The singer-songwriter known professionally as Peggy Lee was born Norma Deloris Egstrom in May of 1920. She specialized in jazz and was also credited as a composer. Lee was also an actress and was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in “Pete Kelly’s Blues.” She also acted in “The Jazz Singer” opposite Danny Thomas. Lee is also known for singing and voicing several characters in Disney’s animated film, “Lady and the Tramp.”
While Lee was a glamorous star in her own right, she came from humble beginnings. Born in Jamestown, North Dakota, Lee grew up along the Midland Continental Railroad. Her father worked as a station agent for the railroad and moved his family to several different towns during Lee’s childhood. The singer shared that she had a difficult time growing up. Her mother passed away when she was only 4, and the woman her alcoholic father remarried was abusive.
Through challenging times in her life, Lee always relied on music. When she was young, she would get lost listening to the radio and had big dreams of becoming a musician. When she was 17, Lee moved to California to pursue a career as a singer. She first got a job waiting tables in Newport Beach but then landed an audition at The Jade. Later, she took a job at the Doll House in Palm Springs. This is where her sultry style was first established.
Lee went on to become a household name. Some of her most popular songs include “Somebody Else Is Taking My Place,” “Why Don’t You Do Right,” “Fever,” and “Is That All There Is?” The singer lived to be 81 and passed away from a heart attack in 2002. Read on to learn more about Lee.
Peggy Lee (1961), (National Jazz Archive/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
When Lee first heard the demo for the song “Is That All There Is?” it immediately resonated with her. She even told the songwriters: “I will kill you if you give this song to anyone but me. This is my song. This is the story of my life.”
The song was written by the team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It tells the story of a woman witnessing her house burn down and feeling disillusioned by life’s challenges. For Lee, the song reminded her of her own unhappy childhood, and she was determined to make it hers.
Lee’s granddaughter, Holly Foster Wells, shared that the song held deep meaning for the singer. “That song completely resonated with her. To her it was about looking at everything that’s unfolding in front of you, pulling yourself back, accepting it, and going on living. What she heard was: survivor,” Foster Wells said.
The star married Dave Barbour, and they had a daughter named Nicki. Sadly, Barbour was an alcoholic, and their marriage did not last. This caused Lee a great deal of pain, and she found solace in the song “The Folks Who Live on the Hill.” Foster Wells said:
“That was the life she longed for. To have a stable, wonderful, long-term relationship with someone she grew old with in the same house having children. The life she got was the opposite of that dream.”
Lee did not give up on singing, and her career took off. She continued performing into her later years. “Aging in the public eye was hard for her. She would say: ‘You try singing Fever when you’re in your 70s,’” her granddaughter shared.
Lee is remembered by her friends and family, as well as her fans, and her music continues to inspire others to this day.
Peggy Lee (2002), (Getty Images/Staff)
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