Ginny Gibson

Virginia Nelson (born Virginia Marie Shoemaker; November 22, 1924 Rochester, New York – November 27, 1998 Nyack, New York), professionally known as Ginny Gibson, was a prolific New York recording vocalist. Gibson recorded jingles and popular songs. Her married surname, beginning around 1946, was Nelson. In 1958, she married Richard Dennis Criger (1925–2001). She divorced Criger in 1976.[1][2][3] Gibson also recorded under the alias "Ginny Blue."[4]

This article is about the singer, who in the early 1950s, recorded for MGM Records. For the actress, see Virginia Gibson.

Career

Virginia Shoemaker, as a performer, began singing at age 6 for WHAM radio in Rochester, New York.[5] In 1950, Gibson signed a contract with MGM Records. She was the first to record the song s "Mr. Sandman," "If I Give My Heart to You," and "Dansero." Her recording of "Whatever Lola Wants" from Damn Yankees won national radio and jukebox play. Her manager while at MGM was Joan Javits (né Joan Ellen Javits; born 1931), who in 1953, co-wrote Santa Baby with Philip Springer (born 1926). The other co-composer, Tony Springer, listed in the 1953 Catalog of Copyright Entries, was a fictitious name. Joan was the niece of New York Senator Jacob K. Javits.

In 1954, Gibson recorded 966 new tunes for such songwriters that included Irving Berlin; Cole Porter; Pajama Game and Damn Yankees writers Jerry Ross and Dick Adler; Charles Tobias; and Pat Ballard.

Gibson also sang radio and TV commercials, including the famous "Chiquita Banana," "Hello, Bryers Calling," "Winston Tastes Good," "The Dodge Boys," "Wouldn't You Really Rather Have a Buick?" and "Pepsodent Toothpaste."

She was the off-stage voice on the Coke Time with Eddie Fisher television show, working with Doc Severinsen, Eydie Gormé, and Debbie Reynolds. She was also heard regularly on the Chicago radio show Don McNeill's Breakfast Club and television's The Halls of Ivy and Sky King.[1]

