"Ginny" as she was affectionately known, was
South Africa's best selling female recording artist of the late Fifties,
Sixties and early Seventies. She was the first South African female vocalist to
receive a gold disc, for the equivalent of a million sales for her hit
"Goodbye My Love". She followed that up with a second gold disc only
seven months later for "Darling It’s Wonderful".
Virginia Lee was born on June 27, 1927 in Port Elizabeth
and grew up there. She did her schooling at North End Grey, Port Elizabeth and
the famous Victoria Girls High, Grahamstown. At school she took a keen interest
in athletics and excelled in swimming and diving.
She married Johnny Lee in 1948. In 1949, her only
daughter, Peggy (later Koopman), was born. After nine years, she and Johnny divorced.
In 1987 she married Lea Bergman. In 1957 she made her record debut under the
guidance of Dan Hill. Several performances, tours, records and awards followed.
She recorded a duet with Slim Whitman “She Taught Me How To Yodel”.
She was the first female South African singer to be
awarded a Gold Plate. It was awarded to
her on December 15, 1965 for the equivalent of one million sales for her hit
Goodbye My Love. She was the first
artist to get the distinction to release a locally produced album
overseas. Goodbye My Love is released
under the PYE label in England, Holland and Germany with a pre-order of 100 000
copies.
In 1969, Virginia travelled through Zambia and was
incredibly successful. Her song,
Telephone To Glory, was a top hit). In 1970 she founded her own record company,
Dominant Records. Hampered by years of cheap productions, she flew to London
at her own expense for her first recording session at London's EMI Abbey Road
studios. For this occasion she had a
full orchestra.
Virginia has travelled through Rhodesia several times
with the "Virginia Lee Show" and was also a regular guest on
television there. Her own record label,
despite good quality and multiple entries on hit lists (Two White Duifies / A
Brand New Day), did not go as well as hoped and became a financial burden. She dissolved the label, signed a contract
with EMI in 1972 and undertook a national tour with Nico Carstens.
In 1974 she played in an English film Cry me a Teardrop
with Wena Naude. By the end of her career, Virginia could sing in over 16
languages. She crossed artists like
Caterina Valente and Connie Francis, who each sang in 11 languages.In 1987,
Virginia was diagnosed breast cancer, but it was too late for treatment. She then withdrew from society and on January 7, 1990
died in Johannesburg at the age of 63 years.
(Info mainly from thekinseyreport.com & translated
Wikipedia)
1 comment:
For “Spotlight on Virginia Lee” go here:
http://www79.zippyshare.com/v/KOwMwHd6/file.html
1. Speak Softly My Love
2. Tula Baba
3. Send Me No Roses
4. There Goes My Everything
5. You’re The Reason I’m Living
6. This Is It
7. My Special Prayer
8. Nightingale
9. What Am I Living For
10. Little Black Book
11. My Teardrops Fall Like Raindrops
12. I’ll Be There
13. All Kinds Of Everything
14. Let There Be Love [Let there be peace
15. All Over The World
16. Darling It’s Wonderful
17. Happy Birthday My Darling
18. I’ll Be Wearing Blue
19. My Last Date With You
20. Once A Day
21. Pearly Shells
22. Tell me Why
23. True Love
24. When The Snow Is On The Roses
25. Wish Me A Rainbow
26. Goodbye My Love
Please note tracks 1-14 are taken from her 1969 Gallo album “My Everything” Tracks 15 -25 taken from various albums via YouTube.
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