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Nanette Joan Workman (born 20 November 1945,
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
) is a singer-songwriter, actress and author, who has been based in
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
,
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, during much of her career. She holds
dual citizenship Multiple/dual citizenship (or multiple/dual nationality) is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on ...
of both the United States and Canada. She was raised by musician parents in
Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...
, where she began her first performances. Although raised as an English speaker, she mainly performs in French. She has recorded with well-known musicians in the U.S., Canada, UK and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and has been recognized in Mississippi by being elected to that state's Musicians Hall of Fame and having a
Francophone French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...
house named after her at the state university."Nanette Workman"
''The Encyclopedia of Music in Canada''. Workman's Biography, Discography, and Bibliography


Biography


Childhood

Workman was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 20 November 1945, to musician parents. Her mother, Beatryce Kreisman, was in the chorus of '' Naughty Marietta'' with the New York City Opera Company, and her father, Ernest Workman, played trumpet in
Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...
's orchestra. She grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. As a child she studied piano and began her career at 11, appearing in the local
WLBT WLBT (channel 3) is a television station in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Gray Television, which also operates American Spirit Media–owned Fox affiliate WDBD (channel 40) and Vicksburg-licensed MyN ...
television series ''Mr. Magic'' (later ''Junior Time'') until she was given her own weekly show, ''Teen Tempos''. She graduated from
Provine High School John W. Provine High School is a public school in Jackson, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Jackson Public School District. Nicknamed "Ram City", the school serves students in grades 9–12 in the West Jackson area. Students from the ...
and attended the
University of Southern Mississippi The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM) is a public research university with its main campus located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award bachelor's, ma ...
in
Hattiesburg Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, located primarily in Forrest County (where it is the county seat and largest city) and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census, with the populat ...
, leaving college at 18 for Broadway.