Selected discography

M-G-M Records
  1. 10661 (April 1950)
    Ginny Gibson
    With Van Horne Quartet
    Side A: "You're Finding Out How Much I Love You"
    Carl G. Lampl (1898–1962) (music)
    Buddy Kaye (words)
    48-S-551
    Side B: "Where in the World"
    Ginny Gibson, vocalist
    Gibson Boys, vocalists
    48-S-550
    Carl G. Lampl (1898–1962)
    Buddy Kaye
  2. 11276
    Buddy Kaye Quintet
    Ginny Gibson
    Side A: "The Sunday Morning Song"
    48-S-552
    Carl G. Lampl (1898–1962) (music)
    Buddy Kaye (words)
    Side B: "The Goodnight Song"
    48-S-553
    Buddy Kaye
    Carl G. Lampl (1898–1962)
  3. 11383 (1952)
    Ginny Gibson
    Side A: "Too Far Between Kisses"
    48-S-817
    Side B: "You Blew Me a Kiss" 48-S-816
    (Audio on YouTube)
  4. 11435 (1953)
    Ginny Gibson
    With Orchestra
    LeRoy Holmes, conductor
    Side A: "The Kiss"
    (from the 1953 film Niagara)
    Haven Gillespie (words)
    Lionel Newman (music)
    53-S-5
    Side B: "Condemned Without a Trial"
    Hal Blair (né Harold Keller Brown; 1915–2001) (w&m)
    Don Robertson (w&m)
    53-S-6
  5. 11499
    Ginny Gibson
    With Joe Lipman
    Side A: "Unless You're Really Mine"
    Ted Varnick (w&m)
    Nick Acquaviva (w&m)
    53-S-199
    (Audio on YouTube)
    Side B: "Lonely Lover"
    53-S-198
    Herbert Nelson[lower-alpha 1] (music)
    Fred Jacobson[lower-alpha 2] (words)
  6. 11571 (1953)
    Ginny Gibson
    With Joe Lipman
    Side A: "Dansero"
    53-S-345
    Heyman-Daniels-Parker
    Side B: "No More Tears"
    53-S-344
    Frank Feraco (words)
    Harry Siskind (words)
    Paul Todd (music)
    OCLC 761848657
  7. 11672
    Ginny Gibson
    With orchestra
    Joe Lipman, director
    Side A: "Baton Rouge"
    Bob Merrill (w&m)
    53-S-608
    Side B: "Don't Stop Kissing Me Goodnight"
    Sheb Wooley (w&m)
    53-S-610
  8. 11736 (1953)
    Ginny Gibson
    With Orchestra
    Joe Lipman, director
    Side A: "Aye Aye Aye Aye"
    Gloria Shane (words)
    Joe Lipman (music)
    Noel Regney
    53-S-609
    Side B: "Serenade to Spring"
    Dick Charles
    Gloria Regney
    53-S-607
    OCLC 913509385, 79344796
  9. 11814 (1954)
    Ginny Gibson
    Side A: "The Song That Broke My Heart"
    54-S-358
    Side B: "There's a Small Hotel"
    54-S-356
    OCLC 83739456
  10. 11913 (1954)
    Ginny Gibson
    With Joe Lipman
    Side A: "Once There Was a Little Girl"
    54-S-355
    Hayward Morris (1922–1977) (music)
    Lee Kauderer[lower-alpha 3] (words)
    Side B: "Like Ma-A-D"
    54-S-357
    Alice D. Simms (w&m)
    Irving Roth (music)
  11. 11961 (March 1955)
    Ginny Gibson
    The Four Jingles (vocals)
    Side A: "Whatever Lola Wants" ("Lola Gets")
    From the musical Damn Yankees
    Richard Adler (w&m)
    Jerry Ross (w&m)
    (Audio on YouTube)
    Side B: "If Anything Should Happen to You"
    Dick Charles (w&m)
    Fred Ebb (w&m)
    55-S-312
    OCLC 761848652
  12. 12019 (July 1955)
    Ginny Gibson
    With Orchestra
    Joe Lipman, conductor
    The Four Jingles (on Side B)
    Side A: "Chihuahua Choo-Choo" ("Chi-Wa-Wa")
    From the Los Angeles revue:
       That's Life (1954)
    Jay Livingston (w&m)
    Ray Evans (w&m)
    55-XY-219
    Side B: "Am I Asking Too Much?"
    Robert Bergman (w&m)
    Harry Evans (w&m)
    George Ames (w&m)
    55-XY-217
  13. 12113 (1955)
    Ginny Gibson
    With Orchestra
    And the Jingles
    Joe Lipman, conductor
    Side A: OHH ("How I Love Ya'")
    Parker
    55-XY-578
    Side B: "If You Want To Make Me Happy"
    Harold Solomon (music)
    Jack Segal (words)
    55-S-765
    OCLC 80800669
  14. 12517
    Ginny Gibson
    With orchestra
    Joe Lipman, conductor
    And with the Jingles
    Side A: "If That Would Bring You Back To Me"
    Eddie Seiler (w&m)
    Sol Marcus (w&m)
    55-XY-580
    Side B: "The Places I've Been"
    Sy Muskin
    Sol Parker
    55-XY-577

Mercury Records
  1. 5405 (1950)
    Recorded March 14, 1950, New York
    Bobby Sherwood (trumpet, piano, guitar, vocals, arranger), Lou Oles, Carl Poole (né Carl Alan Poole; 1920–1986), Pincus (Pinky) Savitt (1919–1998) (trumpets), Eddie Anderson, Bob Cutshall, Kai Winding (trombones), Hymie Shertzer, Ernie Caceres (alto saxes), Johnny Hayes, Babe Russin (tenor saxes), Tony Ferina (bari sax), Lou Stein (piano), Sid Weiss (bass), Morey Feld (drums), Ginny Gibson (vocalist)
    Side A: "Muskrat Ramble"
    Sherwood & Gibson (vocals)
    Ray Gilbert (words)
    Edward "Kid" Ory (music)
    3235
    Side B: "Dixieland Ball"
    Ginny Gibson (vocals)
    Buddy Kaye (words)
    Al Frisch (né Albert T. Frisch; 1916–1976) (music)
    3237
  2. 5468 (1950)
    Recorded March 14, 1950, New York
    Ginny Gibson
    Bobby Sherwood
    And His Orchestra
    (same musicians as 5405)
    Side A: "Cherry Bounce"
    Charles Columbus (w&m)
    3238
    (Audio on YouTube)
    Side B: "Doodle-Doo-Doo"
    Art Kassel (w&m)
    Mel Stitzel (music)
    3236

