Jane Morgan, the popular singer, nightclub entertainer and Broadway performer, has died. She was 101.
Morgan passed away Monday of natural causes in Naples, Florida, according to her family.
“Our beloved Jane passed away peacefully in her sleep,” the family said in a statement, according to Deadline.
Morgan was born Florence Catherine Currier on May 3, 1924, in Newton, Massachusetts. She was the youngest of five children and her parents, Bertram and Olga, were musicians.
At age 11, Morgan acted at the Kennebunkport Playhouse in Maine. She graduated from Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Fl. and then studied opera at Juilliard in New York, where orchestra leader Art Mooney came up with her stage name.
Morgan’s career began with singing in nightclubs and small restaurants before she was recognized by French bandleader Bernard Hilda, who took her to Paris where she became a music sensation.
After finding success in Europe, Morgan returned to the US and signed with Kapp Records. She released her first album, “The American Girl From Paris,” in 1956.
The following year, Morgan released her signature song “Fascination” featuring the The Troubadors. The single peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard pop chart and was featured in the Audrey Hepburn movie “Love in the Afternoon.”
Morgan’s other popular songs included “The Day the Rains Came,” “With Open Arms,” “To Love and Be Loved” and “Blue Hawaii.”
On Broadway, Morgan appeared in “Mame,” “Ziegfeld Follie,” The Jack Benny Show,” “Can Can, Kiss Me Kate,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes,” “The King and I,” and more.
“Being on Broadway was one of the most exciting things in my life because I had always dreamed of it,” Morgan once said in an interview, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Morgan also had a presence on television. She performed at the Oscars twice and on “The Ed Sullivan Show” 50 times.
She even sang for notable political figures including French President Charles de Gaulle and US Presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush.
In 2011, Morgan was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She sang “Fascination” during the ceremony.
“It has been a long time coming,” she told the crowd. “Now it’s here. I’m very, very gratified.”
Morgan was married twice. Her second marriage was to her manager, Jerry Weintraub, who worked with huge stars including Elvis Presley and was responsible for producing hit films including “The Karate Kid” franchise and “Ocean’s Eleven.”
After tying the knot in 1965, Morgan and Weintraub adopted three daughters togethers. Morgan also became stepmother to Weintraub’s son Michael.
Morgan and Weintraub separated in the 1980s but never divorced. Weintraub died in 2015 at age 77.