Career

After understudying the lead of ''
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' may refer to: * ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (book), a 1952 book written by Shepherd Mead and the inspiration for the musical of the same name. * ''How to Succeed in Bu ...
'', she played the role of Rosemary in 1964 and later played the lead in summer stock. In 1966, Workman met Tony Roman and recorded her first French single, " Et Maintenant", for him in Canada, where the song remained on the charts for fifteen weeks after becoming number one. Over the next two years she became a Canadian recording and TV star, finally hosting '. In 1969, Workman moved to England where she appeared weekly on
Peter Cook Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English actor, comedian, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishme ...
and
Dudley Moore Dudley Stuart John Moore CBE (19 April 193527 March 2002) was an English actor, comedian, musician and composer. Moore first came to prominence in the UK as a leading figure in the British satire boom of the 1960s. He was one of the four writ ...
's comedy series '' Not Only... But Also''. Mistakenly credited as Nanette Newman, Workman sang backing vocals on "
You Can't Always Get What You Want "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album ''Let It Bleed''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by ''Rolling Stone'' ...
" and "
Country Honk "Honky Tonk Women" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released as a non-album single on 4 July 1969 in the United Kingdom, and a week later in the United States (although a country version called "Country Honk" was ...
" (the acoustic precursor to Honky Tonk Women), tracks from
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
' 1969 album ''
Let It Bleed ''Let It Bleed'' is the eighth British and tenth American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released 28 November 1969 on London Records in the United States and shortly thereafter by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. ...
'' (she's credited as Nanette Newman, and some have confused her with the British actress married to director Bryan Forbes). She also worked with
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
and
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
. In addition, she appeared in one of the
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
episodes of ''
The Benny Hill Show ''The Benny Hill Show'' is a British comedy television show starring Benny Hill that aired on the BBC and ITV (from 1969) between 15 January 1955 and 1 May 1989. The show consisted mainly of sketches that were full of slapstick, mime, parody ...
'' (appearing as Nanette), performing "Everybody's Singing Like Now" on the 24 February 1971 edition. Workman toured France in 1973 as an opening act for
Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France. During a career spanning 57 ...
. She made three albums with
Yves Martin Yves Martin (22 November 1929 – 23 February 2021) was a Canadian sociologist. He was the laity rector at the Université de Sherbrooke and was one of the founders of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail. ...
touring Africa,
Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
and Europe before returning to Quebec in 1974 where she recorded several more French albums. ''Lady Marmalade'', ''Danser Danser'', ''Donne Donne'' and especially ''Call Girl'' (by
Luc Plamondon Luc Plamondon, OC, CQ (b. March 2, 1942 in Saint-Raymond, Quebec), is a French-Canadian lyricist and music executive. He is best known for his work on the musicals ''Starmania'' and ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He is the brother of Louis Plamondo ...
) placed first on the hit parades. Returning to France in 1978, she starred in the Rock Opera '' Starmania'' as Sadia. In 1979, she sang backing vocals in the
Mahogany Rush Mahogany Rush was a Canadian rock band led by guitarist Frank Marino. Formed in Montreal, Quebec in 1969, the band had its peak of popularity in the 1970s, playing venues as large as California Jam II. The band is perhaps best known for Marino ...
song "Sister Change" (''Tales of an Unexpected'' album). In 1980, she made an album ''Chaude'' in collaboration with her brother Billy Workman and
Luc Plamondon Luc Plamondon, OC, CQ (b. March 2, 1942 in Saint-Raymond, Quebec), is a French-Canadian lyricist and music executive. He is best known for his work on the musicals ''Starmania'' and ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He is the brother of Louis Plamondo ...
and toured Quebec with the show ''Du gramophone au laser'' which recounted the history of the Québécois ''
chanson A (, , french: chanson française, link=no, ; ) is generally any lyric-driven French song, though it most often refers to the secular polyphonic French songs of late medieval and Renaissance music. The genre had origins in the monophonic s ...
''. In 1990, she returned to Paris to become La Diva in Plamondon-Berger's second rock opera, ''La Légende de Jimmy'', based on the life of
James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He is remembered as a cultural icon of teenage disillusionment and social estrangement, as expressed in the title of his most celebrated film, ''Rebel Without a Cause' ...
. In April 2000, Workman was inducted into the
Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame The Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, headquartered in Clinton, Mississippi, honors Mississippi's famous musicians. It is a "Who's Who" of the blues, rock and roll, and jazz from their beginnings to present day. The organization's museum is loca ...
. ''Roots N Blues'', another album in English, was released in May 2001. In 2001, she also appeared in a
Radio-Canada The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
television series, ''Rivière-des-Jérémie'', and was the hostess for thirteen episodes of ''Generation 70''. In 2007, she was recognized by the State of Mississippi when Governor
Haley Barbour Haley Reeves Barbour (born October 22, 1947) is an American attorney, politician, and lobbyist who served as the 63rd governor of Mississippi from 2004 to 2012. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as chairman of the Republican ...
honored her at the opening of The Nanette Workman French (Francophone) House on the
Mississippi State University Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university adjacent to Starkville, Mississippi. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Unive ...
campus. The house accommodates American and French-speaking students from around the world as an upper-classman residence.


Personal life

She has one son, Jesse (born ).


Awards and recognition

* 2000:
Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame The Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, headquartered in Clinton, Mississippi, honors Mississippi's famous musicians. It is a "Who's Who" of the blues, rock and roll, and jazz from their beginnings to present day. The organization's museum is loca ...


Entertainment industry works

The following is a list of her major entertainment industry works:Mississippi Musicians: Nanette Workman
Biography of Nanette Workman, Mississippi musician who was raised in Jackson but is now a Canadian singing star


