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A photo of Georgia Gibbs

Georgia Gibbs 1918 - 2006

Georgia Gibbs of New York, New York United States was born on August 17, 1918 in Worcester, MA, and died at age 88 years old on December 9, 2006 in New York, NY.

Georgia Gibbs
Born as Frieda Lipschitz. She was Jewish and lost her father as a baby and was raised in a Jewish orphanage.
Name
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New York, New York United States
Last residence
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August 17, 1918
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Birth
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December 9, 2006
New York, New York, United States
Death
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Female
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Georgia Gibbs Georgia Gibbs (1918 - 2006)
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Georgia Gibbs' History: 1918 - 2006

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  • Introduction

    Georgia Gibbs was a very successful singer and retired in 1966 which was 40 years before she died.
  • 08/17
    1918

    Birthday

    August 17, 1918
    Birthdate
    Worcester, Massachusetts United States
    Birthplace
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  • Ethnicity & Family History

    Russian Jewish. Her siblings changed their names too.

  • Professional Career

    While still in Worcester at age 13, Frieda auditioned for a job at the Plymouth Theatre, one of the prime vaudeville houses in Boston. The Plymouth's manager had already heard her sing on the local Worcester radio station, and Gibbs was hired and moved to Boston, eventually landing at the Raymor Ballroom. She joined the Hudson-DeLange Orchestra in 1936 (age 17), and toured with them for 10 months as Fredda Gibson. "You don't really know loneliness unless you do a year or two with a one-night band", Gibbs said of her life on the big-band circuit, "Sing until about 2 a.m. Get in a bus and drive 400 miles. Stop in the night for the greasy hamburger. Arrive in a town. Try to sleep. Get up and eat." She found steady work on radio shows including Your Hit Parade, Melody Puzzles, and The Tim And Irene Show and freelanced in the late 1930s and early 1940s singing with the bands of Tommy Dorsey, Hal Kemp, Artie Shaw, and Frankie Trumbauer. While a Billboard article reports that her first time on disk was with Trumbauer's orchestra (The Laziest Gal in Town on Brunswick Records), liner notes from a 1998 Simitar compilation report her appearance on some of DeLange's recordings on Brunswick, and a recording exists with Hal Kemp from 1939. She first charted with Shaw's band in 1942 on Absent Minded Moon (Victor 27779), which received a lukewarm review at the time. In 1943, with her name changed to Georgia Gibbs, she began appearing on the Camel Caravan radio program, hosted by Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore, where she remained a regular performer until 1947. It was Moore who bestowed upon her the famous nickname "Her Nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs," ironically using the title to describe the singer of diminutive stature who had an enormous "authoritative" prominence in American pop music. Gibbs signed with Majestic Records in 1946 cutting multiple records, but her first solo hit single, "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake" (on the Coral label) did not come until 1950. During this period she also was the featured vocalist on tours with comedians Danny Kaye and Sid Caesar. Success as a singer outside of radio and variety shows continued to elude her, as noted in a 1952 Time article: "Georgia", they kept telling her, "you gotta get a sound." Musical soothsayers were trying to get Songstress Georgia Gibbs into line with the latest fashion. Perhaps, they thought, she should sing mechanized duets with herself (like Patti Page), or she might try an echo chamber background (like Peggy Lee). But gimmicks were not Georgia Gibbs's cup of tea. She had a big, old-fashioned voice, a good ear, a vivacious personality, and she knew how to sing from the shoulder. She would stick with plain Georgia Gibbs. Through 1949 and 1950 she appeared on TV shows Cavalcade of Stars and All-Star Revue. In 1951 she signed with Mercury Records where she ultimately had success "sticking with plain Georgia Gibbs". Possessed of a versatile voice, she cut a long list of well-received records in every category from torch songs to rock-and-roll, jazz, swing, old-fashioned ballads, and cha-chas. The most successful, 1952's "Kiss Of Fire", which she performed on The Milton Berle Show in that spring, reached No. 1 on the pop music charts. "Kiss of Fire" was adapted from the Argentinian tango El Choclo and the lyrics, arrangement, and delivery communicate passion on a Wagnerian scale. Sultry and throbbing, with a touch of vibrato, Gibbs's voice is best showcased on romantic ballads and torch songs like "My Melancholy Baby", "I'll Be Seeing You", "Autumn Leaves", and "You Keep Coming Back Like a Song". Yet she could also belt out steaming jazz numbers like "Red Hot Mama", "A-Razz-A-Ma-Tazz"; jive with tunes like "Ol Man Mose", "Shoo Shoo Baby"; or rock out with "I Want You to Be My Baby". Her Swingin' With Her Nibs album (1956) demonstrated her natural affinity for improvisation as well. In 1957, Gibbs signed with RCA Victor going on to chart with over 40 songs before retirement from singing, and was briefly successful doing rock 'n' roll songs as well. Her Mercury record "Silent Lips" was a big hit in Sweden (September 1958-March 1959) peaking at number 5 in the best-selling charts, and there were even several Swedish cover versions of that song, "Ingenting" by among others Towa Carson, Lill-Babs, and Britt Rylander. Also "The Hula Hoop Song" did well in Sweden (February–March 1959) peaking at number 12. She continued to appear on many television shows including The Ed Sullivan Show and hosted one of her own, Georgia Gibbs, and her Million Record Show. She cut her final album Call Me, in 1966 and rarely performed after that. Some notoriety followed Gibbs for her cover versions of music popularized by black performers, such as Etta James's "The Wallflower" (recorded by Gibbs with modified lyrics under the title "Dance With Me Henry", released March 26, 1955) and LaVern Baker's "Tweedle Dee" (which outsold Baker's version, prompting complaints from her). Decades later, Gibbs commented that she, like most artists of the day, had no say in their choice of material and arrangements. A widely told story has LaVern Baker taking out a life insurance policy on herself in advance of a flight to Australia and naming Georgia Gibbs as the beneficiary. "You need this more than I do," Baker is said to have written to Gibbs, "because if anything happens to me, you're out of business."

