Biography
Born on 23 May 1904 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Libby Holman—originally Elsbeth Holzman—died on 18 June 1971 in Stamford, Connecticut. Some observers hailed her as the first great white torch singer, while others branded her “a dark purple menace” on account of her volatile personal affairs. Early Broadway appearances consisted of small parts in productions such as Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s The Garrick Gaieties (1925). Her profile rose sharply when she took featured roles in Merry-Go-Round (1927) and Rainbow (1928), the latter showcasing her languorous delivery of “I Want A Man.” A 1929 Top 10 hit with “Am I Blue?” preceded the breakthrough that followed her work in The Little Show, where audiences heard her perform both “Can’t We Be Friends” and “Moanin’ Low.” Critics responded enthusiastically to her sultry interpretations of “Body And Soul” and “Something To Remember Me By” in Three’s A Crowd (1930). Momentum faltered after the fatal shooting of her husband, Zachary Smith Reynolds; although charged with murder, the case was entered nolle prosequi and never reached trial. She resurfaced on Broadway in Revenge With Music (1934), introducing Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz’s insinuating “You And The Night And The Music,” and later took part in Cole Porter’s You Never Know (1938). The earlier level of success, however, remained elusive. In the early 1940s she provoked widespread comment by forming a double-act with black folk singer Josh White, performing in clubs and concerts at a time when such interracial pairings met resistance from many bookers and reviewers. Throughout the 1950s she toured with the program Blues, Ballads And Sin Songs, yet further scrutiny arose from her friendship with the ill-fated screen idol Montgomery Clift. Largely withdrawn from public view in her final years, she is reported to have succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Albums
