10+10 Fishers Against the Wind. 10) Leona Anderson
Italian Street Song - LEONA ANDERSON The worst singer in the world.
Leona was the youngest of six children in the Aronson family, a Jewish family that emigrated from Prussia in the latter half of the nineteenth century. She was born in Missouri, and then the Aronsons moved to New York, where her older brother, Gilbert, decided to make a fortune in the film industry.
And he did.
He became "Broncho Billy" Anderson, one of the first and most famous cowboys on screen, and then founded Essanay Studios. He made many films, won awards, and is still remembered today as one of the pioneers of silent cinema.
His little sister wanted to follow in his footsteps, and Gilbert, being a good brother, helped her. Leona also worked with Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel, and Vincent Price. But she is primarily remembered for her career as a "singer."
Leona called herself "the worst singer in the world" and recorded a couple of singles that caught the attention of Ernie Kovacs.
Now, for those who don't know, Ernie Kovacs was a genius (ask the Monty Python crew or the late John Belushi and the whole gang from Saturday Night Live).
In short, Ernie wanted her as a regular guest on his show.
Leona is not a Florence Foster Jenkins; she is aware of the effect of her voice, and indeed, she titled her only record from 1958, "Music To Suffer By"!
But itās not a joke, a trivial prank, or a shabby variety act: Leona truly "performs" her songs with the help of a large orchestra and excellent arrangements. And the effect is disorienting, enchanting, morbid, numbingā¦.
A "new form of beauty."
Are you really ready for Leona?