  • Personal Life & Family

    Personal life In 1970 she married foreign correspondent and author Frank Gervasi, biographer of Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin, and whose books include To Whom Palestine? The Case for Israel, The Real Rockefeller and The Violent Decade. They had first met in Paris in the 1930s but lost touch with one another for 12 years. The marriage lasted until his death in 1990; they had one child who predeceased Georgia. Georgia Gibbs died of leukemia on December 9, 2006, aged 88, at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Survivors included grandson Sacha Gervasi (from her husband's previous marriage), her brother Robert Gibson and nieces Patty Turk, Jody (Babydoll) Gibson, and Jody's sister Amy. Gibbs' last interview, conducted by Greg Adams, was subsequently published online.
  • 12/9
    2006

    Death

    December 9, 2006
    Death date
    Unknown
    Cause of death
    New York, New York United States
    Death location
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  • Obituary

    Georgia Gibbs, 87, Singer of the ’50s Hit ‘Kiss of Fire,’ Dies By Margalit Fox Dec. 12, 2006 Georgia Gibbs, a brassy-voiced pop singer who topped the charts in the 1950s with “Kiss of Fire” and other hits, died on Saturday in Manhattan, where she had lived for many years. She was 87. The cause was pneumonia, said Leslie Gottlieb, a publicist and family friend. She said Ms. Gibbs had been undergoing treatment for leukemia in recent months at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where she died. During her years in show business, Ms. Gibbs was widely known by her full, magisterial title: Her Nibs, Miss Georgia Gibbs. “Nibs” in this sense denotes a person of importance; its etymology is uncertain. Like many white singers of the period, Ms. Gibbs, who recorded her biggest hits for the Mercury label, was known in particular for her covers, often with bowdlerized lyrics, of R&B songs by black artists. She was also known for her versatility; her repertory included tangos like “Kiss of Fire” as well as torch songs, jazz, rock and novelty numbers. Ms. Gibbs recorded three singles that sold more than a million copies each: “Kiss of Fire,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1952; “Tweedle Dee” which was No. 2 in 1955 (the song was originally introduced by LaVern Baker); and “Dance With Me Henry” (previously recorded by Etta James as “Wallflower”), which was No. 1 in 1955. A frequent guest on television and radio, Ms. Gibbs appeared with Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Bob Crosby, and Garry Moore, among other notables. It was Mr. Moore who came up with the title Her Nibs. Ms. Gibbs was born Frieda Lipschitz on Aug. 17, 1919, in Worcester, Mass. Her father died when she was very young, and she spent much of her childhood in an orphanage. There, Frieda discovered a talent for singing; by the time she was a teenager, she had left the orphanage and was supporting her family by working in Boston ballrooms. She made her early recordings, with Artie Shaw and other bandleaders, under the name Fredda Gibson. In the late 1950s, Ms. Gibbs married Frank Gervasi, a journalist. He died in 1990. In part, because she chose to record less frequently after her marriage, Ms. Gibbs never attained the lasting fame of contemporaries like Rosemary Clooney and Patti Page. But in her heyday, she was so well known that the post office routinely delivered to her door overseas letters addressed simply, “Her Nibs.”
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6 Memories, Stories & Photos about Georgia

Georgia Gibbs as a redhead.
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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01/04/2022
Georgia Gibbs as a redhead.
Lovely woman to meet.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Georgia Gibbs.
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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01/04/2022
Georgia Gibbs.
Very popular in Sweden.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Georgia Gibbs.
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.7k+ favorites
01/04/2022
Georgia Gibbs.
Popular singer from 1940-1966.
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Georgia Gibbs.
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.7k+ favorites
01/04/2022
Georgia Gibbs.
Popular Singer.
Date & Place: Not specified or unknown.
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Georgia Gibbs who loved to tan.
Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
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01/04/2022
Georgia Gibbs who loved to tan.
With dyed blonde hair.
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Photo of Amanda S. Stevenson Amanda S. Stevenson
17.7k+ favorites
01/04/2022
I met her at THE BOB CROSBY SHOW when I was fifteen years old. She was very nice.
She was very famous in the 1950's and 60's.
Singles
Year Single (A-side, B-side)
Both sides from same album except where indicated Chart positions Album
US CB US
AC UK[18]
1947 "You Do"
b/w "Feudin' and Fightin'" — — — — Non-album tracks
1950 "If I Knew You Were Comin' (I'd've Baked A Cake)"
b/w "Stay With The Happy People" (Non-album track) 5 — — — Her Nibs, Georgia Gibbs
"Simple Melody"
b/w "A Little Bit Independent"
Both tracks with Bob Crosby 25 — — — Non-album tracks
"Cherry Stones"
b/w "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
Both sides with Bob Crosby — — — —
"Red Hot Mama"
b/w "Razz-A-Ma-Tazz" — — — — Her Nibs, Georgia Gibbs
1951 "I Still Feel The Same About You"
b/w "Get Out Those Old Records" 18 — — —
"Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White"
b/w "Get Him Off My Hands" — — — — Non-album tracks
"Tom's Tune"
b/w "I Wish, I Wish" 21 — — —
"Good Morning, Mr. Echo"
b/w "Be Doggone Sure You Call" 21 — — —
"While You Danced, Danced, Danced"
b/w "While We're Young" 6 — — —
"Cry"
b/w "My Old Flame" 24 — — —
1952 "Kiss of Fire"
b/w "A Lasting Thing" 1 — — —
"So Madly In Love"
b/w "Make Me Love You" 21 22 — —
"Sinner Or Saint" / — 28 — —
"My Favorite Song" 22 12 — —
"A Moth and A Flame"
b/w "The Photograph On The Piano" — — — —
1953 "What Does It Mean To Be Lonely"
b/w "Winter's Here Again" — — — —
"Seven Lonely Days"
b/w "If You Take My Heart Away" 5 9 — — Song Favorites Of Georgia Gibbs
"For Me, For You" / 21 — — — Non-album tracks
"Thunder and Lightning" — 20 — —
"Say It Isn't So"
b/w "He's Funny That Way" — — — — Music and Memories
"The Bridge Of Sighs" / 30 — — — Non-album tracks
"A Home Lovin' Man" 30 — — —
"Under Paris Skies"
b/w "I Love Paris" — — — —
1954 "Somebody Bad Stole De Wedding Bell"
b/w "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" 18 15 — —
"My Sin"
b/w "I'll Always Be Happy With You" (Non-album tracks) 21 27 — — Song Favorites Of Georgia Gibbs
"Wait For Me, Darling"
b/w "Whistle and I'll Dance" 24 32 — — Non-album tracks
"The Man That Got Away"
b/w "More Than Ever" (Non-album track) — — — — Music and Memories
"Mambo Baby"
b/w "Love Me" (Non-album track) — 41 — — Song Favorites Of Georgia Gibbs
1955 "Tweedle Dee"
b/w "You're Wrong, All Wrong" (Non-album track) 2 3 — 20
"Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower)"
Original B-side: "Ballin' The Jack"
Later B-side: "Every Road Must Have A Turning" 1 3 — —
"Sweet and Gentle" / 12 8 — —
"Blueberries" — 45 — —
"I Want You To Be My Baby"
b/w "Come Rain Or Come Shine" (Non-album track) 14 13 — —
"Goodbye To Rome (Arrivederci Roma)" / 51 44 — — Non-album tracks
"24 Hours a Day (365 A Year)[19]" 74 36 — —
1956 "Rock Right"
b/w "The Greatest Thing" 36 37 — —
"Kiss Me Another"
b/w "Fool Of The Year" 30 27 — 24
"Happiness Street"
b/w "Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe" (from Swinging With Her Nibs 20 30 — —
"Tra La La"
b/w "Morning, Noon and Night" 24 36 — —
1957 "Silent Lips"
b/w "Pretty Pretty" 68 50 — —
"The Sheik Of Araby"
b/w "I Am A Heart, A Heart, A Heart" — — — —
"I'm Walking The Floor Over You"
b/w "Sugar Candy" 92 — — —
"Fun Lovin' Baby"
b/w "I Never Had The Blues" — — — —
"I Miss You"
b/w "Great Balls Of Fire" — — — —
1958 "Way Way Down"
b/w "You're Doin' It" — — — —
"Hello Happiness, Goodbye Blues"
b/w "It's My Pleasure" — — — —
"The Hula Hoop Song"
b/w "Keep In Touch" 32 37 — —
1959 "The Hucklebuck"
b/w "Better Loved You'll Never Be" — — — —
"Pretend"
b/w "Hamburgers, Frankfurters and Potato Chips" — — — —
1960 "Seven Lonely Days"
b/w "The Stroll That Stole My Heart" — — — —
"So In Love"
b/w "Loch Lomond" — — — — Georgia Gibbs
1963 "Candy Kisses"
b/w "I Will Follow You" — — — — Georgia Gibbs' Greatest Hits
"Tater Poon"
b/w "Nine Girls Out Of Ten Girls" — — — — Non-album tracks
1964 "You Can Never Get Away From Me"
b/w "I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way" — — — — Call Me Georgia Gibbs
1965 "Let Me Cry On Your Shoulder"
Original B-side: "You Can Never Get Away From Me"
Later B-side: "Venice Blue (Que C'est Triste Venise)" 132 87 — —
"Call Me"
b/w "Don't Cry Joe" — — — —
1966 "Let Me Dream"
b/w "In Time" — — 37 —
"Kiss Of Fire"
b/w "Blue Grass" — — — —
1967 "Where's The Music Coming From"
b/w "Time Will Tell" — — — — Non-album tracks
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Georgia Gibbs' Family Tree & Friends

