Whitman, Jerry

Vocalist who performed with the Airmen of Note from 1963 to 1965 and went on to join the Ray Conniff Singers. He was also part of The Versatiles and sang loads of commercial jingles, in addition to becoming a valuable session singer. Early soundtrack credits include Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Time to Run. He and his wife, Diana Lee, provided the singing voices for Peter Finch and Liv Ullman in the 1973 film, Lost Horizon. They went on to record the children’s albums, Songs from Sesame Street 2 and Songs from The Electric Company TV Show.

The ‘70s were overall a pretty productive time for Jerry: He established himself in the recording studio, lending his vocal talents to Elkie Brooks’ Rich Man’s Woman and The Carpenters’ Horizon, as well as pitching in on The Partridge Family and the title theme song to Happy Days. Later, he appeared with the progressive rock band Triumvirat on their 1978 offering, A la Carte, and sang the title track to the short-lived TV show, When the Whistle Blows.

Other artists and groups with whom Jerry has collaborated include David Axelrod, Michel Colombier, Neil Diamond, Harvey Mason, Sr., Billy May, The Outlaws, Norman Saleet, Frank Sinatra, and The Tubes. He also followed up his early film success by appearing on the soundtracks of Grease, Death Becomes Her, The Jungle Book 2, Lady in White, Phantom of the Paradise, Van Helsing, and The Wind in the Willows, and sang “Too Bad You’re Crazy” over the end credits of the horror film, April Fool’s Day.

The 1990s saw him collaborating with talents as diverse as Lorrie Morgan and Weird Al Yankovic, and performing “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile (Radio Version)” on the TV-movie version of Annie.

There are limited opportunities to hear Jerry solo: He covered “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” with Perry Botkin, Jr. & His Orchestra on Reader’s Digest Music: The Burt Bacharach Songbook, “Scarborough Fair” on Luv TV, and if you’re a fan of Mr. Rogers, there is always Jerry Whitman Sings Songs From The Mr. Rogers TV Show.

Sources:

Whitman, Jerry

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