With striking good looks reminiscent of the boy next door, a resonant baritone voice, and an infectious grin, Gordon MacRae achieved prominence across recordings, motion pictures, as well as television and radio appearances. For over twenty years he cut records with Capitol and took leading parts in the cinematic adaptations of two hugely successful 1950s musicals originally staged on Broadway—Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! and Carousel.
From 1947 onward his Capitol singles enjoyed considerable popularity. Up until 1954 he racked up multiple chart entries including “Rambling Rose,” “So in Love,” “It’s Magic,” “I Still Get Jealous,” “Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue,” and “At the Candlelight Café.” After a four-year hiatus from the rankings he resurfaced via “The Secret.”
His commercial accomplishments extended beyond solo work. Partnerships with Jo Stafford, formerly a vocalist in Tommy Dorsey’s ensemble, proved fruitful as well. Together MacRae and Stafford reached the summit of the American charts with “My Darling, My Darling.” Additional joint releases encompassed “A – You’re Adorable,” “Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart,” “Whispering Hope,” “Bluebird of Happiness,” “Dearie,” and “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.” He further issued a collaborative album alongside his initial spouse Sheila MacRae, known for her work as an actress and singer.
Albert Gordon MacRae was the performer’s birth name. Although born in New Jersey, his formative years unfolded in Syracuse, New York. While attending high school he participated in the drama club. Besides his vocal talents he demonstrated proficiency with the saxophone, clarinet, and piano. A competition victory during his late teenage years transported him to New York for several weeks of performances at the World’s Fair. This stint allowed him to share stages with established musicians such as Les Brown and Harry James. Horace Heidt then engaged him as a singer for his orchestra, a position MacRae held for approximately two years prior to military enlistment, during which he acquired skills in navigation.
Following his discharge, MacRae made his Broadway entrance by assuming the role of Tommy Arbuckle in Junior Miss. He next appeared in 1946’s Three to Make Ready, Ray Bolger’s stage revue. This exposure attracted Capitol’s notice and secured his recording agreement. Throughout the latter portion of the 1940s he starred in the musical radio series The Railroad Hour, continuing until 1954 even after network shifts. Warner Brothers offered him a seven-year contract around the same time, debuting him on screen in The Big Punch. Subsequent film assignments placed him alongside actresses including Doris Day, June Haver, Shirley Jones, Jane Powell, and Kathryn Grayson.
By the middle of the 1950s MacRae had withdrawn from cinema to emphasize television engagements and concert performances. He fronted The Gordon MacRae Show and made regular guest spots on programs like The Colgate Comedy Hour. Alcoholism began to affect him toward the close of the decade, though he asserted mastery over the problem during the 1970s. A stroke felled him in 1982, yet he persisted until 1986, succumbing to pneumonia; cancer had also afflicted him. His marriage to Sheila MacRae ended in divorce in 1967, yielding four offspring of whom actresses Meredith MacRae and Heather MacRae were two. In 1967 he married Liz Schrafft, with whom he raised a single child.