Voco Records (sub-label: Tops for Tots)
  1. Tops for Tots V29
    Bernie Knee (vocals)
    Ginny Gibson (vocals)
    With the Tops Orchestra
    Side B: Kiddie Medley
       "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"
       "Brother John" ("Frère Jacques")
  2. Voco V30T (1951)
    Ginny Gibson
    (singer and narrator)
    With the Voco Orchestra
    Side A: Little Red Ridinghood
    Ted Murry
       (pseudonym of Murray Mencher (de); 1898–1991) (music)
    Raymond Leveen (1893–1984) (words)
  3. Tops for Tots V33
    Bob Kennedy (narrator and singer)
    Ginny Gibson (narrator and singer)
    Sides A & B: Cinderella

RCA Victor Records
  1. 47-4212
    Ginny Gibson
    With Hugo Winterhalter and Orchestra
    Side B: "Blow, Blow Winds of the Sea" (1953)
    Harold Duncan (w&m)
    E1-VB-2901-1
    OCLC 77921198
    (Audio on YouTube)
  2. 47-4510 (1952)
    The Three Suns
    Artie Dunn (vocal refrain)
    Ginny Gibson (vocal refrain)
    Side A: "Stolen Love"
    Anna Marie Sickle (w&m)
    Marlene Feinstein (w&m)
    E2-VB-5543
    OCLC 80134629
    (Audio on YouTube)
    Side B: "Cool, Cool Kisses"
  3. EPB 3051 (1953) (7" 45 rpm; 2 discs)
    LPM 1185 (1956) (LP)
    Music by Starlight
    Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra
    Eddie Heywood (piano); Ginny Gibson (vocals)
    Stuart Foster
    (stage name for Tamer Aswad; 1923–1968)
    OCLC 12935721, 288945583

Jubilee Records
  1. 45-6027 (1953)
    Ginny Gibson
    And the Shepherds (Side A)
    With Billy Mure, guitarist (Side A)
    With the Country Slickers (Side B)
    Side A: "If the End of the World Came Tonight"
    Sid Lippman (music)
    Sylvia Dee (words)
    45-T5-107
    Side B: "Ain't It Great to Be Crazy"
    Sid Lippman (music)
    Sylvia Dee (words)
    45-T5-108
    Note: Red record vinyl
    OCLC 81824861, 732376947

ABC-Paramount Records
  1. 45-9717 (Jun 1956)
    Don Costa Orchestra
    With Ginny Gibson
    Side A: "Lullaby To An Angel"
    Dick Broderick[lower-alpha 4] (w&m)
    346-N1
    OCLC 80793325
    Side B: "Magic Melody"
    Earl Stanley Shuman (born 1923) (words)
    Mort Garson
    345-N1
    OCLC 84532230
  2. 45-9739 (1956)
    Ginny Gibson
    With Don Costa and His Orchestra
    Side A: "Miracle of Love"
    Bob Merrill (words)
    AMP 45-465
    (Audio on YouTube)
    Side B: "Two Innocent Hearts"
    Dorian Burton (w&m)
    Lee Pincus (w&m)
    AMP 45-466
    OCLC 808641806, 78875793
    (Audio on YouTube)
    Re-released by:
    Sparton Records
    526R (catalog no.)
  3. 45-9786 (February 1957)
    With orchestra and chorus
    Don Costa, director
    Side A: "I Pledge Allegiance To Your Heart"
    William "Bill" Norvas (w&m)
    AMP 45-695
    Side B: "A Pair of Fools"
    Bennie Benjamin (w&m)
    Sol Marcus (w&m)
    AMP 45-696
    Re-released by:
    Sparton Records
    370R (catalog no.)
  4. 9872 (December 1957)
    Ginny Gibson
    Side A: "September 'til June"
    Sol Parker (né Solomon Peskin; 1919–2010) (w&m)
    Dick Broderick[lower-alpha 4] (w&m)
    3044
    Side B: "Homing Pigeon"
    Mel Mandel[lower-alpha 5] (words)
    Marvin Kahn (1915–1969) (music)
    3045
    Re-released by:
    Sparton Records
    520R (catalog no.)

