Jane Morgan Weintraub, a singer, nightclub entertainer, Broadway performer, and TV personality in the ’50s and ’60s, has died.
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The performer passed away on Aug. 4 from natural causes in Naples, Florida, according to Deadline. She was 101 years old.
“Our beloved Jane passed away peacefully in her sleep,” her family announced, per the outlet.
Jane Morgan was a well-known singer who frequently appeared on television variety shows from the 1950s to the early 1970s. She performed on The Johnny Cash Show, where she sang “A Girl Named Johnny Cash,” a response to “A Boy Named Sue.” Written by Martin Mull, the song became a minor hit on country radio.
She is also believed to hold the record for the most appearances by a female singer on The Ed Sullivan Show, with a total of 50 performances.
Florence Catherine Currier, born on May 3, 1924, in Newton, Massachusetts, was raised in a musically gifted family in Florida. She started performing at just 7.
In 1948, while training as a lyric soprano at the Juilliard Conservatory in New York, Morgan sang in nightclubs and restaurants to cover her tuition. French bandleader Bernard Hilda discovered her and brought her to France, where she became known as “The Toast of Paris.”
Morgan’s career continued to rise. After conquering Europe, she returned to America, signed with Kapp Records, and released albums like The American Girl from Paris and All the Way. She earned six gold records in total.
Jane Morgan Cuts Her Signature Song
Her hit “Fascination” (1957), featured in the film Love in the Afternoon, became her signature song. It reached the Top 10 and was the title track of her highest-charting U.S. album. The song has also appeared in Diner, The Next Karate Kid, and the recent Amazon Prime series Fallout.
Though her U.S. chart success varied, she gained international fame in the ’50s and ’60s with hits like “The Day The Rains Came,” a UK chart-topper in 1959, as well as “With Open Arms,” “To Love and Be Loved,” and “Blue Hawaii.”
In 1962, Morgan partnered with Jerry Weintraub, a prominent music manager and later a successful film producer. They married in 1965, becoming a blended family with Weintraub’s son, Michael. They later adopted three daughters: Julie, Jamie, and Jody.
Morgan performed for presidents, toured with popular comedians, and hosted three TV specials, including The Jane Morgan Hour (1959). She also appeared on major variety shows like The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Dean Martin Show and The Jackie Gleason Show, according to IMDb.
In 2011, Morgan was honored with a star on the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She is survived by her son Michael Weintraub (Maria), daughters Jamie Weintraub and Jody Weintraub, six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Jerry, and daughter, Julie.