Kallen, Kitty (1922—)

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Kallen, Kitty (1922—)

American pop vocalist . Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1922 (some sources cite 1923).

A popular singer during the 1940s and 1950s, Kitty Kallen was born in Philadelphia in 1922 and as a child performed on the local "Children's Hour." During her teen years, she sang on the radio with Jan Savitt, then, in 1939, joined Jack Teagarden's band. She subsequently sang with some of the biggest bands of the era, under the batons of Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, and Artie Shaw. During the 1940s, Kallen was a frequent headliner on the popular radio shows hosted by Danny Kaye, David Rose, and Alec Templeton. When the swing era ended, she went out on her own, but her career waned until 1954, when she finally hit the charts with "Little Things Mean a Lot." In gear again, she had hits with "In The Chapel in The Moonlight" (in the top five) and "I Want You All To Myself" (in the top 30). Kitty Kallen retired in 1957 but came back with another blockbuster, "If I Give My Heart To You," in 1959. She recorded a popular LP for RCA in 1962, My Coloring Book.