Teresa Brewer was born Theresa Breuer on May 7, 1931 in Toledo, Ohio and has been singing from the tender age of two when by her mother brought her to audition for a radio program, “Uncle August’s Kiddie Show” on Toledo’s WSPD. She toured with the “Major Bowes Amateur Hour” for seven years when she was only five years old. At 16, after winning a local competition went to New York to appear on a talent show called “Stairway to the Stars.” It was around this time that she changed her name from Theresa Breuer to Teresa Brewer. She won a number of talent shows and played night clubs in New York.
Soon afterwards she signed with London Records and in 1949 had her first hit “Music! Music! Music!” written by Stephen Weiss and Bernie Baum. The song sold over a million copies and became her signature song.
In 1951 she signed with Coral Records and had several hits including, “Gonna Get Along Without You Now” (1952) which was better known as “Patience and Prudence” (1956), “You’ll Never Get Away” in a duet with Don Cornell, and in 1953 she had her best selling hit, “Till I Waltz Again with You.”
1953 produced more hits, “Dancin’ with Someone,” “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall”, and another gold record, “Ricochet.” Other hits followed “Baby, Baby, Baby”, “Bell Bottom Blues”, “Our Heartbreaking Waltz” (written by Sidney Prosen, who had written “Till I Waltz Again With You”), and “Skinnie Minnie.” During these years she continued to singing in the big night clubs in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, and elsewhere.
In 1956 she had a two-sided hit with “A Tear Fell” and “Bo Weevil.” This was followed by “Sweet Old-Fashioned Girl” and “Mutual Admiration Society”. Some of her songs have a decidedly pre-rock beat to them, especially “Ricochet”, “Jilted”, and “A Sweet Old Fashioned Girl.”
Teresa Brewer was America’s sweetheart. We saw and listened to her she grew from a precocious child into a beautiful young woman. So sit back and enjoy her 1956 hit “A Tear Fell.”
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Related Posts: