Marian Montgomery

b. Maude Runnels, 17 November 1934, Natchez, Mississippi, USA, d. 22 July 2002, Bray, Berkshire, Britain. Montgomery quit college to sing on tv in Atlanta, Georgia. After employed in marketing and publishing, executing in has and performing in strip joint parts and jazz night clubs, she became a recognised cabaret performer. Montgomery was agreed upon to Capitol Information after Peggy Lee noticed her demonstration tape, and she documented three albums for the label. She transferred to the united kingdom in 1965 to sing at a fresh London membership, the Great Elephant, with John Dankworth’s music group. That same season she wedded composer and musical movie director Laurie Holloway and begun to create herself within the London golf club scene, equally in the home at Ronnie Scott’s jazz golf club as she was within the much less challenging cabaret circuit. Possessing a tone of voice which was once likened to ‘having an extended, cool cup of mint julep on the Savannah balcony’, she extended her career having a starring part within the 1969 Western End revival of Anything Moves, and frequent looks on radio and tv, in addition to concerts and cabaret in the united kingdom and overseas. Her one-woman display was televised from the BBC in 1975. Besides her musical association with Holloway, she effectively collaborated with traditional composer/pianist Richard Rodney Bennett on many tasks, including Puttin’ WITHIN THE Ritz, Surprise Shock andTown And Nation. With an immediately recognizable, calm and intimate design, Montgomery became among a small number of American performers to consider up permanent home in the united kingdom. She dropped her long fight against malignancy contracted from unaggressive smoking cigarettes in July 2002.