Georgia Gibbs' Family Tree

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Georgia Gibbs
Georgia Gibbs Aug 17, 1918 - Dec 9, 2006
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Friendships

Georgia's Friends

Friends of Georgia Friends can be as close as family. Add Georgia's family friends, and her friends from childhood through adulthood.
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Other Biographies

Other Georgia Gibbs Biographies

Gibbs, Georgia (May 1, 1899 - Mar 1984) Gibbs, Georgia (Jan 3, 1890 - Jan 15, 1973) Gibbs, Georgia (Jan 8, 1900 - Aug 1983) Gibbs, Georgia (Oct 5, 1922 - Feb 16, 2005) Gibbs, Georgia (Nov 13, 1892 - Jan 1979) Gibbs, Georgia (Dec 29, 1949 - Dec 27, 2006) Gibbs, Georgia (Mar 11, 1920 - Nov 16, 2000) Gibbs, Georgia (Jul 16, 1902 - Sep 14, 1989) Gibbs, Georgia (Nov 16, 1930 - Jan 14, 2006) Gibbs, Georgia (Sep 24, 1888 - Dec 1979)
Gibbs, Georgia (Oct 6, 1932 - Oct 8, 1995) Gibbs, Georgia (Mar 14, 1902 - Oct 12, 1997) Gibbs, Georgia (Jan 1, 1911 - Nov 1991) Gibbs, Georgia (Sep 27, 1898 - Nov 1967) Gibbs, Georgia (Jan 5, 1914 - Feb 26, 1998) Gibbs, Georgia (Oct 18, 1911 - Jun 9, 1992) Gibbs, Georgia (Feb 17, 1904 - Sep 1970) Gibbs, Georgia (Jun 27, 1935 - Apr 16, 2006) Gibbs, Georgia (Jul 15, 1930 - Mar 30, 2000) Gibbs, Georgia (Mar 12, 1907 - Apr 4, 1990)

Other Gibbs Family Biographies

Gibbs, Henry (Born c. Apr 12, 1829) Gibbs, Jean (Born 1871) Gibbs, Esther (Born c. 1862) Gibbs, Alice (Born c. Nov 13, 1874) Gibbs, Allan (Born c. Apr 1, 1869) Gibbs, Arthur (Born c. Dec 16, 1872) Gibbs, Bertha (Jul 3, 1903 - Jan 31, 1998) Gibbs, Gilman (Dec 5, 1907 - Aug 8, 1992) Gibbs, Lwirt (Sep 20, 1909 - Jan 28, 1990) Gibbs, Marshall (Nov 10, 1901 - Jun 1965)
Gibbs, George (May 20, 1893 - Jul 1962) Gibbs, Delbert (Nov 20, 1919 - Sep 27, 1997) Gibbs, Clayton (Jul 15, 1884 - Jul 1962) Gibbs, Walter (Feb 11, 1900 - Mar 1976) Gibbs, Howard (Aug 20, 1902 - Jan 1986) Gibbs, Laurette (Aug 30, 1916 - Apr 17, 2001) Gibbs, George (Nov 9, 1881 - Oct 1966) Gibbs, Barbara (Apr 11, 1916 - Aug 10, 2007) Gibbs, Frederick (Nov 16, 1911 - Nov 1987) Gibbs, Catherine (May 2, 1923 - Jul 15, 2010)
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