Forum Records (Charles Records)
  1. F703 (1962)
    Ginny Gibson
    Side A: "Hand of Love"
    Dick Broderick[lower-alpha 4]
    61-L-7
    Side B: "Stay Here, Bluebird"
    Adaptation from Massenet's "Elegy"
    Fay Tishman (1913–2006)[lower-alpha 6][6] (words and arr.)
  2. 85276 (July 1962)
    Ginny Gibson
    Dick Wess Orchestra
    Side A: "As The World Turns"
    Dick Charles (music)
    Fay Tishman (words)
    ZTSP 85276
    Side B: "That's How Love Comes"
    Dick Charles (music)
    Robert Wilde (pseudonym of Robert Goldstein) (w&m)
  3. DC102469 (1969)
    Ginny Gibson
    Side B: "Lonely Little Christmas Tree"
    Dick Charles
    DC102469B

Davis Records (Joe Davis)
  1. 442-45 (October 1955)
    Ginny Gibson
    Accompanied by the Song Spinners
    Side A: "Wanting You"
    Robert Maurice Wilson (born 1921) (w&m)
    DA-350-45
    Side B: "Mommy's Little Angel"
    Glenn Gibson
       (pseudonym of Bert Davis)[7][lower-alpha 7]
    DA-349-45
    "Wanting You" also
    Released by Derby
    Cat No. 810; mx DA-171
    OCLC 82887565

Kama Records
  1. K-35 (May 1962)
    Ginny Gibson
    R. Wess Orchestra
    Side A: "You Pass This Way" ("Only Once")
    Sunny Skylar (w&m)
    Al Frisch (né Albert T. Frisch; 1916–1976)
    R. Wess (arr.)
    500
    Side B: "Bluesville"
    Dick Charles
    Dick Criger
    Kama was a division of Kama Productions, 9 Meadow Street, New York Mills, New York

Selected radio transcriptions
The Eddie Safranski Orchestra, SESAC transcriptions
  1. Program #N-902 (May 17, 1955)
    1. "Oh Me! Oh My," Jack Haskell (vocalist)
    2. "Walking Down The Aisle," Jack Haskell (vocalist)
    3. "Do You," Ginny Gibson & Jack Haskell (vocalists)
    4. "I Can't Forget You," Ginny Gibson (vocalist)
    5. "Indian War Dance" Eddie Safranski and His Orchestra, Ginny Gibson, Jack Haskell
  2. Program #N-903 (May 17, 1955)
    1. "Cuttin'Capers," Jack Haskell (vocalist)
    2. "The Way I Think of You," Jack Haskell (vocalist)
    3. "Nevada Hop," Ginny Gibson, vocalist
    4. "I Wonder Why," Ginny Gibson (vocalist)
    5. "Scutter-Botch," Eddie Safranski and His Orchestra, Ginny Gibson, Jack Haskell
  3. Program #N-904
    1. "Breezy," Ginny Gibson (vocalist)
    2. "Do You Remember," Ginny Gibson (vocalist)
    3. "Swingin' On a Rainbow," Ginny Gibson (vocalist)
    4. "Dreaming By The Fire," Ginny Gibson (vocalist)
    5. "Doodle Bug," Eddie Safranski and His Orchestra, Ginny Gibson
Bud's Bandwagon
  1. Program 533, Part 1 (June 8, 1955)
    Bud's Bandwagon
    Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS)
    Broadcast June 8, 1955
    1. "Like Mad," Ginny Gibson
    2. "Tara's Theme," Sam "The Man" Taylor, tenor sax
    3. "Write Me Baby," The Four Knights
    4. "How Important Can It Be?" Sarah Vaughan
    5. "Red Wing," George Lewis and his New Orleans Rhythm Boys
    6.  Bud interviews Earle Lyon (1918–2012) and Richard Bartlett who plug their 1955 film, The Silver Star
    Radio transcription disc
    OCLC 247491155
    Bud's Bandwagon was a radio program of the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, aired five days a week for four years. Bud Widom (né Leonard Widom; 1918–1976) was the DJ host. The music was from extant recordings rather than live performances.[8]


Family

Ginny Gibson's father, Wayne A. Shoemaker (1902–1962) had, at one time, been Public Relations Director of the Rochester Civic Music Association. Wayne Shoemaker was also a strong regional chess player — affiliated with the Finger Lakes Chess Society.

