti LuPone, check out her official website here.