Lee, Peggy (1920-2002), was an American singer and songwriter known for her delicate, husky singing voice. She won praise for her interpretations of popular songs, whether they were rhythm tunes or ballads. Lee was also a successful composer and acted in several movies.
Lee was born on May 26, 1920, in Jamestown, North Dakota. Her real name was Norma Delores Egstrom. She gained her first recognition while singing with the Benny Goodman band from 1941 to 1943. She made her first recordings with the band, notably the hit “Why Don’t You Do Right?” (1942). She also appeared with the band in the motion pictures The Powers Girl (1942) and Stage Door Canteen (1943). While with Goodman, she married Dave Barbour, the band’s guitarist. The two formed a successful songwriting team.
Lee left the Goodman band in 1943 to begin a career as a solo singer. She became popular as a nightclub singer and recording artist. She also wrote several hit songs, including “Golden Earrings” (1947) and “Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)” (1948). Lee also wrote the lyrics for the title song from the motion picture Johnny Guitar (1954). She composed the film scores for Lady and the Tramp (1955) and Tom Thumb (1958). She won a Grammy Award for “Is That All There Is?” (1969). Lee also made hit recordings of “Lover” (1952) and “Fever” (1958). Lee received an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actress for her performance in Pete Kelly’s Blues (1955). She died on Jan. 21, 2002.