Death

Virginia M. Criger died November 27, 1998, in Nyack, New York. She was buried in Mount Repose Cemetery, Haverstraw, New York. Etched at the top of her tombstone are the words of the title song she once recorded, "You Pass This Way Only Once." And at the bottom are the words, "Our Beloved 'Ginny Gibson.'"[9]

Selected compositions
  • "What a Nervous Situation"
Ginny Gibson (w&m)
Dick Broderick[lower-alpha 4] (w&m)
© Sikorski Music Corp., New York
31 January 1956; EP96565

References

Notes
  1. Herbert Nelson (de) (né Herbert Lewysohn; October 31, 1910 Berlin – 18 May 1988 Riverdale, New York) was a German-born American cabaret artist and notable lyricist. He was the son of Rudolf Nelson.
  2. Fred Jacobson (né Friedrich Alex Jacobson; 1914–1988) was an Austrian-born American songwriter. He sometimes published songs under pseudonyms Fred Jay and Fritz Jahn.
  3. Lee Kauderer (né Leon Kauderer; 26 February 1919 Philadelphia – 15 April 1969 Philadelphia), in 1954, founded Marlyn Music Publishers, Inc., in New York, a member of BMI. He also owned Overbrook Publishing, a member of ASCAP. And, with Harold Lipsious (né Harold Bernard Lipsius; 1913–2007), he co-owned Sherwood Artists Management, Inc. In 1955, musician-arranger-manager Teddy McRae became General Manager of Marlyn Music ... all located at 650 Fifth Avenue, New York. As a songwriter, he published over 100 songs; although he was primarily a Philadelphia-based osteopathic physician.
  4. Dick Broderick was the pseudonym of Dick Criger (né Richard Dennis Criger; 1925–2001) who was married to Ginny Gibson from 1958 to 1976, when they divorced.
  5. Mel Mandel (aka Mel Mandell) was a lyricist and music journalist. He also wrote lyrics under pseudonym Robert Lean.
  6. Fay Tishman (née Frances Fay Hartman; 1913–2006) was a member of ASCAP (see ASCAP Biographical Dictionary, 4th ed., 1980 – below, under "Inline citations")
  7. "Glenn Gibson" was a pseudonym for Bert Davis, which, in turn, was a pseudonym for Bertha Davis, of which there were two Bertha's married to music publisher and producer Joe Davis – (i) Bertha Thalheimer (1997–1939) and (ii) Bertha "Bert" Kapp (1903–1973), sister of record producer and executive, Jack Kapp. In the case of "Bert Davis," Musicologist Eugene Chadbourne of AllMusic raises questions of songwriter attribution, not specific to "Mommy's Little Angel," but to all works connected to Joe Davis, including works under other pseudonyms, including Howard Richards, Billy Collins, Rinky Scott Jones, Phoebe Snow (not the famous one), Glenn Gibson, and Adrienne Garblik. "Garblik" was surname of the husband of his daughter, Lucille Joan (1927–2002). ("Bert 'Bertha' Davis," biography, by Eugene Chadbourne, AllMusic, online; retrieved June 15, 2017)

Inline citations
  1. "Virginia 'Ginny Gibson' Criger," 73, Former Television, Radio and Recording Artist," Journal News, April 28, 1998, pg. 10 (retrieved June 12, 2017, via www.newspapers.com/clip/60928457)
  2. "Wayne Shoemaker, Radio Series Author, Dies," Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, July 20, 1962, pg. 11
  3. "Ginny Gibson – Biography," by Eugene Chadbourne, AllMusic (online) (written sometime before July 2009) (retrieved June 14, 2017)
  4. "What's My Name Again? Disk Stars' Aliases Thicker Than a P.O. Bulletin Board," by June Bundy, Billboard, May 21, 1955, pg. 39
  5. "Juvenile Radio Stars – Baby Rose Marie Sings To Delight of Children and Adults on RKO Bill," by Tom Burke, Rochester Times-Union, November 13, 1933, pg. 13
  6. The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary (4th ed.), compiled for the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers – by Jaques Cattell Press, New York: R.R. Bowker Co. (1980)
  7. The Melody Man: Joe Davis and the New York Music Scene, 1916–1978, by Bruce Bastin, University Press of Mississippi (2012), pg. 104; OCLC 759909835
  8. "3 AFRS Live Segs Axed for Economy," Billboard, June 4, 1955, pg. 18
  9. "Virginia M. Criger," Find a Grave
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