Nancy Swain Overton (born Anne Swain; February 6, 1926 – April 5, 2009) was an American pop singer and songwriter.

Biography

Overton first formed a singing group with her sister

Jean Swain Jean Adair Swain (August 12, 1923 – July 17, 2000) was born in New York City and grew up in Port Washington, Long Island, where she graduated from high school at age 16. Her musical talents included playing the cello in orchestras and chamber ...

and two college friends, Bix Brent and Pauli Skindlov in 1946. The group toured with orchestra leader Tommy Tucker for 6 months, was known as Tommy Tucker's Two Timers, and recorded the song "Maybe You'll Be There" with bandleader Tommy and his lead singer Don Brown. Pauli left the group and was replaced by Ellie Decker, who had previously sung with The Meltones (

Mel Tormé Melvin Howard Tormé (September 13, 1925 – June 5, 1999), nicknamed "The Velvet Fog", was an American musician, singer, composer, arranger, drummer, actor, and author. He composed the music for "The Christmas Song" ("Chestnuts Roasting on an Op ...

's quartet). The band also then sang with singer and band leader

Ray Heatherton Ray Heatherton (June 1, 1909 – August 15, 1997) was an American singer, Broadway musical theatre performer, and a New York City television personality in the early days of the medium. Early career Ray Heatherton was born in the New York C ...

from whom they acquired the bands' next moniker The Heathertones. After Decker left the group to get married, she was replaced as lead singer by Marianne McCormick. The Heathertones disbanded in 1953.

Personal life

Overton, who married jazz pianist/composer/arranger

Hall Overton Hall Franklin Overton (February 23, 1920 – November 24, 1972) was an American composer, jazz pianist and music teacher. He was born in Bangor, Michigan, the first of the three sons of Stanford and Ruth (Barnes) Overton. He grew up in Grand Rapi ...

, sang "Nobody's Heart" as a solo vocalist with the

Teddy Charles Teddy Charles (April 13, 1928 – April 16, 2012) was an American jazz musician and composer, whose instruments were the vibraphone, piano, and drums. Career Born Theodore Charles Cohen in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, United States, he ...

Quartet in 1954. In 1957, Janet Ertel of

The Chordettes The Chordettes were an American female vocal quartet, specializing in traditional pop music. They are best known for their 1950s hit songs " Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop". Career The group organized in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in 1946. The origin ...

, though still recording with the group, elected not to continue touring. Ertel was married to

Archie Bleyer Archibald Martin Bleyer (June 12, 1909 – March 20, 1989) was an American song arranger, bandleader, and record company executive. Early life Bleyer was born in the Corona section of the New York City borough of Queens. His father was a well-kn ...

, the owner of

Cadence Records Cadence Records was an American record company based in New York City whose labels had a picture of a metronome. It was founded by Archie Bleyer, who had been the musical director and orchestra leader for Arthur Godfrey in 1952. Cadence also lau ...

, the group's label. Nancy Overton was invited to appear with

for live appearances and did so until the group broke up in the early 1960s. She didn't record with The Chordettes on their label, Cadence Records; however she did appear on some "Stars For Defense" programs. She moved to Englewood,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, in the 1960s, at the recommendation of

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

. After her husband Hall Overton died in 1972, she retired from show business and worked for Prentice-Hall Publishers as an editorial assistant.Levin, Jay
"Chordette's Nancy Overton Dead at 83"
, copy of article from ''

The Record (Bergen County) ''The Record'' (also called ''The North Jersey Record'', ''The Bergen Record'', ''The Sunday Record'' (Sunday edition) and formerly ''The Bergen Evening Record'') is a newspaper in New Jersey, United States. Serving Bergen, Essex, Hudson and P ...

'', April 7, 2009. Accessed November 13, 2013. "The family moved to Englewood from New York City in 1966 at the urging of a friend, Dizzy Gillespie.... Mrs. Overton moved to Blairstown in 1982, 10 years after her husband died." In the early 1990s, The Chordettes regrouped with Overton, Jean Swain, Doris Alberti, and

Lynn Evans K. Lynn Evans (born c. 1964) is an American educator and politician. Education and teaching career Evans graduated from Aurelia High School in Aurelia, Iowa, in 1982. He then completed his bachelor's degree in physical education and biology at ...

, who had been a member of the Chordettes from 1952 until the group disbanded in 1961, doing shows ranging from a doo wop concert to touring with

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' cou ...

. A live cassette of a concert in

Branson, Missouri Branson is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. Most of the city is situated in Taney County, with a small portion in the west extending into Stone County. Branson is in the Ozark Mountains. The community was named after Reuben Branson, postma ...

was recorded.

Family

Rick Overton Richard Overton (born August 10, 1954) is an American screenwriter, actor and comedian. His writing credits include ''Dennis Miller Live'', and his acting credits include ''Beverly Hills Cop'', ''Groundhog Day'' and ''Mrs. Doubtfire''. Life and ...

, comic actor/writer, is the son of Hall and Nancy Overton.

Death

She moved to

Blairstown, New Jersey Blairstown is a township in Warren County, New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, Blairstown's population was 5,704. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 5,967 esophageal cancer Esophageal cancer is cancer arising from the esophagus—the food pipe that runs between the throat and the stomach. Symptoms often include difficulty in swallowing and weight loss. Other symptoms may include pain when swallowing, a hoarse voice ...

on April 5, 2009.

Discography

With

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of Ge ...

*''

The Dual Role of Bob Brookmeyer ''The Dual Role of Bob Brookmeyer'' is an album by jazz trombonist and pianist Bob Brookmeyer recorded in 1954 and 1955 for the Prestige label.Cohen, NTeddy Charles Discography accessed July 29, 2013 Reception The Allmusic review by Scott Yano ...

'' (Prestige, 1954)

References

External links

Obituary in NorthJersey.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Overton, Nancy 1926 births 2009 deaths American women pop singers Deaths from cancer in New Jersey Deaths from esophageal cancer People from Blairstown, New Jersey People from Englewood, New Jersey Singers from New York City Traditional pop music singers People from Port Washington, New York 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American women