Discography

* 1967 ''Nanette'' * 1967 ''Je me rétracte'' * 1967 ''Fleurs d'amour, fleurs d'amitié'' (with Tony Roman) * 1968 ''Nanette'' (compilation) * 1970 ''Nanette'' (first solo English-language album) * 1976 ''Lady Marmalade'' * 1976 ''Nanette Workman'' (French album) * 1976 ''Nanette Workman'' (LP with English versions of earlier songs) * 1977 ''Grits and Cornbread'' * 1977 ''Nanette Workman'' (French album) * 1978 '' Starmania'' (with other artists, soundtrack to musical) * 1979 ''Disque d'or'' * 1979 ''Les Titres d'or de Nanette Workman'' * 1980 ''Chaude'' (concept album made with
Luc Plamondon Luc Plamondon, OC, CQ (b. March 2, 1942 in Saint-Raymond, Quebec), is a French-Canadian lyricist and music executive. He is best known for his work on the musicals ''Starmania'' and ''Notre-Dame de Paris''. He is the brother of Louis Plamondo ...
) * 1983 ''Nanette Workman'' * 1989 ''Changement d'adresse'' * 1991: ''Collection souvenir'' (CD) * 1992 ''La légende de Jimmy'' (with other artists: musical soundtrack) * 1993 ''Les Plus Belles Chansons De Starmania'' (1978 concept cast highlights) * 1994 ''Rock & Romance'' 1994 (new versions of her hits from the 1970s and 1980s) * 1996 ''Une à une'' * 1998 ''Best of Nanette Workman'' * 1998 ''Québec'' * 1999 ''Love Taker'' with
Peter Frampton Peter Kenneth Frampton (born 22 April 1950) is an English musician and songwriter who was a member of the rock bands Humble Pie and the Herd. As a solo artist, he has released several albums, including his major breakthrough album, the live ...
* 2001 ''Roots 'n' Blues'' * 2003 ''Vanilla Blues Cafe'' * 2003 ''Honky Tonk Woman'' (compilation) * 2005 ''Mississippi Rolling Stone'' * 2007 ''Danser Danser'' (compilation) * 2012 ''Just Gettin' Started'' No. 42 CAN


Soundtrack appearances

* 1984 '' American Dreamer'' (performer: "Dreamer") * 2004 ''
The Five of Us ''The Five of Us'' (french: Elles étaient cinq) is a Québécois drama film, distributed by Remstar Distribution and Remstar Films. The film was directed and co-written by Ghyslaine Côté, and stars Jacinthe Laguë, Julie Deslauriers, Ingrid ...
(Elles étaient cinq)'' ("Lady Marmalade")


Film

* 1975 ''Mustang'' as Barbara * 1982 ''
Scandale Scandale is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Crotone, in the Calabria region of southern Italy. Geography The town is bordered by Crotone, Cutro, Rocca di Neto, San Mauro Marchesato and Santa Severina Santa Severina is a town and ''c ...
'' as Nanette Workman * 1984 ''Evil Judgement'' as April * 1985 '' Night Magic'' as Pinky (voice) * 1997 '' J'en suis!'' as Sandy Klein * 1999 ''Ladies Room'' as Ricki * 2006 ''
Bon Cop, Bad Cop ''Bon Cop, Bad Cop'' is a 2006 Canadian dark comedy- thriller buddy cop film about two police officers – one Ontarian and one Québécois – who reluctantly join forces to solve a murder. The dialogue is a mixture of English and French. The ...
'' as a Ballet Teacher * 2009 '' Suzie'' as Dealer * 2011 ''
La Run L.A. Run is a song written by Alan Carvell and Brian O Shea, and recorded by the Carvells in 1977 which reached number 31 in the UK charts in November of the same year. The song is about the then-new craze of Skateboarding which had crossed-over ...
''


Television series

* 1968 '' Fleurs d'amour, fleurs d'amitié'', as Host * 1970 '' Not Only... But Also'' as Herself * 1979 ''Collaroshow'' (TV) episode dated 6 October 1979 as Herself * 2001 ''Rivière-des-Jérémie'' as Sarah Blacksmith * 2003 ''L'auberge du chien noir'' (TV) one TV episode "Qui perd gagne", as Herself


Television films

* 1969 '' Je T'aimerai Toujours'' * 1986 '' C.A.T. Squad'' aka Stalking Danger * 1997 ''Platinum'' as Herself At The Cocktail * 2003 ''Nightwaves'' as Sally Winters


Writings

* 1999 Workman, Nanette: ''Nanette''. Montreal (biographical with photographs)


References


External links


Nanette Workman official website
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MySpace: Nanette WorkmanDisques Mérite profile
(in French) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Workman, Nanette Living people 1945 births Musicians from Brooklyn Musicians from Jackson, Mississippi Singers from Quebec American women singers Canadian women singers French-language singers of Canada French-language singers of the United States People with acquired Canadian citizenship American people of Jewish descent Canadian people of Jewish descent University of Southern Mississippi alumni Actors from Jackson, Mississippi 21st-century American women Big Tree Records artists