Fred Lowery
Fred Lowery (2 November 1909 – 11 December 1984) was a blind professional whistler who recorded a No. 9 Billboard chart hit version of "The High and the Mighty" with conductor and arranger LeRoy Holmes. Lowery whistled with Horace Heidt and Vincent Lopez in the 1930s and 40s. His 'Silent Night' and 'William Tell Overture' demonstrate the difference between everyday whistling and puccalo. Lowery was born in Palestine in Anderson County in east Texas and lost his eyesight at the age of two after being stricken with scarlet fever. With an artificial right eye and limited vision in the left, Fred Lowery was legally blind – not totally blind. From the age of eight he was educated at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. In 1929, when he was attending school, he met a bird imitator. "He encouraged me," he recalled, "and I began to discover there was more to whistling than bird calls." After a series of minor successes, including a radio show on WFAA in Dallas, and a 4+1⁄2-year engagement with the Vincent Lopez orchestra in New York, he was heard by Horace Heidt. Heidt gave Lowery his chance for national recognition as a featured part of his show. In 1945, Lowery struck out on his own. His 1939 version of the song Indian Love Call sold over 2 million copies. During his career, he performed at Carnegie Hall and at the White House. |
Birth and Death Data: Born November 2, 1909, Died December 11, 1984
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1960
Roles Represented in DAHR: whistling
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-36 of 36 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Decca | NA 11040 | 3/26/1960 | Whispering | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11041 | 3/26/1960 | Mockin' bird hill | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11042 | 3/26/1960 | Londonderry air | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11043 | 3/26/1960 | Whistle a happy tune | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11044 | 3/26/1960 | Marie | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11045 | 3/26/1960 | Red River valley | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11046 | 3/26/1960 | Over the rainbow | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11047 | 3/27/1960 | William Tell overture | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11048 | 3/27/1960 | Gypsy love song | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11049 | 3/27/1960 | Estrellita | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling | |||
Decca | NA 11050 | 3/27/1960 | Tammy | Fred Lowery | vocalist, whistling |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Lowery, Fred," accessed November 12, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/328324.
Lowery, Fred. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 12, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/328324.
"Lowery, Fred." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 12 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Lowery, Fred, 1909-1984 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n83026408
Wikidata: Fred Lowery - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5495807
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/86587438
MusicBrainz: Fred Lowery - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/4afc366d-a46a-4e3d-8196-9d1eb0674562
ISNI: 0000 0000 7822 5403 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000078225403
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