At her vocal peak in 1966, Nancy Wilson was the very picture of grace and artistic command. Her jazzy vocal style added a soulful flavor to pop songs of the day and her range and phrasing were masterful. Today, as enveloping as her albums are, they don’t give you the full scope of what made Nancy special at the very top of her game.
To fully appreciate her gifts, you have to watch Nancy in action. One can only imagine what she was like in ’66 at supper clubs such as The Coconut Grove. You realize Nancy was a pure video star (much like Peggy Lee)—a charismatic singer who understood the camera and how to knock out viewers on the other end of the lens. Yesterday I watched a bunch of videos of Nancy in ’66 and thought I’d share them with you.
Now, sit back and enjoy five videos of Nancy in 1966 and one bonus video from 1970…
Nancy on The Danny Kaye Show. Dig the Paul Weston Orchestra behind her, especially the drummer. And as dopey and dated as Kaye is, they sang quite a duet…
Nancy on TV’s I Spy singing The Song Is You…
She is on the same show, singing When Did You Leave Heaven…
Nancy singing on the Sound of Ravinia (move the time bar to 25:15). Ravinia is a 36-acre park in Highland Park, Ill., that remains the nation’s oldest outdoor music festival…
Nancy with Andy Williams on The Andy Williams Show…
Nancy on TV’s Hawaii Five 0, not in ’66 but in ’70, to remind us what a superb dramatic actress she was as well…
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